Warner Bros is reportedly shelving the completed $70m movie to take an estimated $30m tax write-down. The Coyote Vs. AMCE movie drew its inspiration from a 1990 New Yorker article of the same name, and would have seen the eponymous animated character launch legal action against the ACME corporation.
The “difficult” decision has been made NOT TO RELEASE the live-action/animation hybrid movie Coyote vs Acme starring Will Forte, John Cena and Lana Condor, according to a statement. And DC Studios co-head James Gunn produced the feature and worked on the story. Which has to be embarrassing.
The writer-director Brian Duffield tweeted: “I have seen this movie and it is excellent. It also tested in the high 90s repeatedly. It also had interested buyers. The people working at Warner Bros are anti-art and I hope multiple anvils drop on their heads.”
The COMPLETED film starring John Cena (Peacemaker) and the Looney Tunes characters has been completely shelved as of today, the Hollywood Reporter confirmed. “With the re-launch of Warner Bros. Pictures Animation in June, the studio has shifted its global strategy to focus on theatrical releases. With this new direction, we have made the difficult decision not to move forward with Coyote vs Acme. We have tremendous respect for the filmmakers, casts, and crew, and are grateful for their contributions to the film.”
Director Dave Green shared the following statement on X: “For three years, I was lucky enough to make a movie about Wile E. Coyote, the most persistent, passionate, and resilient character of all time. I was surrounded by a brilliant team, who poured their souls into this project for years. We were all determined to honor the legacies of these historic characters and actually get them right. Along the ride, we were embraced by test audiences who rewarded us with fantastic scores. I am beyond proud of the final product, and beyond devastated by WB’s decision. But in the spirit of Wile E. Coyote, resilience and persistence win the day.”