In a stunning Hollywood comeback story, the once-doomed “Coyote vs. Acme” is rising from the ashes of corporate cost-cutting to find a new home on the big screen.
More than a year after Warner Bros. controversially shelved the completed Looney Tunes-inspired film for a tax write-off, Ketchup Entertainment is swooping in as the unlikely savior. The indie distributor, fresh off its success with another Looney Tunes project “The Day the Earth Blew Up,” is reportedly finalizing a deal worth approximately $50 million to acquire the film.
This live-action/animation hybrid, starring John Cena and Lana Condor under Dave Green’s direction, seemed destined for obscurity when Warner Bros. made the shocking decision to lock it away in November 2023. The studio’s $30 million tax write-off strategy left creators and fans alike stunned, with the film joining the infamous ranks of Warner’s other high-profile casualties like the $90 million “Batgirl” and “Scoob! Holiday Haunt.”
Despite screening opportunities at streaming giants Amazon, Apple, and Netflix following Warner’s decision to allow the film to be shopped elsewhere, no deal materialized—until now.
The rescue by Ketchup Entertainment marks a significant victory for the film’s creative team, including DC Studios co-chief James Gunn, who produced the project. Since its founding in 2012, Ketchup has built a reputation for championing independent films, with recent releases including Michael Keaton’s “Goodrich,” Ben Affleck’s “Hypnotic,” and Jessica Chastain’s “Memory.”
For Wile E. Coyote fans, it seems the wily character’s legendary persistence has finally paid off, proving that in Hollywood—as in the cartoon desert—sometimes you can indeed catch the roadrunner.
