Coyote vs. Acme Film May Hit Theaters Despite Cancellation

Warner Bros.' previously shelved film, Coyote vs. Acme, may soon hit the screens after all, according to a recent report by Deadline. The Los Angeles-based independent film company, Ketchup Entertainment, is reportedly in deep negotiations to acquire the rights to the movie, which was thought to be entirely scrapped.

While the deal is not finalized yet, a successful negotiation could lead to a theatrical release of Coyote vs. Acme in 2026. The film, announced in 2022 and inspired by Ian Frazier's 1990 New Yorker article of the same name, is co-written by James Gunn and features Will Forte and John Cena in lead roles. Originally slated for a mid-2023 release on Max, the completed movie was unfortunately shelved, prompting a dedicated campaign to save it.

Ketchup Entertainment has a history of rescuing films from oblivion, having recently saved Warner Bros.' The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie from a similar fate. This move allowed the film to secure a theatrical run in the US, marking it as the first fully animated Looney Tunes movie to hit the big screens. IGN praised it as a "laugh-out-loud riot."

Ketchup Entertainment's portfolio includes other notable releases such as Hellboy: The Crooked Man and the Robert Rodriguez thriller Hypnotic, starring Ben Affleck. The company also co-produced Michael Mann's 2023 biopic, Ferrari.