Warner Bros. Kills John Cena's Coyote Vs. Acme Movie 1 Year After Batgirl Fiasco
As if "Batgirl" wasn't enough, Warner Bros. has decided to shelve John Cena's highly-anticipated "Coyote Vs. Acme."
Warner Bros. made headlines in August 2022 when they canceled DC's "Batgirl," a project deep into post-production. The unprecedented decision to cancel the film sent shockwaves throughout the industry, causing both outcry and disappointment to manifest. A decision made by Warners boss David Zaslav, "Batgirl" was canceled to take advantage of a tax break. That picture was canceled alongside the animated "Scoob! Holiday Haunt," another project also in the post-production stage. Now, in a surprising move, Warner Bros. is sending John Cena's "Coyote Vs. Acme" film into the vault, canceling its release. The Hollywood Reporter was the first to break the news.
"Coyote Vs. Acme" was originally set for an HBO Max release. It was later put on Warner Bros. theatrical slate, though it was later removed. Principal photography on the live-action and CG hybrid picture concluded last year. Once filming wrapped up, details regarding the picture dried up. Deadline says that Warner Bros. is taking an estimated $30 million write-down on the comedy film. It reportedly cost $70 million.
"With the re-launch of Warner Bros. Pictures Animation in June, the studio has shifted its global strategy to focus on theatrical releases," a spokesperson said regarding the decision. "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."
THR says that the filmmakers were given prior notice regarding the film's cancelation, unlike the creatives behind "Batgirl" and "Scoob! Holiday Haunt."
Why Warner Bros. is canceling John Cena's Coyote flick
Deadline reports that the $30 million write-down on "Coyote Vs. Acme" was applied to Warner Bros.' recent Q3 reports. What makes this news disappointing is that John Cena's latest is was reportedly pretty good. Directed by Dave Green, the film followed Wile E. Coyote suing Acme over its faulty products. He recruits a lawyer, played by Will Forte, to go after the company, which is run by John Cena's character. DC boss James Gunn produced the film.
"Coyote Vs. Acme" sounds like an absolutely chaotic piece of filmmaking and it did well in testing, getting rare above-average scores. The "Looney Tunes" flick even had a fan in "Are You Afraid of the Dark?" writer BenDavid Grabinski, who took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to gush about the shelved picture. "'COYOTE V ACME' is a great movie," they wrote. "The best of its kind since 'ROGER RABBIT.' It's commercial. It tested well. The leads are super likable. It's beautifully shot. The animation is great. The ending makes everyone [expletive] cry. I thought the goal of this business was to make hit movies?"
Looks like we missed out on a winner. While the damage is done, it should be noted that Warner Bros. had buyers interested in the film — Deadline says Amazon was hoping to acquire the pic. Unfortunately, Warner Bros. didn't think selling the film or marketing it for a theatrical release, was worth the hassle. Yes, Wile E. Coyote isn't a blockbuster character, but it seems like "Coyote Vs. Acme" was a genuine knockout, and the box office has proven time and time again that audiences are willing to show up for interesting, genre-bending family films (cough, cough "Barbie," "Elemental").
"Coyote Vs. Acme" won't be released.