Writer Samy Burch has said that, despite earlier reports that Coyote Vs Acme has been shelved, attempts to sell it are “ongoing”.
Amid all the drama, glamour, and spontaneous John Cena nudity on display at last night’s Oscars, along came a small yet potentially promising update for Coyote Vs Acme.
Although Warner Bros Discovery seems intent on shelving the comedy forever, there’s still the possibility that it could be saved, according to its screenwriter Samy Burch.
Collared on the Oscars’ red carpet by IndieWire, Burch said, “As far as I know, it’s ongoing. “I think we’re all pretty heartbroken about it. We hope it will somehow find its home and not end up stuck in a vault for the rest of time. That would be a great resolution.”
Indeed it would. Burch also “went rogue” by revealing that Coyote Vs Acme has been privately screened, and may still be screening, for potential purchasers.
“I know that they have been screening places and I think they still are,” Burch said. “I hope that I’m allowed to say that. I’m going completely rogue here. It’s just the best group of people. Dave Green, who directed it, I just love so much. Will Forte is amazing in the movie. I’ve seen the final cut of the completed film and I’m very proud of it.”
The story of Coyote Vs Acme has been a rollercoaster worthy of Loony Tunes itself. It was last November that Warner Bros’ much-loved boss David Zaslav announced that the film, a hybrid of live-action and animation, was to be shelved as a tax write-off.
Then a backlash from filmmakers forced the studio to backtrack a little, and along came reports that Warner Bros had received bids from rival studios Netflix and Paramount for $30m – much less than the $70m reportedly spent on making the film.
As of February 2024, however, it really did sound like it was a case of “That’s all folks” for a film that by then had generated a huge amount of public interest; Warner had turned down offers to buy the film, and Coyote Vs Acme was again facing oblivion.
If Warner Bros had hoped that everyone would just forget about the film, which stars Will Forte and the aforementioned John Cena as lawyers on two sides of a case involving Wile E Coyote, they were sorely mistaken. Oscar -winning filmmakers the Daniels have advised David Zaslav to release the film and chalk the past four months to “brilliant viral marketing.”
Star Will Forte has written an open letter, praising its cast and crew and describing the film as “brilliant.” In early March, someone, somewhere uploaded a complete story treatment for Coyote Vs Acme to Pastebin. We can’t confirm whether it’s genuine, but one actor in the film, Steven Ray Byrd, thinks that it is.
The fate of Coyote Vs Acme has hung in the balance for so long now, we’re reluctant to start hoping it’ll be saved at this page. But whatever happens, there’s at least a dedicated group of people who won’t let the film go gently into that good night.
