Fans of Looney Tunes and movies alike can rest knowing the embattled Coyote Vs. Acme (2026) has been saved. Deadline reported today that Ketchup Entertainment finalized their deal with Warner Brothers for worldwide distribution rights for the film to around $50 million with a 2026 release date.

The live-action/animated hybrid has had a long and arduous journey leading to this moment. After getting scrapped two years ago, alongside other notable Warner Brothers projects like Batgirl and Scoob! Holiday Haunt, the feature sat on a shelf in the depths of WB Studios for over a year. 

With the encouragement of positive test screenings held before the picture was scrapped, Warner Brothers Discovery (WBD) CEO David Zaslav permitted the studio to shop the movie around to other studios. With an asking price of $70 million, which reportedly matches the film’s budget, no studio was willing to step up to the plate, despite pleas from industry insiders, various filmmakers, and thousands of fans. The movie’s director and stars lamented the fate of the feature at various points, reflecting on their experiences creating the film that up until now was figured to never see the light of day.

The prospect of a deal with Ketchup publicly became known not long after the plucky distributor-financier released The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie (2024), the first Looney Tunes film it saved from meeting a similar fate as the one Coyote Vs. Acme came very close to enduring forever. 

The negotiation for Coyote Vs. Acme is the most noteworthy acquisition yet in the company’s relatively short history. Founded in 2011 by CEO Gareth West, alongside Artur Galstian, and Vahan Yepremeyan, the distributor’s previous releases have included projects like Goodrich (2024) starring Michael Keaton, the latest Hellboy reboot in The Crooked Man (2024), and director Robert Rodriguez’s most recent movie Hypnotic (2023), starring Ben Affleck. 

Should as many people who clamored for the film’s release pay for a ticket to finally see the picture once it hits theaters, this day could in hindsight be viewed as one of the most lucrative moments in the company’s history. West said in a statement today that he sees the film as “a perfect blend of nostalgia and modern storytelling, capturing the essence of the beloved Looney Tunes characters while introducing them to a new generation.”

Directed by David Green and written by Samy Burch, Coyote Vs. Acme is produced by Chris deFaria and DC Studios co-head James Gunn. Based on classic Looney Tunes characters and the New Yorker humor article “Coyote v. Acme” by Ian Frazier, the film follows the titular Wile E. Coyote, who decides to sue Acme after the company’s products fail him one too many times in his never-ending quest to capture the elusive Roadrunner. Alongside the animated coyote, the movie stars Will Forte and John Cena as the case’s opposing legal council.

Update Courtesy of Evan Miller

Feature Image Courtesy of Warner Brothers Studios via ComingSoon.net