Coyote vs. Acme has secured a 94% critic review score on Rotten Tomatoes ahead of its wide release, achieving a record-setting debut for a previously shelved production. The live-action and animation hybrid marks the highest-scored Looney Tunes movie and stands among the top-rated wide releases of the year.
From Shelved Tax Write-Off to Critical Triumph
The film’s journey to the screen follows an arduous development history. The concept originated in 2015 with DC Studios head James Gunn, who handed it off to Jeremy Slater before Warner Bros. announced the project in August 2018. Directed by Dave Green from a script by Samy Burch, the feature is based on Ian Frazier’s magazine article.
After production concluded in 2022, Warner Bros. Discovery removed the movie from its schedule in April 2022. In November 2023, the studio announced it would no longer release the completed film, opting instead for a roughly $30 million tax write-off amid post-merger cost-cutting. Similar moves had been made with projects like Batgirl and Scoob! Holiday Haunt under executive David Zaslav.
The decision sparked significant backlash from filmmakers, fans, and a congressman, prompting a funeral screening
for the cast and crew. Bowing to pressure, Warner Bros. allowed the creative team to shop the film to other buyers. In March 2025, Ketchup Entertainment acquired worldwide distribution rights for roughly $50 million.
Plot and Cast of the Courtroom Comedy
The story centers on Wile E. Coyote taking legal action against the corporation responsible for his decades of slapstick disasters. According to the official synopsis, the character teams up with billboard accident lawyer Kevin Avery, played by Will Forte, to take on slick corporate counsel Buddy Crane, played by John Cena, and ACME, Inc., the profit-obsessed conglomerate behind every one of his chaotic catastrophes.
The cast also features Lana Condor, Luis Guzmán, Kenneth Choi, P.J. Byrne, Tone Bell, Martha Kelly, and Eric Bauza, alongside James Gunn quietly remaining attached as a producer.
Early screenings were held on July 25, 2026, at San Diego Comic-Con, preceding press screenings ahead of the film’s scheduled theatrical release on August 28, 2026.
Critical Reception and Reviewer Consensus
Early critical responses have validated the resurrection of the project, with reviewers praising the blend of live-action and animation. Frank Scheck of The Hollywood Reporter described the movie as a hilarious delight, one of the best live-action/animation films ever,
while Brian Tallerico of RogerEbert.com commended the film for being consistently clever and funny
while balancing silliness and smart humor.
Reviewers also highlighted how the real-world corporate saga mirrors the narrative themes of the movie. Nick Schager wrote in The Daily Beast that the film functions as a clever and madcap underdog saga that, in light of real-world events, now resonates as a case of art foreshadowing life.
Taylor Gates of Collider added that the project’s journey to the big screen proves good things come to those who wait, but fantastic things come to those who never give up.
Not all reviews were entirely positive. Owen Gleiberman offered a critical perspective for Variety, writing that the movie feels neutered and tame
next to classic theatrical shorts. Despite minor criticisms, the overwhelming majority of the initial 33 counted reviews remained fresh, cementing the film’s standing on the review aggregator ahead of its upcoming weekend box office estimates, which put projections between $12 million and $18 million.
