Earlier this month, reports revealed that Warner Bros. shelved one of John Cena’s upcoming films under the studio as a tax write-off. The movie titled Coyote vs. Acme was a live-action animation hybrid that followed Wile E. Coyote and his lawyer in a legal battle against the Acme Corporation. The film was reportedly completed in 2022 and even received a positive response in its initial screenings.
However, believing it was not worth releasing, the studio canceled the movie under its global strategy to focus on theatrical releases. The move has been criticized by many, and most recently, Congressman Joaquin Castro took to X (Twitter) to call for a federal investigation into the studio.
Congressman Calls For a Federal Investigation of Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. cancelation of John Cena’s upcoming comedy film Coyote vs. Acme has caught government attention. Texas Representative Joaquin Castro recently took to X (Twitter) to criticize the studio’s plan to shelve the movie for a tax break.
“The WBD tactic of scrapping fully made films for tax breaks is predatory and anti-competitive,” he said as he called in the Justice Department and FTC to review the conduct as they revise their antitrust guidelines. The tweet stated,
“As the Justice Department and @FTC revise their antitrust guidelines they should review this conduct. As someone remarked, it’s like burning down a building for the insurance money.”
The @WBD tactic of scrapping fully made films for tax breaks is predatory and anti-competitive.
As the Justice Department and @FTC revise their antitrust guidelines they should review this conduct.
As someone remarked, it’s like burning down a building for the insurance money. https://t.co/Vb8vj3brD7
— Joaquin Castro (@JoaquinCastrotx) November 14, 2023
Castro has been vocal about the antitrust issues in the media and entertainment industry and has also advocated for a reassessment of the merger between Discovery and AT&T’s WarnerMedia. He has also raised concern about the impact on diverse programming after the studio canceled the $90 million HBO Max film Batgirl.
Warner Bros. Reverse the Decision to Shelve Coyote vs. Acme
John Cena’s Coyote vs. Acme is not the first time Warner Bros. has canceled a movie under tax write-off. Last year, the studio shelved the movies Batgirl and Scoob! Holiday Haunt under tax write-offs. The move to scrap the film was met with a huge backlash, after which the studio decided to reverse its decision.
The director of the film, Dave Green, is now allowed to shop the live-action/animation movie to other studios and streamers, as per The Hollywood Reporter. The screenings for potential buyers are expected to take place this month, with Amazon reportedly being one of the contenders to take over the movie, which stars John Cena alongside Will Forte and Lana Condor.
