COYOTE VS. ACME is Already a Success
This did start off as a review for Coyote vs. Acme, but I have to be honest here. This is one of those times where it feels like more than just a movie. To see something with so much love crafted into it immediately, and to remember how it almost never saw the light of day, is just baffling. Throughout the joy, laughter, and even genuine sweetness I felt, there was also the thought of “they seriously wanted to shelve this movie?”
For those that don’t know, Coyote vs. Acme had a very troubling road to theaters. The movie was initially completed years ago, with a release date in the summer of 2023. That was until Warner Bros. decided to pull the movie from that release date. Later on, it was announced that Coyote vs. Acme was going to be shelved completely. I’m not talking about a delay or taking it straight to streaming. I’m talking this movie was going to never see the light of day. Why? Well, for a $30 million tax write off.
Backlash against this move from Warner Bros came fast and loud. It took a while, but eventually Warner Bros. decided to put the movie up for sale, only for a lot of studios to not take a chance on it. That was until Ketchup Entertainment purchased the movie and Coyote vs Acme, eight years after the project started, finally got a release date in theaters.
The internet noise is very often times just that, noise. We saw a prime example of that just a month ago, the silly attempt from trolls about boycotting The Odyssey, meanwhile it’s made over a billion dollars. But every now and then, that noise leaves the internet and makes a real difference. Were it not for people spreading the word and shouting to release Coyote vs. Acme, we wouldn’t be so lucky for this movie to be out now.
And how could you not be vocal about this? The movie being shelved, despite it being completed, was just insane and maddening. I know Braden and I were sharing this news in absolute disbelief, among many many many others, angry that such a thing could happen. Making it worse was seeing people who worked on the film, who were no doubt sidelined by the news, sharing their grief and disappointment online. Not only was it devastating for the movie and everyone involved, but it also didn’t paint an optimistic picture for the future. If a movie involving the freaking Looney Tunes, with a great cast, a script from academy award nominees, and a story from James Gunn himself, could get discarded like nothing, what chance do up and comers have? (This isn’t the only one that’s been shelved. Unfortunately, the Batgirl film doesn’t look like it’s ever coming out.)
This is what makes Coyote vs. Acme being out, theatrically, feel like so much more than just a movie. And I know I’m not the only supporter of this who feels the same way. I walked into the screening of this in a great mood. Usually it’s due to excitement, but this time it was just sheer happiness that this was finally happening, after a long period of time where it felt like we weren’t getting it at all.
The movie by the way? It’s such a delight. It’s absolutely hilarious, with background jokes I completely missed the first time around. The cast is all around excellent. Will Forte continues to be one of the greats, and John Cena was born to be in a Looney Tunes movie. There’s nostalgic cameos but they’re actually well done and not there just for callbacks. There’s a real genuine love for all things Looney Tunes. It’s got one of the best scripts of the year, with a genuine mystery and a classic David v. Goliath-esque court case. It shockingly adds depth to Wile E. Coyote and Roadrunner, while still letting them be their silly classic selves. It’s just a great movie with great themes about underdogs, friendship, and never giving up, no matter how big the corporations are against you (ahem). I was already happy this was out, but I’m even happier that Coyote vs. Acme ended up being one of the best movies of the year, and one of the best live action cartoon hybrids ever.
Leading up to the movie’s release, I’ve been seeing a lot of people urging others to support it and see it in theaters, that the movie needs to be a financial success. I’ll admit I was one of those people too. I was wanting to shout from the rooftops that you need to see this movie. And I still feel that way. Whether or not you were following this movie’s history, I do think it’s important to support Coyote vs. Acme in theaters, not just because of what happened but also because it is one of the best times you’ll have at the theater, especially with a crowd. But I do think it’s important to note that Coyote vs. Acme is already a success.
It’s a success in that everyone involved in this, from screenwriting to animators to stunts to PA’s and beyond, are finally getting to see their hard work on the big screen. That’s true for every movie obviously, but it’s special here, because again, this movie almost never saw the light of day. And now it’s here, in theaters nationwide, for fans and supporters to have a great time with. I can’t imagine how long and challenging that wait must’ve felt, but I imagine it’s well worth the wait too.
So am I still shouting from the rooftops to see Coyote vs. Acme? You bet your ass. Go see it, enjoy it, support it. But the box office outcome of this is just the cherry on top of this already heartwarming success story. Coyote vs. Acme is a story about the underdogs and not giving up, and coincidentally that’s the story outside the movie too. Quite frankly it doesn’t matter what happens at the box office. This story already has a happy ending.
