John Cena has finally spoken about Warner Bros. Discovery’s decision to scrap Coyote vs. Acme. Coyote vs. Acme was set to be directed by Dave Green (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows) and centered on the Looney Tunes character Wile E. Coyote suing the Acme Corporation after every one of the products he purchased from them backfired on him. The cast included Will Forte as Wile E. Coyote’s lawyer, and John Cena playing Acme’s lawyer. In November 2023, Warner Bros. seemingly scrapped the plans for the film’s release to take a tax write-off, and several fan campaigns for its release aside, this seems to be the fate of the movie.
While promoting his latest film Jackpot, John Cena was asked by The Wrap his thoughts on the cancelation. Cena himself is proud of the movie and thinks it should have had a chance in cinemas, but he tells himself that he has to believe in the creative process and trust there must be a good reason why the film was canceled. Read Cena’s full statement below:
“I would have liked to see it given a chance. But I’m just one person. And if it was shelved, I would have to think that it was shelved for the right reasons and it was a good business decision. I think I would have tremendous regret and shame if I look back on the legacy of the movie, and it was shelved for reasons other than that. So I have to believe in the process and I love the movie, my heart and soul is in there, but it’s somebody else’s project to do what they want with and they’ve chosen accordingly.”
Does Warner Bros. Discovery Know What to Do With Looney Tunes?
Coyote vs. Acme was the third movie Warner Bros. Discovery canceled in order to obtain a tax write-off. Coming over a year after the news that Batgirl and Scoob! Holiday Haunt were being tossed aside in August 2022, this went against WBD’s previous statement that those instances would be one-offs and there would be no similar write-offs to come. The scrapping of the Looney Tunes movie was not received well by many, including one of the film’s actors, Steven Ray Byrd, who saw it as a slap in the face.
Warner Bros. Discovery initially reversed its decision to cancel the film outright and allowed the filmmakers to screen it for other distributors. Warner Bros. Discovery rejected offers from Netflix, Amazon, and Paramount as none of the studios would match Warner Bros. Discovery’s $75 million asking price. While not confirming the film’s cancelation, Warner Bros. Discovery took a $115 million write-down following their Q3 2023, suggesting the movie’s fate might be sealed.
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The decision not to release a completed movie that tested well with audiences continues to be a baffling decision on all counts. Prior to the start of the summer, there were few big titles able to draw people into cinemas, and Coyote vs. Acme could have potentially filled that gap with the right marketing behind it. There is no doubt that the film would have delivered a better Valentine’s Day/President’s Holiday weekend result than Madame Web. Warner Bros. Discovery had a finished movie and decided it was better to scrap it than give it a chance to find an audience.
Cena’s answer is a diplomatic one, and one he really needs to stick to, bearing in mind his upcoming return to the DCU as Peacemaker. This is also the most likely reason James Gunn, who was an executive producer on Coyote vs. Acme, has not made a public statement about the film’s cancelation, considering his new position overseeing DC Studios with co-president Peter Safran, and directing Superman. Gunn’s silence and Cena’s diplomacy are understandable from a business point of view, but they can be frustrating for fans. Actor Will Forte spoke about his disappointment that the movie would not be released, and with each passing day, it feels like another piece of art is lost to history.
