‘Coyote vs. Acme’ Thanks Fans Directly in the Credits for Saving the Film From Warner Bros.’ Vault
Movies rarely credit their own audience with getting them made in the first place, but few films have earned that distinction quite as literally as this one. What started as a corporate write-off decision two years ago has turned into one of the more unusual redemption stories in recent Hollywood history.
“Coyote vs. Acme,” the long-shelved live-action and animated hybrid starring Will Forte and John Cena, finally reaches theaters on August 28 after a turbulent journey that saw Warner Bros. cancel its release entirely back in 2023 as part of a tax write-off strategy. That decision sparked immediate backlash from fans and industry figures alike, kicking off a sustained campaign that ultimately convinced a new distributor to step in.
That campaign hasn’t gone unnoticed by the people who made the film. According to reports, “Coyote vs. Acme” includes a heartfelt message in its end credits directly thanking the audience for saving the movie from permanent obscurity, reading: “Dedicated to everyone who posted, shared, held up signs and spoke out when it counted. This film made it to the big screen because of you.”
That gratitude extends beyond just the credits themselves. Forte has been publicly crediting fans for the film’s survival in recent press appearances, telling TMZ that their refusal to let the movie fade away is directly why audiences will finally get to see it in theaters, expressing how excited he is for people to experience the film after once believing it would never see the light of day.
The film’s original shelving became one of the most controversial decisions of Warner Bros. Discovery’s cost-cutting era, alongside other high-profile casualties like the completed “Batgirl” film and an animated “Scooby-Doo” project. Warner Bros. reportedly saved roughly 30 million dollars in tax write-downs by axing the already-finished, 72 million dollar production rather than releasing it.
Fans responded with sustained outrage, flooding social media, writing emails and organizing public demonstrations to keep the film’s existence in the public conversation. Director Dave Green also once again thanked those supporters directly in the credits, continuing a pattern of acknowledgment that began the moment the film was officially rescued.
That rescue finally came in March, when independent distributor Ketchup Entertainment announced it had acquired worldwide distribution rights to the film in a deal reportedly valued around 50 million dollars. Ketchup CEO Gareth West said the company was thrilled to bring the project to audiences worldwide, describing it as a perfect blend of nostalgia and modern storytelling that would resonate with both longtime Looney Tunes fans and newcomers alike.
This isn’t the first time Ketchup Entertainment has stepped in to save a shelved Looney Tunes project from Warner Bros.’ vault. The company previously rescued “The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie” from a similar 2022 scrapping, eventually releasing it domestically to more than 10 million dollars at the box office.
Green captured the emotional weight of the rescue in a public statement following Ketchup’s announcement, writing, “Still in shock. To every single coyote who did not give up chasing: thank you. Your belief and persistence kept us alive. No words can articulate the gratitude we have to Ketchup for helping us catch this bird.” Even DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn, who also holds a screen story credit on the film alongside Jeremy Slater, publicly celebrated the announcement online at the time.
Directed by Green from a screenplay by Oscar nominee Samy Burch, “Coyote vs. Acme” follows Wile E. Coyote as he takes the Acme Corporation to court over decades of faulty, exploding products, with Forte playing his lawyer and Cena leading Acme’s legal defense. After such a turbulent road to release, the film’s decision to formally thank the very fans who fought to save it feels like a fitting final note to one of the more unusual movie rescue stories in recent memory.
After fans helped rescue the film from Warner Bros.’ vault, Coyote vs. Acme is finally getting its big-screen release. Will you be there?
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