In Coyote vs. ACME, because all of the ACME Corporation's malfunctioning products consistently backfire on him in his dogged pursuit of the Road Runner, Wile E. Coyote hires a down-on-his-luck human attorney to sue the company.
When Wile E.'s hired lawyer notices that his intimidating boss at his former law firm is representing ACME, they form a friendship and team up to win the court case against him.
The movie's trailer will be released tomorrow, and a first look has been revealed in a minute-long trailer teaser featuring lead star Will Forte. The fact that we came close to never seeing Coyote vs. ACME seems criminal, a point we're sure you'll agree with after watching this early sneak peek.
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.
"I never thought it would happen so it just came out of nowhere, and I’m so thrilled," Forte said when Coyote vs. ACME was saved. "Thank you, Ketchup Entertainment, I’m so excited for people to see this movie. I’m gonna promote the crap out of it, just tell me what you want me to do, and I’ll go, I’ll do whatever — go to the top of Mount Everest, I’m there."
Forte had previously been vocal about the shelving, stating, "My thoughts were that it’s f***ing bullsh*t," before adding, "It is such a delightful movie. It deserves so much better. I can’t tell you possibly why the decision was made to not release it, but it makes my blood boil."
Directed by Dave Green from a script by Samy Burch, Coyote vs. ACME stars Will Forte, Lana Condor, John Cena, P. J. Byrne, Tone Bell, Martha Kelly, Luis Guzmán, Eric Bauza, and Merrie Melodies. Green has confirmed that many Looney Tunes characters, including Tweety, Daffy Duck, Bugs Bunny, and Foghorn Leghorn, will appear "in significant supporting roles and in bit cameos."
Coyote vs. ACME arrives in theaters on August 28.