Coyote vs. Acme

Plot

In 1992, in a world where cartoon characters co-exist amongst humans, Acme Corporation scientist Dr. Lorre leaks a message to an unknown contact before being captured and imprisoned inside an Acme portable hole.

Thirty years later, Wile E. Coyote, tired of failing to catch the Road Runner, sees a television ad for Avery, Jones & Maltese, a personal injury law firm in Albuquerque specializing in cartoon violence cases involving Acme products. Wile E. meets with the senior partner Kevin Avery, looking to sue Acme for the various defective devices used in chasing the Road Runner. While Kevin's niece and intern Paige is eager to take Acme to court, Kevin prefers to settle to avoid a risky trial. However, Wile E. rejects the settlement offered by Acme's lawyer Buddy Crane, forcing a trial.

The firm tries to subpoena the Road Runner to testify, but he evades them. Meanwhile, Acme CEO Foghorn Leghorn warns Buddy to prevent the trial from revealing any corporate secrets. After a poor first trial session, Kevin receives a tip from an anonymous whistleblower to meet with former Acme employee Daffy Duck, who conveys the warning Lorre sent him in 1992 about "Project Sisyphus". Kevin admits to Wile E. that he tries to settle all cases due to having lost multiple trials early in his career, but Wile E. encourages Kevin to believe he can beat Acme the same way Wile E. believes he will catch the Road Runner. Though this inspires Kevin, he soon discovers Wile E.'s motive for the lawsuit is to capture the Road Runner in court. Meanwhile, Paige learns from Lorre's wife Granny that, before his disappearance, Lorre did product development for Acme, who now force their pet Tweety to serve as Acme's mercenary.

The team discovers the whistleblower is Bugs Bunny, who reveals Project Sisyphus is a product testing program formerly headed by Dr. Lorre, using cartoon violence to improve Acme's products for humans. When the program drove its test subjects insane, Lorre tried to object, but was silenced, and Acme pivoted to testing in the wild on unsuspecting clients like Wile E. Off Bugs' suggestion, Kevin tries to get Project Sisyphus on the record by questioning Acme's Head of PR Tasmanian Devil on the stand, but Acme's legal team sabotage him and the judge dismisses the case. However, Kevin reveals the conspiracy to the press, prompting the government to call a congressional hearing in Washington, D.C. Wile E. only agrees to join when Kevin claims the Road Runner will be there. The night before the hearing, Kevin admits the truth after being badgered about it and berates Wile E. for his obsession with the Road Runner, prompting Wile E. to storm out. While wandering the streets, Wile E. narrowly evades Tweety's attempt to kill him. Kevin tries to rescue him, but gets knocked out and separated.

Cast

Will Forte as Kevin Avery, a down-and-out billboard attorney and member of Avery, Jones & Maltese who becomes Wile E. Coyote's lawyer. He is named for Looney Tunes animator Tex Avery.

Lana Condor as Paige Avery, Kevin's niece and an intern at Avery, Jones & Maltese.

John Cena as Buddy Crane, the Acme Corporation's lawyer who was Kevin's rival at Harvard Law School. He is named after one of the original Looney Tunes characters, Buddy.

Tone Bell as Sal Maltese, a partner of Kevin and Dottie at Avery, Jones & Maltese. He is named for Looney Tunes screenwriter Michael Maltese, co-creator of Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner.

Martha Kelly as Dottie Jones, a partner of Kevin and Sal at Avery, Jones & Maltese. She is named for Looney Tunes animator Chuck Jones, co-creator of Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner.

Luis Guzmán as Judge Troppogrosso, a strict and no-nonsense judge overseeing the trial between Wile E. Coyote and the Acme Corporation.

P. J. Byrne as Bill Pelicanos, an Acme Corporation lawyer.

John Early as Henry Heslop, a local Albuquerque television news anchor.

Nancy Linehan Charles as Cherry, the manager of the Prickly Pear motel where Kevin lives.

Kenneth Choi as Oscar Jeon, an Albuquerque lawyer.

Ernie Vigil as Talon, an Acme enforcer working with Tweety to silence Kevin and Wile E.

Voices

Eric Bauza as

Bugs Bunny, a whistleblower who assists the firm in learning about Project Sisyphus. Archival audio of Mel Blanc taken from The Ducksters is used for Bugs' screaming.

Charlie Dog, a clerk at Avery, Jones & Maltese

Daffy Duck, a former Acme test subject driven insane by Project Sisyphus and confined at St. Looney's Asylum

Dr. Peter Lorre, an Acme corporation scientist

Foghorn Leghorn, the CEO of the Acme Corporation

Gossamer, the process server at Avery, Jones & Maltese

Pepé Le Pew, a flirtatious skunk who was one of Acme Labs' test subjects

Porky Pig, an Albuquerque local and occasional client of Avery, Jones & Maltese

Senator Elmer Fudd, the senatorial chairman of the congressional hearing

The Road Runner, a key witness being sought for Wile E.'s trial. While Bauza voices the Road Runner when testifying before Congress, archival audio of background artist Paul Julian is used for the rest of his dialogue.

Tweety, Granny and Dr. Lorre's pet bird, forced to serve as a mercenary for Acme in order to protect Granny after Dr. Lorre's imprisonment

Candi Milo as

Granny, Dr. Lorre's reclusive wife

Witch Hazel, an employee at Avery, Jones & Maltese

Production

Development and writing

The film is loosely based on Ian Frazier's 1990 New Yorker humorous legal piece "Coyote v. Acme", which imagines Wile E. Coyote suing the Acme Corporation for consistently selling him defective and inaccurately labeled products. A three-part series with the same premise, "Cliff-hanger Justice" by Joey Green, had previously been published in National Lampoon in 1982, though Frazier was unaware of it when writing "Coyote v. Acme". Scott Rudin Productions bought the rights to Frazier's article in 1998 but could not get permission from Warner Bros. to film it. The options finally lapsed in 2006 before James Gunn successfully pitched the film to Warner in 2015. Gunn asked Jeremy Slater to write the film's first draft due to their friendship, which included growing up with Looney Tunes. The screenplay had some limitations due to other projects in development — Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck were off-limits, for example. The Tasmanian Devil had a notable appearance in Slater's script. Gunn and Slater agreed that Wile E. should be a lovable loser who never speaks and is closer to a pet dog than a villain or the butt of a joke. Though Warner rejected Slater's screenplay, its ethos informed the final draft.

In August 2018, Warner Bros. Pictures announced the development of a Wile E. Coyote project, titled Coyote vs. Acme, with The Lego Batman Movie (2017) director Chris McKay as producer and Jon and Josh Silberman writing the script. In mid-December 2019, Warner Animation Group hired Dave Green to direct the live-action/animated hybrid film, while Jon and Josh Silberman were replaced as screenwriters, but remained producers. In December 2020, McKay left the project, while the Silbermans left their producing roles and returned to screenwriting duties alongside Samy Burch, Slater and Gunn. In March 2023, the film's final writing credits were given: Burch received sole credit for the screenplay and shared credit for the story with Slater and Gunn, while off-screen additional literary credit was given to Alex Cuthbertson, Jacob Fleisher, Matt Fusfeld, Dan Goor, BenDavid Grabinski, Craig Wright and Jon & Josh Silberman. Gunn, alongside Tom & Jerry (2021) producer Chris DeFaria, also received final credit as producers on the film, with Gunn under his production banner Two Monkeys, A Goat and Another, Dead, Monkey.

In November 2022, Foghorn Leghorn, Granny, Sylvester the Cat and Tweety were confirmed to be in the film. In December, Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd and Yosemite Sam were also confirmed to be in the film. In January 2023, Porky Pig was also confirmed to be in the film. Editor Carsten Kurpanek described the film's story as a "David vs. Goliath story" that tackles Wile E. Coyote's persistence in the face of the Acme Corporation's "cynical and casual cruelness of capitalism and corporate greed."

Casting

In February 2022, John Cena was cast as the film's secondary antagonist, described as the lawyer in defense of Acme and the former boss to Wile E.'s lawyer; he previously collaborated with Gunn on the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) projects The Suicide Squad (2021) and Peacemaker (2022–25). On March 9, Will Forte and Lana Condor were added to the cast, with the former starring as Wile E.'s lawyer.

Filming and production design

Principal photography took place from March to May 2022 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, with Brandon Trost serving as cinematographer. The creative team acknowledged Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) as a reference for the film's live-action interaction with animated characters. New Mexico Film Office director Amber Dodson commented in a press release that the production would "showcase our beautiful city as an already iconic location and setting in the Looney [Tunes] cartoons." David Barclay built a life-size puppet of Wile E. Coyote for the actors to interact with. The most difficult sequence Dave Green had to film was on the second day of filming, where Wile E. tries to bring all kinds of weapons and gadgets through a metal detector. Green had to get roughly a few dozen background actors to locate the eyeline of an invisible character. Despite the difficulty, Green called the sequence his favorite.

Visual effects and animation

Visual effects and computer animation were provided by DNEG for Wile E. Coyote and other major Looney Tunes characters. According to Green, the 3D animators worked closely with a team of 2D artists, who guided them with drawn poses and expressions of the characters in order to "[find] the building blocks of performance." Editor Carsten Kurpanek explained that "artists would do [black-and-white] line drawings of key poses over a rough edit first," which were later used as reference for visual effects and animation; this process was dubbed "sketchviz" by the crew. Traditional animation services were also provided by Duncan Studio, for "a handful of shots" with the significant Looney Tunes characters in the film and for "certain [Looney Tunes] characters [who] were handled entirely in 2D." One of these characters was Bugs Bunny, which occurred because he was not originally planned to be in the film: the Acme whistleblower was scripted as an escaped Dr. Lorre. When this was changed in post-production, it was more productive to fully animate Bugs Bunny in 2D than to fit him into the cel-shaded 3D animation. Condor was unaware of this change and was starstruck at the "funeral screening" in 2023 when she learned her scene partner was the famous rabbit.

Music

Following the announcement of the film's initial cancellation, Steven Price announced that he composed the film's score. He shared a choir rendition of the Road Runner's vocal effects set to Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's "1812 Overture" titled the "Meep Meep Choir."

The soundtrack was released through WaterTower Music digitally on August 21, 2026, one week before the film's release. A physical vinyl release of the album is planned for the first quarter of 2027 through iam8bit and WaterTower Music. The film also featured the DJ Shadow and Run the Jewels song "Nobody Speak."

Themes and analysis

Critics discussed the film's treatment of corporate power, consumer culture, and its parallels with the circumstances surrounding its attempted shelving. Catherine Wheatley of Sight and Sound described Wile E. Coyote as a "high usage user" of Acme products who remains trapped in a cycle of consuming products that repeatedly fail him. She described Kevin Avery's struggle against Acme as "Capra-esque," comparing him to a modern-day James Stewart and noting parallels with Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) and It Happened One Night (1934). Wheatley characterized the film as both a family movie and political satire, with elements of the courtroom drama and 1970s conspiracy thriller.

Justin Chang of The New Yorker noted a parallel between the film's story of an underdog confronting a powerful corporation and its own history at Warner Bros. Discovery, describing the premise as a metaphor for the circumstances surrounding its attempted shelving. Chang also emphasized Wile E.'s persistence in the face of repeated failure, noting that the screenplay refers to Sisyphus more than once.

Release

Coyote vs. Acme was initially planned to be theatrically released in the United States on July 21, 2023, by Warner Bros. Pictures. On April 26, 2022, the studio removed the film from its release schedule, replacing it with Barbie. On March 31, 2025, it was announced that the film was set to be released in 2026, following the film's acquisition by Ketchup Entertainment. In July 2025, it was given its specific release date at San Diego Comic-Con. Coyote vs. Acme made its debut at San Diego Comic-Con on July 25, 2026. It was theatrically released in the United Kingdom and Ireland on August 21, 2026, and in the United States on August 28, 2026. Beta Fiction Spain acquired Spanish distribution rights, programming a September 18 theatrical release.

Marketing

Trailer marketing for the film began in April 2026 with two teaser trailers. The first, released on April 15, shows Wile E. Coyote hanging in the air, then holding up a sign that says "Happy Tax Day" on one side and "Check Your Write-Offs" on the other, then falling off the cliff. The second, released on April 21, features Will Forte doing an intro. The first trailer was released on April 22. It was watched 25.6 million times within 24 hours, a new record for an independent family film. On July 23, the final trailer was released and ticket sales for the film opened. On July 29, a month before the premiere, the final poster was revealed. Reviewers noted that the film's marketing leaned into the tax write-off controversy, using the Acme Corporation as a placeholder for Warner Bros., such as with the slogan "The Movie Acme Doesn't Want You to See."

Cancellation controversy

On November 9, 2023, Warner Bros. Entertainment officials announced that the film was completed, but that they would not release it, because Warner Bros. Discovery preferred to claim a tax loss of about $30 million. This would make it the third film to be canceled by Warner Bros. Discovery for the sake of a write-off, following Batgirl and Scoob! Holiday Haunt, neither of which finished post-production. The crew was not informed of the decision until after the film was completed. The move drew criticism from filmmakers, animation outlets, and talent representatives. Several filmmakers left angry phone calls with Warner Bros. expressing their frustration at the move, while others canceled meetings with the studio in protest. Many noted that the film had drawn praise at test screenings and interest from potential buyers. Director Dave Green voiced his disappointment over the film's cancellation, further emphasizing his love for the Looney Tunes and writing that "we were all determined to honor the legacies of these historic characters and actually get them right."

On November 13, 2023, Puck reported Warner Bros. Discovery leaders had reversed their decision and allowed the filmmakers the option to shop the film to other distributors. Deadline Hollywood reported that Amazon MGM Studios, Apple Studios, and Netflix were interested in buying the distribution rights to the film. TheWrap reported that despite interest from distributors to buy the film, there are "currently no hard offers, and that Green is crafting his own 'PR campaign'." On December 8, Deadline Hollywood further reported that the film had been screened for more studios, including Paramount Pictures and Sony Pictures. Of these, Netflix and Paramount had made bids, with the latter including a theatrical component; Amazon was still interested despite making no formal bids; and Sony and Apple were not planning to make bids.

On February 9, 2024, TheWrap reported that Warner Bros. Discovery had rejected the bids from Netflix, Amazon, and Paramount. The company wanted $75–$80 million to sell the film, but no distributors met their price, and Warner Bros. Discovery rejected counter bids. The company considered shelving and deleting the film (which remained in limbo at the time) and again claiming it as a tax loss. Following their Q4 2023 earnings call on February 23, 2024, Warner Bros. Discovery took a $115 million write-down while not directly confirming the cancellation of the film.

On March 10, 2024, during the red carpet for the 96th Academy Awards, Burch said conversations were still ongoing within Warner Bros. and that "we hope it will somehow find its home and not end up stuck in a vault for the rest of time." In April, a Warner Bros. spokesperson told The New York Times that while the fate of the film is unclear, it "remains available for acquisition."

Reception

Box office

As of September 9, 2026, Coyote vs. Acme has grossed $41 million in the United States and Canada, and $17 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $58 million.

In the United States and Canada, Coyote vs. Acme was released alongside Buddy, The Dog Stars, and Idiots, and was projected to gross $12–18 million from 3,555 theaters in its opening weekend. The film made $5.3 million on its first day, including $1.7 million on its Thursday previews. It went on to debut to $15.9 million, finishing second behind holdover Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 96% of 261 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.9/10. The website's consensus reads: "A daffy satire that's equal parts heart and wily humor, Coyote vs. Acme makes a triumphant case for the Looney Tunes' modern relevance with a sense of good-natured mischief that'd make even Bugs Bunny bow." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 77 out of 100, based on 46 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews. Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale, while PostTrak reported 93% of audience members gave the film a positive score, with 82% saying they would definitely recommend it.

Brian Tallerico of RogerEbert.com gave the film three out of four stars, writing that it's constantly "clever and funny." Frank Scheck of The Hollywood Reporter wrote that it's "a hilarious delight, one of the best live-action animated films, and will be treasured by Looney Tunes fans (and who isn't one?) who will be thrilled seeing their favorite cartoon characters return to the big screen." Alissa Wilkinson of The New York Times named the film a "Critic's Pick", calling it a "barrel of unhinged delights".