By Danielle Broadway
LOS ANGELES, Aug 12 (Reuters) – Director Dave Green told Reuters it was a “crazy miracle” that the live-action animated Looney Tunes comedy “Coyote Vs. Acme” finally secured a 2026 release date after being shelved in 2023.
“We saw this incredible outpouring of support from friends and other filmmakers and people we had never met, people who were fans of this brand, people who had never even seen Looney Tunes,” Green said.
For the “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows” director, the film’s survival after being dropped by Warner Bros. Discovery and spending years in distribution limbo mirrored the movie’s central message of determination. The film was eventually picked up by Ketchup Entertainment in 2025.
The movie follows Wile E. Coyote as he takes the Acme Corporation to court after its products repeatedly fail him in his pursuit of the Road Runner.
Represented by struggling attorney Kevin Avery, played by Will Forte, Wile E. seeks justice against the company. The film is based on Ian Frazier’s 1990 The New Yorker article “Coyote v. Acme.”
“It’s really back to the spirit of resilience of Wiley, the character, and because that’s really what our audience did for us,” Green said. “They stood up and they did not stop standing up.”
The cast also includes Lana Condor as Paige Avery, Kevin’s niece, and John Cena as Buddy Crane, Acme’s attorney.
Longtime Looney Tunes voice actor Eric Bauza voices several beloved characters, including Daffy Duck, Bugs Bunny, Tweety Bird and Foghorn Leghorn.
“There’s so many classic characters that we tap upon in this film, that when one is done, you go to the next scene and you’re like, ‘Wait, who’s that in the background?'” Bauza said.
For Forte and Cena, Looney Tunes has been a childhood staple.
“I was born in 1970, and I don’t remember life without Looney Tunes. It was a constant presence in my life,” Forte said.
Cena said that while he grew up with the cartoons, recreating the childhood experience isn’t a prerequisite for enjoying the film.
“I’m in Will [Forte’s] camp. I grew up … with Looney Tunes. They were on in the morning before I went to school. They were on exactly at the time I got out of school in the afternoon. Network programmers knew what they were up to,” the “Peacemaker” actor said.
Still, he stressed that “Coyote Vs. Acme” is not solely for longtime fans.
Condor agreed, admitting that she was never a major Looney Tunes fan before joining the film.
“I’m such a loser,” Condor, the “To All the Boys I’ve Ever Loved Before” actor,said. “My parents introduced me to Looney Tunes, and so did my grandparents. But I have to say, it wasn’t the biggest fixture in my house, which I’m so sad about.”
“Coyote Vs. Acme” arrives in theaters on August 28.
(Reporting by Danielle Broadway and Matt Silverstein; Editing by Mark Porter)
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