In a surprising twist for Wile E. Coyote, the animated character finally catches a break. The long-awaited “Coyote vs. Acme,” once abandoned by Warner Bros. in 2023, has been revived with a fresh opportunity. Ketchup Entertainment recently announced the acquisition of global distribution rights for the film, although the transaction details remain undisclosed. This marks the rescue of one of the three fully finished films Warner Bros. had decided to use as a tax write-off rather than release, following a leadership shift after the pandemic. The other two films, “Batgirl” and “Scoob! Holiday Haunt,” have yet to see the light of day.
Ketchup Entertainment is set to bring “Coyote vs. Acme” to theaters, albeit on an undisclosed date. Gareth West, CEO of Ketchup Entertainment, expressed enthusiasm for the deal with Warner Bros. Pictures, highlighting the film as a seamless mix of nostalgia and contemporary storytelling. He emphasized that the movie captures the classic charm of Looney Tunes characters while also appealing to newer audiences.
Directed by Dave Green and inspired by an article by Ian Frazier in The New Yorker, “Coyote vs. Acme” narrates the tale of Wile E. Coyote’s lawsuit against Acme Corporation due to their consistently malfunctioning products that failed in his attempts to catch the Road Runner. The film creatively blends live-action with animation and features performances by John Cena and Will Forte.
While Deadline reported Ketchup Entertainment paid roughly $50 million for a production that cost $70 million, this isn’t the first time Ketchup has stepped in for Warner Bros. The company, which began its operations in 2012, previously distributed another cut Looney Tunes production, “The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie.” Over three weeks in theaters, it amassed $8.2 million in domestic sales.