In Coyote vs. ACME, after enduring years of catastrophic product failures at the hands of ACME, Inc., a tenacious, unemployed coyote uncovers a corporate cover-up and spearheads an unhinged battle against the multinational conglomerate that’s been blowing him up in the name of profit. Also, there’s a roadrunner. And dynamite.
This may be billed as the movie that ACME doesn't want you to see, but the reality is that Warner Bros. Discovery tried to bury what looks like a legitimately excellent live-action/animated hybrid as a tax write-off. That's alluded to when the studio is linked to ACME in this sneak peek.
Corporate greed couldn't kill Coyote vs. ACME, though, and this sneak peek is full of fun Looney Tunes cameos, a not-so-subtle shot at Warner Bros. and an exciting final shot of Bugs Bunny, who makes his big-screen return in the movie.
John Cena, meanwhile, is picking up where he left off from his heel turn in WWE last year by playing the movie's bad guy. Everyone involved seems to be having fun, and supporting this one in theaters will be criucial for anyone wanting to send a message to Warner Bros.
An official synopsis for Coyote vs. ACME has also been released:
After decades of being blown to bits by bombs, demolished by dynamite, mangled by magnets, battered by boulders, trampled by trains, tricked by tunnels, sprung by springs, steamrolled by steamrollers, maligned by misfires, bedeviled by bungees, rattled by rockets, backstabbed by bat suits, rocked by rocket skates, upended by unicycles, quaked by quake pills, rubberized by rogue bands, and hurled headlong off every cliff in the Southwest, Wile E. Coyote (Genius) finally fights back. Teaming up with billboard accident lawyer Kevin Avery (Will Forte), he takes on slick corporate counsel Buddy Crane (John Cena) and ACME, Inc., the profit-obsessed conglomerate behind every one of the Coyote’s chaotic catastrophes.
Development started in 2018, and a theatrical release was later scheduled for July 2023. However, Warner Bros. Discovery removed the movie from its schedule in April 2022 and, come November 2023, announced it would not release the completed film, opting for a roughly $30 million tax write-off amid post-merger cost-cutting, following similar moves with Batgirl and Scoob! Holiday Haunt.
That sparked significant backlash, including from filmmakers and a congressman. Bowing to pressure, Warner Bros. allowed Coyote vs. ACME's creative team to shop the film to other buyers. The studio didn't make it easy, and it looked like this one might be destined for the scrap heap. Fortunately, in March 2025, Ketchup Entertainment acquired worldwide rights for around $50 million.
Directed by Dave Green from a script by Samy Burch, the movie stars Will Forte, Lana Condor, John Cena, P. J. Byrne, Tone Bell, Martha Kelly, Luis Guzmán, Eric Bauza, and Merrie Melodies.
Coyote vs. ACME arrives in theaters on August 28. Check out the trailer in the players below (via Toonado.com).