Coyote vs. Acme trailer sends Wile E. Coyote to court
Ketchup Entertainment released the final Coyote vs. Acme trailer before its Comic-Con screening and Aug. 28 theatrical debut.
By Poppy Nakagawa · Culture Writer
3 min read
The final Coyote vs. Acme trailer has arrived, putting Wile E. Coyote in a courtroom battle with the company behind his many malfunctioning gadgets.
Ketchup Entertainment released the new look Thursday ahead of the movie’s first public screening Saturday at Comic-Con. The mixed animation feature, directed by Dave Green, had previously been completed before Warner Bros. Discovery shelved it in 2023.
The trailer sets up Wile E.’s legal turn after he sees an advertisement from attorney Kevin Avery, played by Will Arnett, promoting action against Acme Corporation over defective products. After years of trying and failing to catch Road Runner, the battered Looney Tunes icon decides to take his grievances to court.
In the trailer, Arnett’s character makes the case for the famously persistent coyote, saying: “He’s one of the most hardworking people I’ve ever met. He would never think of quitting. I think everyone should be inspired by that.”
When does Coyote vs. Acme come out?
Coyote vs. Acme is scheduled to premiere in theaters on Aug. 28, according to Ketchup Entertainment. Tickets went on sale Thursday through the film’s official site.
The cast also includes Lana Condor, John Cena, Tone Bell, Martha Kelly and Luis Guzmán, along with a lineup of Looney Tunes characters. Samy Burch wrote the screenplay from a story by Burch, James Gunn and Jeremy Slater. Chris DeFaria and Gunn are among the producers.
Why was Coyote vs. Acme shelved?
Warner Bros. Discovery shelved Coyote vs. Acme in November 2023 after production had already wrapped. Deadline reported at the time that the studio took a $30 million tax write-off tied to the decision.
The move made the film part of a much-discussed group of Warner Bros. Discovery projects that were completed or near completion but did not get released by the studio. The company also shelved Batgirl and Scoob! Holiday Haunt.
Coyote vs. Acme is based on Ian Frazier’s 1990 New Yorker article of the same name, which imagined a legal complaint against the fictional manufacturer behind Wile E. Coyote’s doomed contraptions. The movie brings that gag into a live-action and animation format, with the long-suffering coyote finally taking Acme’s explosive track record before a judge.
After Warner Bros. Discovery set the film aside, Ketchup Entertainment acquired it last year. Deadline reported the deal was said to be in the $50 million range.
The Comic-Con screening now gives the film a public launch after its long detour through studio limbo. For a character known for getting flattened, blasted and launched off cliffs, the final trailer frames the comeback as a different kind of chase: Wile E. versus Acme, this time with lawyers.
This story draws on original reporting from Deadline.