Warner Bros. reportedly set to shelve and delete Coyote vs Acme

It appears Coyote vs. Acme may never see the light of day as Warner Bros. Discovery is reportedly set to shelve and delete the film after failing to find a buyer.

TheWrap reported that Warner Bros. rejected offers from Amazon, Netflix, and Paramount. Paramount reportedly also proposed a theatrical release for the film, which Warner Bros. allegedly rejected. Warner Bros. reportedly wanted $75 - $80 million for the project and would not allow the studios to counter-offer.

Warner Bros took a $70M writedown on Q3 earnings, not the upcoming Q4. Nonetheless, the movie, which the Burbank, CA lot decided back in early November not to release — remains in purgatory. That said, we hear the door isn’t officially closed on Coyote vs. Acme‘s prospects yet — it’s just that the Coyote could wind up in the cave with Batgirl, reported Deadline.

The studio had done this before with Batgirl and Scoob! Holiday Haunt.

Coyote vs. Acme, announced in 2022, is co-written by James Gunn and stars John Cena. It was supposed to be released on July 21, 2023, on Max (formerly HBO Max), but the film was cancelled last November despite having already finished filming. 

Earlier, Eric Bauza, who is voicing Wile E. Coyote in the film, took to X, to share the first look at Coyote vs. Acme. The first look poster had an animated Coyote seated beside his live-action lawyer, portrayed by Will Forte. This has teased the possibility of the film moving forward and aiming for a 2024 release date. Additionally, Lana Condor can be spotted sitting behind Coyote and his lawyer, although her role has not yet been disclosed.

The movie is inspired by a fictional 1990 New Yorker article by Ian Frazier, which reported on Coyote's lawsuit against Acme for personal and emotional injuries and damages he suffered from their products. 

The movie was written by Samy Burch, who has won praise for her screenplay for Todd Haynes' May December, and directed by David Green, whose credits include Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows (2016).