Looney Tunes fans delighted as cancelled Coyote vs Acme film set to be saved

A release for the finished film was cancelled as part of a tax write-off

The shelved Warner Bros film Coyote vs Acme is reportedly close to finding a new home.

Warner Bros dropped the finished movie, which stars John Cena, Will Forte, and Lana Condor, in November 2023 as part of a $30m tax write-off. The decision also caused the cancellation of films like Batgirl and Scoob! Holiday Haunt.

The studio has allowed director Dave Green and producer James Gunn to pitch the film to the likes of Netflix, Amazon Prime and Apple, but no deal has been struck.

Deadline is now reporting that Ketchup Entertainment, an independent distributor that recently released another Looney Tunes film, is set to acquire the project for a fee of $50m ahead of a prospective theatrical release in 2026.

Ketchup Entertainment struck a similar deal in 2024 when they rescued The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie. The film was released in North America on 14 March to positive reviews and earned more than $3m at the box office.

Coyote vs Acme follows Wile E Coyote as he decides to sue the Acme Corporation after his seemingly endless attempts to capture Roadrunner end in failure and injury.

Will Forte in Coyote vs Acme (Warner Bros Discovery)

He hires a billboard lawyer, played by Forte, to sue the Acme Corporation and their intimidating boss, played by Cena.

The unorthodox court drama eventually sees an unlikely friendship blossom between man and cartoon as they become determined to win in their case.

The news of the film potentially being saved has been warmly received by fans. “Ketchup Entertainment, save Coyote vs Acme and my life is yours,” said one very enthusiastic fan.

A second added: “The conversations about The Day the Earth Blew Up and Coyote vs Acme should focus on how heroic it is for Ketchup Entertainment to step up and try to save these movies that Warner didn’t care for to audiences when no one else did.”

Filmmaker Joe Russo wrote: “When Netflix *FINALLY* sold our movie, The Inheritance, to Vertical, it was so cathartic for our cast and crew -- and it went on to be a hit on Hulu. I hope this Coyote vs Acme deal goes through for Dave Green and his team. They deserve it. And we deserve to see their hard work.”

Looney Tunes (Warner Bros)

It comes after HBO Max scrubbed the original Looney Tunes shorts from its streaming site.

The Warner Bros-owned franchise began as a series of animated shorts, which were released during the golden age of American animation between 1930 to 1969, and more than 1,000 episodes were released under Looney Tunes and spin-off banner Merrie Melodies.

HBO’s streaming site Max, which is owned by Warner Bros Discovery, has removed the remaining 255 original Looney Tunes shorts, leaving fans to call for the franchise to be made publicly accessible for all Americans.

According to Deadline, the decision is part of a new plan for the streamer to prioritise adult and family programming over children’s programming, which is no longer considered popular by the streamer.