The deal gives new life to one of the three fully completed films that Warner Bros. elected to take a tax write-off on rather than release. The tactic, which followed a change in leadership at Warner Bros. coming out of the pandemic, was widely disparaged by creatives and fans, alike. The other two shelved movies — the $90 million DC Studios production "Batgirl" and the animated "Scoob! Holiday Haunt" — remain unreleased.
But “Coyote vs. Acme” will be salvaged from the dustbin. Ketchup Entertainment plans a theatrical release at an unspecified future date.
“We’re thrilled to have made a deal with Warner Bros. Pictures to bring this film to audiences worldwide,” Gareth West, chief executive of Ketchup Entertainment, said in a statement. “‘Coyote vs Acme’ is a perfect blend of nostalgia and modern storytelling, capturing the essence of the beloved Looney Tunes characters while introducing them to a new generation.”
Directed by Dave Green and based on a New Yorker article by Ian Frazier, "Coyote vs. Acme" follows Wile E. Coyote in a lawsuit against Acme Corporation for the many faulty products that failed to catch him the Road Runner. The live-action animated hybrid stars John Cena and Will Forte.
Deadline earlier reported that Ketchup paid about $50 million for the film, which cost $70 million to produce. Ketchup, a distribution company launched in 2012, also recently released another Looney Tunes film jettisoned by Warner Bros.: “The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie.” In three weeks of release, it's grossed $8.2 million in domestic ticket sales.