Warner Bros Discovery dealt a blow to their DC CEO by shelving one of the promising films produced by James Gunn. The David Zaslav-run conglomerate has been busy cutting costs and killing movies since its takeover three years back. The latest victim was the completed hybrid live-action and animated film, Coyote vs. Acme, as WBD took a $30 million write-down for the $70 million production.
The film was directed by Dave Green and featured a stellar cast of John Cena, Will Forte, and Lana Condor. Fans were disappointed with this cancelation and raised concerns about the studio’s direction under Zaslav.
David Zaslav’s WB Cancels James Gunn’s Completed Film
Coyote vs. Acme is the third in the list of films abandoned by the studio, following the cancelation of the Scoob! prequel, Scoob Holiday Haunt!, and the Max-destined Batgirl. WBD justified its decision by deeming the returns from the film not worthy of the cost of releasing it or selling it to another buyer. The studio also emphasized a shift in its global strategy to focus on theatrical releases with the relaunch of Warner Bros. Pictures Animation.
This move struck a chord with James Gunn, who was appointed as the CEO of DC Studios last November. Gunn had placed trust in this project and the test screening for the film also garnered good scores, 14 points above the family norm. The claim that the film is not worth it appears unfounded, as the previous WB-Looney Tunes release, Space Jam: A New Legacy, grossed $163.6 million despite a simultaneous theatrical and Max release during the pandemic.
In another maneuver by the David Zaslav-run Warner Bros Discovery to kill movies, we hear on very good authority that Warner Bros will not be releasing the hybrid live-action/animated Coyote vs. Acme, with the conglom taking an estimated $30M write-down on the $70M production. We… pic.twitter.com/DO10BSqFY2
— Deadline Hollywood (@DEADLINE) November 9, 2023
Fans reacted wildly to the news, with some accusing David Zaslav of running the conglomerate with a short-sighted view of the gains. Others targeted James Gunn stating that he deserved it for destroying the Snyderverse and recasting fan favorites Henry Cavill and Ben Affleck. Some fan reactions read:
Karma is a mirror
Gunn fired Henry Cavill unceremoniously then lied about it, lied about Ben Affleck directing and about wonder woman 3 to Gal Gadot. He deserves this more than anyone else— JJ (@Aditya77928959) November 9, 2023
Find it hard to fathom they can’t find $30M of long term value in the title by licensing it to streamers over the coming years.
Short term “gain” at best.
Unless a film is unreleasable creatively, this seems penny wise but pound foolish.
— Ben Everard (@beneverard) November 9, 2023
Once again I am asking why Zaslav still has a job
— JSilverPlatinum (@JSilverPlatinum) November 9, 2023
Sometimes I feel like Discovery buying Warners is a ‘destroying things from the inside’ kind of thing. Zaslav can’t possibly like this company. All he’s done since taking over is destroy everything WB has built and ruin it’s legacy.
— Pam (@Filmbuff05) November 10, 2023
WB is going bankrupt…
— The Disney Scoop Guy (@DisneyScoopGuy) November 9, 2023
Sam Burch wrote the screenplay for Coyote vs. Acme based on the story by Burch, Gunn, and Jeremy Slater. The story drew inspiration from the character Wile E. Coyote and the Acme Corporation from the Looney Tunes cartoons. Another source of inspiration was the New Yorker magazine humor article of the same name by Ian Frazier.
Why Do Fans Feel James Gunn Deserves The Betrayal?
Since James Gunn took over the DC Studios, he has been on the receiving end of some fan hate. His decision to overhaul the Snyderverse and replace it with his vision of DC Universe did not sit well with the Zack Snyder fans. The Guardians of the Galaxy director also decided to replace several actors in the DCU, including fan favorites Henry Cavill and Ben Affleck.
Gunn replaced Cavill with a ‘younger’ actor, David Corenswet. Gunn also cancelled a third Wonder Woman project which was in development and fired director Patty Jenkins. However, it was reported that Gunn retained Gal Gadot in her role as Wonder Woman, but her character will undergo a reboot.
Insiders also reported a strict and controlling regime at DC Studios under Gunn. Fans, particularly staunch supporters of Snyder, have closely scrutinized every move by Gunn. It wasn’t a surprise that emotions ran high when Gunn was betrayed by his bosses.
