The John Cena and Will Forte starrer Coyote vs Acme was reportedly canceled in 2023, despite being completed and ready for release. The studio, Warner Bros., was reported to have refocused their release strategy to prioritize theatrical releases and that the semi-animated film based on Looney Toons characters, did not fit into their streaming or theatrical vision.
When the cancelation was first announced, a public outpour of support came through for the film, leading WB to allow the producers to find a suitable distributor. However, the studio seems to be hellbent on using the film’s cancelation as a tax write-off and the clock seems to be ticking. The studio has done a similar move before with the DC film Batgirl.
Why Was John Cena’s Coyote vs Acme canceled?
Actor John Cena was all set to star as the antagonist in the semi-animation film Coyote vs Acme. The film was centered on the Looney Toons character Wile E. Coyote, who was known for going after his arch-nemesis, the Road Runner. The film reportedly followed Coyote’s lawsuit against the ACME corporation, which manufactured the malfunctioning tools that Coyote used to hunt the Road Runner.
The film was reportedly based on a fictional New Yorker article and was slated for release in 2023. With a story co-written by James Gunn, the film had The Lego Batman director Chirs McKay attached and even finished filming and post-production. John Cena and Will Forte were set to star in the film as lawyers. The film was reportedly screened for test audiences and was ranked well.
Despite all the positive responses, WB had other plans for the film. According to The Hollywood Reporter, WB first canceled the John Cena starrer in November 2023. The studio cited its decision to focus on ‘global theatrical releases’ and hence, decided to not move forward with Coyote vs Acme.
The film was initially set to debut on HBO Max and was set for a July 21, 2023 release, which was ultimately given to Barbie. The makers of the John Cena starrer expressed their disappointment with the decision publicly. Director Dave Green took to X (formerly Twitter) to talk about his experience with the project,
“For three years, I was lucky enough to make a movie about Wile E. Coyote, the most persistent, passionate, and resilient character of all time. I was surrounded by a brilliant team, who poured their souls into this project. … Along the ride, we were embraced by test audiences who rewarded us with fantastic scores…I am beyond proud of the product and beyond devastated by WB’s decision.”
The public came out in support of the film and WB reportedly gave the producers of the film an out, saying that they were allowed to shop around for a potential distributor. However, the studio seemed to have rejected multiple offers and the film would most likely be canceled.
WB’s Penchant For Canceling Finished Films
According to The Wrap, the time for John Cena’s Coyote vs Acme to find a new home might come to an end with the studio’s fourth-quarter earnings call scheduled to be held later in February. The team behind the film also seemed to not be confident about the studio keeping the project going and that they would be taking it off their books soon.
The studio had canceled finished or filmed projects before, using them as tax write-offs. The precedent has been set since the current WB Discovery CEO David Zaslav took office. The studio previously came under fire for canceling the Leslie Grace starrer Batgirl, which was reportedly in post-production. A similar reason was given to the public, citing WB’s vision to produce more theatrical releases than streaming content.
Another animated film, Scoob! Holiday Haunt was also reportedly shelved due to the same reason. Producer Chris DeFaria told The Wrap that the studio intended to shelve the project without announcement and delete it from their books. He said,
“They just want to get this behind them. They want to close the books.”
The studio reportedly received offers from other distributors such as Netflix and Paramount, but WB quoted a much larger sum than offered while refusing to hear counters. Hence, the makers were sure that the film would not see the light of day and that the studio badly wanted to get the tax write-off for the John Cena starter.
