Dir: Dave Green
Cast: Will Forte, Wile E. Coyote, Lana Condor, Tone Bell, Luis Guzman, Martha Kelly, Eric Bauza, John Cena
Bursting with wily humour, timeless Looney Tunes slapstick, and a surprising amount of heart, this inventive, live-action and animation blend proves it was well worth the wait after its long time on the shelf
If there is any justice left in Hollywood, “Coyote vs. Acme” will finally get the acclaim and box office triumph it so richly deserves, after years of languishing in the shadows of the Warner Bros vault. The journey began in 2022, but the idea of the ever-determined, titular Looney Tunes predator taking Acme to court stretches back to a 1982 National Lampoon article. The film draws even more inspiration from Ian Frazier‘s 1990 New Yorker piece, where Wile E. Coyote sues Acme for a lifetime of faulty gadgets. After countless failed attempts to bring Frazier’s satirical vision to the screen, “Coyote vs. Acme” was finally pitched to Warner Bros. in 2015 by none other than James Gunn, who, with Jeremy Slater, crafted the original script. Though initially rejected, their draft became the heartbeat of Samy Burch‘s final screenplay.
Four decades after National Lampoon first dreamed up the idea, production finally kicked off, only for Warner Bros to pull the plug just as the film neared completion in 2023, opting instead for a $30 million tax write-off. This marked their third such cancellation, following the doomed “Batgirl” and “Scoob! Holiday Haunt”, both of which never even finished filming. The studio’s abrupt decision, and their failure to inform the cast and crew until after post-production, sparked outrage across Hollywood. Filmmakers, studios, and stars voiced their anger, with some even severing ties in protest. Meanwhile, industry insiders like Phil Lord and Chris Miller, the team behind the likes of “Project Hail Mary”, revealed that early test screenings had generated real excitement and attracted eager buyers.
After a wave of public outrage, Warner Bros. reversed course and let director Dave Green and his team shop the film to other distributors, only to turn down offers from Netflix, Amazon, and Paramount. This stubborn refusal fuelled even more backlash, and as hope faded, the cast and crew held a “funeral screening” in January 2025. Just when it seemed the film would be lost forever, Ketchup Entertainment swooped in, acquired all rights, and breathed new life into the project. Now, “Coyote vs. Acme” has clawed its way out of cinematic limbo and has finally come to cinemas in the UK and North America. After seeing it this weekend, I am left utterly baffled as to why Warner Bros. ever tried to bury it.
Taking inspiration from the classic animation live-action hybrid “Who Framed Roger Rabbit”, which dazzled audiences with its revolutionary visuals nearly forty years ago, “Coyote vs. Acme” masterfully blends classic 2D characters into our world. The gritty charm of downtown Albuquerque and the sun-baked Southwestern deserts merge effortlessly with the zany antics of the Looney Tunes cast, creating a vibrant playground for this wild legal comedy.
The film shines a spotlight on the franchise’s ultimate underdog: the silent, hapless Wile E. Coyote, forever thwarted in his chase for the Roadrunner by Acme’s shoddy products. After spotting a flashy lawyer’s ad on TV, Wile E. seeks out the struggling firm Avery, Jones & Maltese—a clever wink to the series’ original creators—and its washed-up senior partner, Kevin Avery (Will Forte). While Kevin’s ambitious niece Paige (Lana Condor) is eager to take Acme to court, Kevin would rather settle quietly. But Wile E., ever the determined plaintiff, torches the settlement offer from Acme’s slick lawyer Buddy Crane (John Cena), setting the stage for a showdown in court.
Meanwhile, Acme executive Foghorn Leghorn pressures Buddy to keep the trial from exposing the company’s secrets, as the shadowy conglomerate will stop at nothing to silence Kevin, Paige, and Wile E. and protect its reputation.
The magic of this remarkable animation hybrid lies in its classic underdog tale. You find yourself rooting for a character long cast as the villain and punchline, now finally celebrated and seen as the true victim he has always been. Though Wile E.’s “dialogue” is limited to a limited number of written signs, his journey is unexpectedly moving. His relentless battle against a corporate giant mirrors the film’s own fight for survival, making his struggle deeply relatable. The animation demands extraordinary expressiveness, and a pivotal, wordless moment between Wile E. and the Roadrunner near the climax is genuinely touching, punctuated only by the latter’s iconic “beep beep”. After generations of slapstick rivalry, witnessing a moment of real pathos as the two acknowledge their bond is nothing short of profound.
On the surface, “Coyote vs. Acme” is a riotous family adventure packed with timeless slapstick and visual gags, but beneath the laughs lies a clever, biting satire of corporate greed and consumer exploitation—a theme that feels especially relevant in our tech-driven age. John Cena embodies this greed as the swaggering lawyer Buddy, whose oversized ego is rivalled only by his hulking frame. Opposite him stands Will Forte’s scrappy, down-on-his-luck lawyer Kevin, the two forming a live-action duo reminiscent of classic cartoon rivals like Popeye and Bluto.
Even younger viewers, who might miss the satirical jabs, will delight in spotting Looney Tunes legends popping up throughout this richly imagined, hybrid Albuquerque. Unlike the two “Space Jam” films, Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and the gang stay true to their classic personalities. As a 90s kid with a soft spot for the original “Space Jam”, I admit it never quite justified its runtime or fully used its animated stars. While “Coyote vs. Acme” may not reach the technical or narrative heights of “Who Framed Roger Rabbit”, it is easily the closest we’ve come in nearly four decades.
I cannot stress enough how vital it is for us to support this film—not just to send a message to Warner Bros, but to ensure no Hollywood studio repeats such a blunder again.
Coyote vs. Acme is now showing in UK Cinemas
Dan Loves Film 
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