Ketchup EntertainmentOf all the major studios, Warner Bros. has established a reputation for being especially brutal toward its projects. Studios like Disney have erased original programming from streaming services to save a buck, but Warner Bros. has gone one step further, canceling finished projects for the tax write-off. It started with Batgirl, then multiple Scooby-Doo projects.
Another movie, Coyote vs. Acme, almost followed, but after fan backlash, it was spared from being buried in the archives by indie distributor Ketchup Entertainment. This live-action/animation hybrid was initially slated for release in July 2023, but is now set for August 2026 — and we finally have our first look at what we almost missed out on.
Check out the trailer below.Coyote vs. Acme isn’t your typical Looney Tunes movie. It’s actually based on a New Yorker article by humorist Ian Frazier, following Wile E.
Coyote as he finally takes legal action against the Acme corporation after being repeatedly let down by their products in his pursuit of Roadrunner. In the trailer, we see lawyer Kevin Avery (Will Forte) take the case, suing Acme and its bloodthirsty lawyer Buddy Crane (John Cena) for damages. There are also plenty of appearances by classic Looney Tunes characters, including Porky Pig and Bugs Bunny.This isn’t a caper full of hijinks — or, at least, it isn’t just a caper full of hijinks.
It appears as though a good portion of the movie is an actual legal drama with cartoon characters on the stand. Wile E. Coyote may be unable to speak, but he’ll still raise his voice against the big guys.
The story also has an all-star team of writers to match its cast. Samy Burch, the Oscar-nominated writer of Todd Haynes’ May December, wrote the script from a story by her, Moon Knight head writer Jeremy Slater, and current Co-President of DC Studios James Gunn.John Cena plays smarmy lawyer Buddy Crane in Coyote vs. Acme. | Ketchup EntertainmentAnd Ketchup Entertainment is no stranger to a Looney Tunes release: sci-fi Looney Tunes adventure The Day the Earth Blew Up was originally slated for HBO Max, but Warner Bros. instead decided to shop it around to other distributors, leading to a theatrical release that garnered largely positive reviews.Between the quirky story, blended medium, and high-profile cast and crew, Coyote vs.
Acme will hopefully draw audiences to theaters. But its biggest selling point may be its controversial origin story: this is a movie that almost became lost media, that Warner Bros. didn’t want you to see. As comedian Gianmarco Soresi said on X, “I feel like I have a moral responsibility to see this movie.” Coyote vs. Acme premieres in theaters on August 28, 2026.