Coyote Vs. Acme Just Got A Crucial Lifeline

The past week has been a roller coaster for Looney Tunes fans. The release of a new film, The Day The Earth Blew Up, should be considered a win — but Warner Bros. Discovery sabotaged that triumph just three days later by pulling the original Looney Tunes cartoons from Max. Warner just doesn’t seem to know what to do with the franchise: after indefinitely shelving another feature-length film, Coyote vs. Acme, in 2023, the Looney Tunes brand is slowly going extinct. It’s a frustrating fate for one of the oldest and most beloved animated sagas in history. Looney Tunes should be a jewel in Warner’s crown; instead, the flailing studio is sabotaging one of its strongest pillars.

Fortunately, there’s still hope for the Tune Squad. Warner has been quietly shopping Coyote vs. Acme to other distributors, and after two years, the film might finally get a lifeline. Ketchup Entertainment — the same distributor-financier that brought The Day The Earth Blew Up to theaters — is negotiating an all-rights acquisition for Coyote vs. Acme. Per IndieWire, Ketchup is offering Warner roughly $50 million to acquire the film, “with respect to the film’s reported $70-million budget.” If the deal goes through, then Coyote vs. Acme will get a theatrical release sometime in 2026. There’s still a small chance Warner will reject Ketchup’s offer, but this could also be just the win the Looney Tunes need.

Coyote vs. Acme follows the plight of Wile E. Coyote, who’s long used Acme products in his attempts to destroy the oblivious Roadrunner. After his latest scheme goes awry thanks to another faulty Acme tool, Wile. E recruits a billboard lawyer (Will Forte) to sue the company. John Cena and Lana Condor co-star in the animated-live-action hybrid, which scored positive word of mouth at early screenings. Despite vocal support from filmmakers throughout the industry, Coyote vs. Acme was one of many casualties in WBD’s efforts to right a sinking ship. CEO David Zaslav has been cutting costs wherever possible, even when it comes to surefire successes. Coyote vs. Acme was originally slated for release on Max, but it ultimately went the way of Batgirl and Scoob! Holiday Haunt — both of which will likely never see the light of day. Despite being entirely finished, WBD shelved the film permanently, opting for a $30 million tax write-off instead.

If Ketchup succeeds in acquiring Coyote vs. Acme, there’s a chance it could become a new home, of sorts, for the Looney Tunes name. As long as Warner Bros. prioritizes “adult and family programming,” family-friendly animation and programs like Sesame Street will always be in jeopardy. The studio clearly has no interest in keeping its most iconic brands alive — since Zaslav is so eager to cut his losses, hopefully they can find sanctuary elsewhere.