Everything You Need to Know About Coyote vs. Acme

The Origin of Coyote vs. Acme

Based on the legendary Looney Tunes characters, Coyote vs. Acme brings the hilarious world of the Warner Bros. cartoons to life on the big screen. Adapted from a New Yorker story by Ian Frazier, Coyote vs. Acme follows the titular Wile E. Coyote as he takes the infamous ACME corporation to court over their inferior products.

Wile E. Coyote stands looking down with a large box of glue from Looney Tunes

The movie blends the cartoon style of Looney Tunes with live-action, and it continues Warner Bros.' exploration of the classic characters. In the works since 2018, Coyote vs. Acme has seen several notable regime changes throughout its lengthy production process. Eventually, director Dave Green was tapped to lead the live-action and animation hybrid film, and he calls upon his previous experience as a director on movies like Earth to Echo from 2014 and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows from 2016.

Wile E. Coyote has an idea in Looney Tunes

Though the film has been subtly cooking for several years behind-the-scenes, the announcement that James Gunn was a writer on Coyote vs Acme certainly helped to drum up interest for the Looney Tunes project.

Wile E. Coyote reading the Acme catalog

Twitter article posted by Eric Bauza

The Latest News on Coyote vs. Acme

The latest news regarding the long-gestating Looney Tunes film is quite positive as Coyote vs. Acme was un-canceled by Warner Bros. just a month after the project was formally shelved. In November 2023, Warner Bros. canceled the hybrid animated film to claim it as a $30 million tax write-down but has now reversed course. Warner does not intend to distribute the film themselves but is instead shopping it to other platforms.

A composite image of John Cena and Wile E. Coyote from Looney Tunes

Voice actor Eric Bauza (Wile E. Coyote) revealed a first-look image of the film on his X (formerly Twitter) page and even hinted at a 2024 release date. However, since the film hasn't been picked up yet, the 2024 release is not verifiable and will be decided by whoever decides to distribute the film.

Wile E. Coyote chases Roadrunner with a rocket in Looney Tunes

Behind the Scenes of Coyote vs. Acme

Even though Coyote vs. Acme was canceled by Warner Bros. in November 2023, the project is now back on and the film has been un-canceled. In an unprecedented move, Warner responded to the immediate backlash to the film's cancelation by reversing their decision, though they still do not intend to distribute the film themselves and are actively courting potential buyers.

While the exact status of Coyote vs. Acme isn't quite clear, it seems as if the film is most of the way completed. Principal photography wrapped in 2022, but the film has still not seen the light of day. The fact that Warner Bros. intended to write the project off suggests it was mostly completed, and this could make its premiere date much sooner if a buyer does pick it up. However, it is impossible to say exactly when the long-gestating project will finally be released.

The Cast and Story of Coyote vs. Acme

The cast of Coyote vs. Acme is still somewhat vague, and only a few of the movie's stars have been announced. Wrestler-turned-actor John Cena stars in Coyote vs. Acme as the high-powered defense attorney representing the ACME corporation, and Will Forte plays an as-yet-unnamed lawyer who represents Wile E. Coyote. Also, Lana Condor was cast in Coyote vs. Acme, but her character details haven't been revealed yet. As for cartoon voices, Eric Bauza will star as Wile E. Coyote.

The story concerns Wile E. Coyote (Eric Bauza), finally fed up with the failures of his ACME-branded gadgets and decides to sue the company for its faulty products. In the process, he hires a lawyer (Will Forte), who is tasked with taking on the massive corporation and its high-powered lawyer (John Cena), who also happens to be his former boss. Undoubtedly, more details surrounding the plot of Coyote vs. Acme will be released in the future, though it is unclear when.