Why Was This ‘Looney Tunes’ Movie Almost Shelved for Good?
The director of Coyote vs. Acme wants to make sense of the film’s near death.
TL;DR
- "Coyote vs. Acme" is based on a 1990 New Yorker article by Ian Frazier, featuring Looney Tunes characters in a legal drama.
- The film, directed by Dave Green, was completed in 2022 but was taken off Warner Bros.' schedule and later announced to be shelved entirely.
- Warner Bros. reportedly made the decision to shelve the movie for a tax write-off amidst debt issues.
- After being shopped to other distributors without success, Ketchup Entertainment acquired the film for $50 million.
- The movie blends live-action and animation, with Wile E. Coyote suing the Acme Corporation for faulty products, exploring themes of fairness and corporate responsibility.
- Director Dave Green initially pitched the film as a true-crime documentary crossed with a legal drama, which surprised him when Warner Bros. accepted the concept.
- The film's journey to theaters reflects Hollywood's instability, with Warner Bros. also shelving "Batgirl" around the same time.