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Coyote vs. Acme

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Coyote vs. Acme
Directed byDave Green
Screenplay bySamy Burch
Story by
Based on"Coyote v. Acme"
by Ian Frazier[1][2]
Produced by
CinematographyBrandon Trost
Edited byCarsten Kurpanek[3]
Music bySteven Price[3]
Production
companies
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$70 million[5]

Coyote vs. Acme is an unreleased American live-action/animated legal comedy film directed by Dave Green and written by Samy Burch, based on a story by Burch, James Gunn and Jeremy Slater.[1] The film is based on the 1990 magazine article of the same name published in The New Yorker by Ian Frazier, which involves the character Wile E. Coyote and the Acme Corporation from the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoons. The cast includes John Cena, Will Forte, Lana Condor, P.J. Byrne, and the voice of Eric Bauza.

Development began in August 2018 with Chris McKay as producer and Jon and Josh Silberman writing the screenplay. Green was hired to direct in December 2019, and Burch, Slater, and Gunn joined the following year. Cena, Forte and Condor were cast in early 2022. Live-action filming took place in New Mexico from March to May 2022.

Warner Bros. Discovery shelved Coyote vs. Acme in November 2023 to obtain a $30 million tax write-down, making it the third film shelved by Warner Bros. after Batgirl and Scoob! Holiday Haunt. Following a public backlash, Warner Bros. allowed the filmmakers to shop the film to other distributors. In February 2024, following unsuccessful negotiations with potential buyers, Warner Bros. Discovery again considered shelving the film and claiming a tax loss.[6]

Premise

After every product made by the Acme Corporation has backfired on Wile E. Coyote in his pursuit of the Road Runner, a down-and-out billboard human attorney represents Wile E. in his lawsuit to sue Acme. A growing friendship between Wile E. Coyote and his lawyer motivates their determination to win the court case, as it pits them against the intimidating boss of Wile E.'s lawyer's former law firm, who now represents Acme.[7][8]

Cast

Additionally, longtime Looney Tunes voice actor Eric Bauza voices several other Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies characters throughout the film.[9] Director Dave Green confirmed that many Looney Tunes characters, outside of Wile E. Coyote himself, appeared "in significant supporting roles and in bit cameos", throughout the film.[10]

Production

Development and writing

In August 2018, Warner Bros. Pictures announced the development of a Wile E. Coyote project, titled Coyote vs. Acme, with The Lego Batman Movie director Chris McKay as producer and Jon and Josh Silberman writing the script.[11] In mid-December 2019, Warner Animation Group hired Dave Green to direct the live-action/animated hybrid film,[12] while Jon and Josh Silberman were replaced as screenwriters, but remained producers.[13] In December 2020, McKay left the project, while Jon and Josh Silberman left their producing roles and returned to screenwriting duties alongside Samy Burch, Jeremy Slater, and James Gunn.[4] Along with the departure of McKay, it was reported that the film draws inspiration from the fictional 1990 New Yorker article of the same name by Ian Frazier.[4] Ultimately, Burch received screenplay credit, based on a story from herself, Slater, and Gunn.[1]

Editor Carsten Kurpanek described the film's story as a "David vs Goliath story" that tackles Wile E. Coyote's persistence in the face of the ACME Corporation's "cynical and casual cruelness of capitalism and corporate greed."[14]

Casting

In February 2022, John Cena was cast as the film's main antagonist, described as the lawyer in defense of Acme and the former boss to Wile E.'s lawyer; he previously collaborated with Gunn on the DC Extended Universe projects The Suicide Squad (2021) and Peacemaker (2022).[15] The following month, Will Forte and Lana Condor were added to the cast, with Forte starring as Wile E.'s lawyer.[16]

Filming and production design

Principal photography took place from March to May 2022 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, with Brandon Trost serving as cinematographer.[17][18][19] The creative team also acknowledged Who Framed Roger Rabbit as a reference for the film's seamless live-action interaction with the animated characters,[20] alongside the set pieces from the original Looney Tunes cartoons, such as the film's setting in Albuquerque, which was famously referenced by Bugs Bunny, and Road Runner's habitat in the desert being brought to life.[21]

Visual effects and animation

Visual effects and computer animation services were provided by DNEG, for Wile E. Coyote and other Looney Tunes characters who appeared in supporting roles.[22] Voice actor Eric Bauza posted the first image of the film on social media, showing the film took inspiration from the original cartoons' world and animation, and films like Who Framed Roger Rabbit, for the film's blend of classic animation and live-action.[23]

Wanting to stay as true to the characters' classic 2D finish as possible, the 3D animators also worked closely with 2D sketchviz artists who guided them with 2D poses and expressions of the characters. Additionally, Duncan Studio provided traditional animation, for the Looney Tunes characters who appeared in cameo roles.[24][25]

Music

During the announcement of the film's initial cancellation, Steven Price announced that he composed the film's score. One piece from the score he shared was a choir rendition of the Road Runner's vocal effects titled the "Meep Meep Choir".[26]

Release

Coyote vs. Acme was planned to be theatrically released in the United States on July 21, 2023, by Warner Bros. Pictures.[4] On April 26, 2022, the studio indefinitely removed the film from its release schedule, replacing it with Barbie.[27]

Initial cancellation and reversal

On November 9, 2023, Warner Bros. officials announced that the film was completed, but that they would not release it, because Warner Bros. Discovery preferred to claim a tax loss of about $30 million.[5] The crew was not informed of the decision until after the film was completed.[3] The move drew criticism from filmmakers, animation outlets, and talent representatives. Several filmmakers left angry phone calls with Warner Bros. expressing their frustration at the move.[28] Others also canceled meetings with the studio.[29] Many noted that the film had drawn praise at test screenings and interest from potential buyers.[30][31] Test screening audiences who saw the film included Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, Michael Chaves, and Daniel Scheinert.[32] Director Dave Green, reportedly an avid Looney Tunes fan, voiced his disappointment over the film's cancellation.[33]

On November 13, 2023, Puck reported Warner Bros. Discovery leaders had reversed their decision and allowed the filmmakers the option to shop the film to other distributors.[34][35] Deadline Hollywood reported that Amazon MGM Studios, Apple Studios, and Netflix were interested in buying the distribution rights to the film.[28][36] TheWrap reported that despite interest from distributors to buy the film, there are "currently no hard offers, and that Green is crafting his own 'PR campaign'".[37]

On December 8, Deadline Hollywood further reported that the film had been screened for more studios including Paramount Pictures and Sony Pictures. Of these, Netflix and Paramount had made bids, with the latter including a theatrical component; Amazon was still interested despite making no formal bids; and Sony and Apple were not planning to make bids.[38]

Possible final cancellation

On February 9, 2024, TheWrap reported that Warner Bros. Discovery had rejected the bids from Netflix, Amazon, and Paramount.[39] The company wanted $75–$80 million to sell the film, but no distributors met their price, and Warner Bros. Discovery rejected counter bids. The company considered shelving and deleting the film (which remained in limbo at the time) and again claiming it as a tax loss.[32][40][41][42][43] Following their Q4 2023 earnings call on February 23, 2024, Warner Bros. Discovery took a $115 million write-down while not directly confirming the cancellation of the film.[44] As of April 2024, a Warner Bros. spokesperson told The New York Times that the film "remains available for acquisition".[45]

Responses

As with the initial cancellation, TheWrap's report on the film's possible final cancellation drew online criticism. The hashtags #ReleaseCoyoteVsAcme and #SaveCoyoteVsAcme, along with other hashtags relating to it, started trending on February 9, 2024 (the date of the article's release) and continued to trend for the following weeks.[39]

Bauza addressed this in an improvised exchange between Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck during his speech at the 51st Annie Awards, with him saying "Release Coyote vs. Acme!" in his Daffy voice.[46][47]

Phil Lord, who saw an early screening of the film, said, "Is it anticompetitive if one of the biggest movie studios in the world shuns the marketplace in order to use a tax loophole to write off an entire movie so they can more easily merge with one of the bigger movie studios in the world? 'Cause it SEEMS anticompetitive."[48]

In February 2024, Will Forte released a statement after seeing the final cut of the film, saying, "To the Cast and Crew of Coyote Vs Acme — I know that a lot of you haven't gotten a chance to see our movie. And sadly, it's looking like you never will. When I first heard that our movie was getting 'deleted,' I hadn't seen it yet. So I was thinking what everyone else must have been thinking: this thing must be a hunk of junk. But then I saw it. And it's incredible."[49]

On March 10, 2024, during the red carpet for the 96th Academy Awards, Burch said conversations were still ongoing within Warner Bros and that "we hope it will somehow find its home and not end up stuck in a vault for the rest of time".[6]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Coyote vs. Acme". Writers Guild of America West. March 21, 2023. Archived from the original on April 9, 2023. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
  2. ^ Frazier, Ian (February 19, 1990). "Coyote v. Acme By Ian Frazier". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on October 16, 2018. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
  3. ^ a b c Roundtree, Cheyenne (November 10, 2023). "Coyote vs. Acme Crew Were Blindsided by Warner Bros. Killing Movie". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on November 11, 2023. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  4. ^ a b c d Rubin, Rebecca (December 23, 2020). "Warner Bros. to Release Mad Max: Fury Road Prequel and The Color Purple Musical in Theaters in 2023". Variety. Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on December 24, 2020. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
  5. ^ a b D'Alessandro, Anthony (November 9, 2023). "Coyote Vs. Acme: Finished Live/Action Animated Pic Shelved Completely By Warner Bros As Studio Takes $30M Tax Write-off". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 9, 2023. Retrieved November 9, 2023.
  6. ^ a b Perella, Vincent; Bergeson, Samantha (March 10, 2024). "'Coyote vs. Acme' Writer Samy Burch Says Film May Still Be Released: Conversations Are 'Ongoing,' but We'd Be 'Heartbroken' If It's Shelved". IndieWire. Archived from the original on March 10, 2024. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
  7. ^ Kit, Borys (March 9, 2022). "Will Forte Joins John Cena in Coyote vs. Acme for Warner Bros". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on March 16, 2022. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
  8. ^ a b Alexa, Laurén (January 22, 2024). "First Look Revealed for Resurrected Coyote vs. Acme Feature". Animation World Network. Archived from the original on January 24, 2024. Retrieved January 24, 2024.
  9. ^ Thorne, Ned [@NedThorne] (January 3, 2024). "@DEADLINE has slightly bad intel (or just fact checkers), as Eric Bauza did NOT voice Wile E. Coyote; in the film, Wile is a silent character, and Eric plays several other roles. But that shouldn't stop you from supporting #releasecoyotevsacme ! #coyotevsacme" (Tweet). Archived from the original on January 3, 2024. Retrieved January 3, 2023 – via Twitter.
  10. ^ Green, Dave [@dgreenmachine] (February 14, 2024). "Tons and tons of characters. Both in significant supporting roles, and in bit cameos. Name a character, and they're likely in the movie" (Tweet). Retrieved February 14, 2024 – via Twitter.
  11. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (August 28, 2018). "Warner Bros' Wile E. Coyote Movie Finds Its Scribes In The Silberman Brothers". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 12, 2022. Retrieved March 12, 2022.
  12. ^ "Warner Bros. Pictures Greenlights Three Films For Its 2023 Worldwide Theatrical Slate" (Press release). Warner Bros. December 23, 2020. Archived from the original on February 10, 2024. Retrieved January 30, 2024.
  13. ^ Donnelly, Matt (December 17, 2019). "Warner Bros.' Wile E. Coyote Movie Sets Dave Green to Direct (Exclusive)". Variety. Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on December 17, 2019. Retrieved December 18, 2019.
  14. ^ Kurpanek, Carsten [@Kurpanek] (February 9, 2024). "#CoyoteVsAcme is about a giant corporation choosing stock over empathy, doing nothing "illegal" but morally shady stuff for profit. It's a David vs Goliath story. It's about the cynical and casual cruelness of capitalism and corporate greed. No wonder Warner doesn't want to #releasecoyoteVsACME" (Tweet). Archived from the original on February 11, 2024. Retrieved February 9, 2024 – via Twitter.
  15. ^ Kit, Borys (February 16, 2022). "John Cena to Star in Coyote vs. Acme for Warner Bros". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on February 18, 2022. Retrieved February 16, 2022.
  16. ^ Kroll, Justin (March 9, 2022). "Will Forte And Lana Condor To Co-Star With John Cena In Looney Tunes Live-Action/Animated Hybrid Pic Coyote Vs. Acme". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 10, 2022. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
  17. ^ Trost, Bandon [@B_TRO] (March 21, 2022). "I can confirm that this is true" (Tweet). Archived from the original on April 15, 2022. Retrieved April 15, 2022 – via Twitter.
  18. ^ Kasule, Melissa (February 22, 2022). "Warner Bros.' Coyote vs. Acme set to shoot in New Mexico". Kemps Film and TV Production Services Handbook. Archived from the original on February 22, 2022. Retrieved April 19, 2022.
  19. ^ @mikedfernandez (May 28, 2022). "We wrapped Coyote vs. Acme Sat morning! 📸". Archived from the original on November 19, 2023. Retrieved November 1, 2022 – via Instagram.
  20. ^ O'Rourke, Ryan (January 27, 2023). "Will Forte Details What It's Like Starring With the Looney Tunes in Coyote vs. Acme [Exclusive]". Collider. Archived from the original on January 27, 2023. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
  21. ^ "Live-action movie Coyote vs. ACME filmed in ABQ area". Rio Rancho Observer. June 9, 2022. Archived from the original on June 12, 2022. Retrieved August 20, 2022.
  22. ^ "Coyote vs. Acme". DNEG. Archived from the original on April 12, 2022. Retrieved April 27, 2022.
  23. ^ Tapp, Tom (January 1, 2024). "Coyote Vs. Acme First Photo: Voice Actor Eric Bauza Shares Image From Film". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 2, 2024. Retrieved January 2, 2024.
  24. ^ Green, Dave [@dgreenmachine] (February 14, 2024). "Our sketchviz team designed poses and expressions in 2d and found the building blocks of performance. 3d and 2d artists worked in tandem, and would all keep a close eye on the originals. A handful of shots were finaled in 2d, and certain characters were handled entirely in 2d" (Tweet). Retrieved February 14, 2024 – via Twitter.
  25. ^ Kurpanek, Carsten [@Kurpanek] (February 21, 2024). "Duncan Studios did an incredible job on one of Looney Tunes' most beloved characters. Handdrawn 2D perfection! It would be a shame if the fans didn't get to see it. #ReleaseCoyoteVsAcme" (Tweet). Archived from the original on February 22, 2024. Retrieved February 21, 2024 – via Twitter.
  26. ^ Burlingame, Russ (November 15, 2023). "Coyote vs. Acme Composer Shares Hilarious BTS Recording From Movie". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on January 10, 2024. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
  27. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (April 26, 2022). "Barbie Heads To Summer 2023 – CinemaCon". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on April 26, 2022. Retrieved April 26, 2022.
  28. ^ a b D'Alessandro, Anthony (November 13, 2023). "Coyote Vs. Acme: Warner Bros Setting Up Screenings For Streamers Of Axed Looney Tunes Film; Amazon A Prime Candidate – The Dish". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 13, 2023. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
  29. ^ Couch, Aaron; Hibberd, James (November 13, 2023). "Warner Bros. Reverses Course on Coyote vs. Acme After Filmmakers Rebel". Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on November 13, 2023. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
  30. ^ Bergeson, Samantha (November 10, 2023). "Scrapped Coyote Vs. Acme Film Teased in BTS Videos as Creatives Say Warner Bros. Is 'Anti-Art'". IndieWire. Archived from the original on November 10, 2023. Retrieved November 10, 2023.
  31. ^ Amidi, Amid (November 9, 2023). "Warner Bros. Shelves Fully-Completed Coyote Vs. Acme For Tax Write-Off". Cartoon Brew. Archived from the original on November 10, 2023. Retrieved November 10, 2023.
  32. ^ a b D'Alessandro, Anthony (February 10, 2024). "Coyote Vs. Acme: With Pic's Fate In Limbo At Warners, Phil Lord Observes, 'How Funny It Would Be For This To End With A Congressional Hearing'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 11, 2024. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
  33. ^ Dela Paz, Maggie (November 10, 2023). "Coyote vs. Acme Director Voices Out Disappointment Over Cancelation". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on November 17, 2023. Retrieved January 7, 2024.
  34. ^ Belloni, Matthew (November 13, 2023). "Warners Reverses Course in Coyote vs. Acme Fight". Puck. Archived from the original on November 13, 2023. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
  35. ^ Bergeson, Samantha (November 13, 2023). "Warner Bros. Will Let Coyote Vs. Acme Filmmakers Shop Movie to Other Distributors". IndieWire. Archived from the original on November 13, 2023. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
  36. ^ Thompson, Jaden (November 14, 2023). "Rep. Joaquin Castro Calls Warner Bros. Discovery 'Predatory' for Shelving Coyote vs. Acme, Asks Justice Dept. to 'Review This Conduct'". Variety. Archived from the original on November 15, 2023. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
  37. ^ Lopez, Kristen (November 20, 2023). "Has Coyote vs. Acme Sowed Distrust Between Warner Bros. and Creatives? Analysis". TheWrap. Archived from the original on December 3, 2023. Retrieved December 2, 2023.
  38. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (December 8, 2023). "Coyote Vs. Acme: Paramount Circling; Amazon Still Possible Contender – The Dish". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 8, 2023. Retrieved December 8, 2023.
  39. ^ a b Taylor, Drew (February 9, 2024). "The Final Days of Coyote vs. Acme: Offers, Rejections and a Roadrunner Race Against Time". TheWrap. Archived from the original on February 9, 2024. Retrieved February 9, 2024.
  40. ^ Carr, Mary Kate (February 9, 2024). "Coyote Vs. Acme is probably getting scrapped anyway". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on February 9, 2024. Retrieved February 9, 2024.
  41. ^ Graves, Sabina (February 9, 2024). "Coyote vs. Acme's Fate Might Have Been Sealed by Real Judge Doom David Zaslav". Gizmodo. Archived from the original on February 11, 2024. Retrieved February 9, 2024.
  42. ^ Dick, Jeremy (February 9, 2024). "Coyote vs. Acme's Latest Update Spells Very Bad News for Looney Tunes Movie". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on February 9, 2024. Retrieved February 9, 2024.
  43. ^ Lyles, Taylor (February 10, 2024). "Warner Bros. Reportedly Set to Shelve and Delete Coyote vs. Acme Film Once and for All". IGN. Archived from the original on February 11, 2024. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
  44. ^ Couch, Aaron (February 23, 2024). "As 'Coyote vs. Acme' Hangs in the Balance, Warner Bros. Discovery Takes $115M Write-Down on Mystery Projects". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on February 24, 2024. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
  45. ^ Brown, T.M. (April 9, 2024). "Want to See This Film? Movie Studios Won't Let You". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 15, 2024. Retrieved April 15, 2024.
  46. ^ Fuge, Jonathan (February 9, 2024). "Coyote vs. Acme Star Shares New Images & Gratitude for Support From Fans". MovieWeb. Archived from the original on February 26, 2024. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
  47. ^ Valdez, Nick. "Looney Tunes Star Pleads "Release Coyote vs. Acme" at Annie Awards: Watch". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on February 28, 2024. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
  48. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (February 10, 2024). "'Coyote Vs. Acme': With Pic's Fate In Limbo At Warners, Phil Lord Observes, "How Funny It Would Be For This To End With A Congressional Hearing"". Deadline. Archived from the original on February 11, 2024. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
  49. ^ Hibberd, James (February 29, 2024). "Will Forte Sad After Finally Watching 'Coyote vs. Acme': "It's Incredible"". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on February 29, 2024. Retrieved February 29, 2024.
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