Update: “Coyote vs. Acme” opened in theaters August 28, 2026, and went on to win over critics just as strongly as it won over the fans who fought to save it from the shelf. Full reception details below, with our original release coverage preserved further down.
The Reviews Were In: A Near-Perfect Score
“Coyote vs. Acme” opened to overwhelmingly positive reviews, closing out its Rotten Tomatoes run at a 94% score after opening as high as a perfect 100% with the earliest reviews counted. The Hollywood Reporter’s Frank Scheck called it “a hilarious delight, one of the best live-action/animation films ever,” while Deadline’s Pete Hammond went even further, calling it “the best animated/live-action hybrid since Robert Zemeckis’ classic Who Framed Roger Rabbit.”
Looper’s review praised the film’s sheer comedic density, writing that “measuring by sheer laughs per minute, Coyote vs. Acme is the funniest film of 2026 so far.” That kind of reception, especially for a film that nearly never reached theaters at all, turned the film’s release into one of the more unexpectedly celebrated theatrical comebacks of the year.
Why the Reviews Mattered So Much Here
Given the film’s turbulent path to release, the critical reception carried extra weight beyond a typical review cycle. Warner Bros. Discovery’s original decision to shelve the completed movie for a tax write-off implied the studio saw little commercial or creative value in it; the response from critics suggested that assessment badly undersold the finished product. That gap between the studio’s original judgment and the reviews that followed became as much a part of the film’s story as the Looney Tunes courtroom comedy itself.
How It Performed at the Box Office
In the weeks since its August 28 release, “Coyote vs. Acme” has settled into a steady, rather than front-loaded, run — our Hollywood Box Office 2026 tracker has it at roughly $82.8 million worldwide against a total cost near $120 million once Ketchup Entertainment’s $50 million acquisition price is added to the film’s reported $70 million production budget. That’s a modest total by summer-tentpole standards, but a respectable one for a film that was written off entirely three years ago, and its legs have held up better than a typical late-season animated family release.
Original Release Coverage
“Coyote vs. Acme” reached theaters on August 28, closing out one of the strangest sagas in recent studio history. The live-action/animated legal comedy — starring John Cena, Will Forte, and Lana Condor — was nearly killed off entirely by Warner Bros. for a tax write-off before being rescued and sold to a new distributor.
What Is Coyote vs. Acme About?
The film follows Wile E. Coyote as he hires a down-on-his-luck lawyer, Kevin Avery (Will Forte), to sue the Acme Corporation over the years of faulty, catastrophically dangerous products it sold him in his endless pursuit of the Road Runner. John Cena plays Buddy Crane, Acme’s slick corporate lawyer, with P.J. Byrne as fellow Acme attorney Bill Pellicano and Lana Condor as Kevin’s sharp legal-assistant niece, Paige Avery. The premise flips the classic Looney Tunes chase into a courtroom battle, blending traditional animation for Coyote with live-action human characters.
The Film’s Bizarre Journey to Release
“Coyote vs. Acme” was originally set for a July 2023 release before being pulled from Warner Bros.’ schedule so “Barbie” could take that date. Then, in November 2023, Warner Bros. Discovery announced it planned to cancel the film’s release entirely, despite it being fully completed, in order to claim a reported $30 million tax write-off. That decision sparked significant backlash from fans and industry figures. Four days later, the studio reversed course and agreed to let the filmmakers shop the completed movie to other distributors instead of shelving it permanently.
How the Film Found a New Home
In March 2025, Ketchup Entertainment entered negotiations to buy the distribution rights from Warner Bros. for a reported $50 million, and the deal ultimately went through. That set the film on a path to its August 28, 2026 theatrical release, nearly three years after its originally planned debut. New footage debuted at Comic-Con, with the finished trailer taking direct digs at Warner Bros. over the film’s chaotic path to release.
The Cast Bringing the Legal Comedy to Life
Will Forte, best known for “MacGruber” and “Saturday Night Live,” leads as Kevin Avery, Coyote’s scrappy human lawyer. John Cena plays Acme’s polished opposing counsel, giving the film a recognizable comedic foil, while Lana Condor rounds out the central trio as Kevin’s niece and legal assistant. The mix of a Looney Tunes legend, a WWE-star-turned-actor, and rising comedic talent gives the film a broader crossover appeal than a typical animated legacy property relaunch.
Why This Release Mattered
Beyond the film itself, “Coyote vs. Acme” became a symbol of the industry-wide debate over studios shelving finished projects purely for tax purposes, a practice that drew intense criticism when Warner Bros. Discovery first floated killing the movie. Its theatrical release was watched almost as closely for what it represented — a completed film that fans and filmmakers successfully fought to save — as for the Looney Tunes courtroom comedy itself.
Blending Animation and Live Action
Wile E. Coyote and the film’s other Looney Tunes characters appear in traditional animation, composited into live-action settings alongside the human cast — a technique with a long history in Hollywood, from “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” to “Space Jam.” That approach let the film lean fully into classic Looney Tunes slapstick, with Coyote’s Acme gadgets malfunctioning in spectacularly over-the-top ways, while still giving Cena, Forte, and Condor a grounded courtroom setting to play their legal-comedy scenes against. Trailer reactions had specifically praised how seamlessly the animated and live-action elements were blended compared to past attempts at the format.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did Coyote vs. Acme release in theaters?
“Coyote vs. Acme” opened in U.S. theaters on August 28, 2026.
How did Coyote vs. Acme’s reviews turn out?
Overwhelmingly positive. The film closed with a 94% score on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics from The Hollywood Reporter and Deadline calling it one of the best live-action/animation hybrids since “Who Framed Roger Rabbit.”
Why was Coyote vs. Acme almost cancelled?
Warner Bros. Discovery planned to shelve the completed film in November 2023 to claim a reported $30 million tax write-off, before reversing course days later and allowing it to be sold to another distributor.
Who stars in Coyote vs. Acme?
Will Forte, John Cena, and Lana Condor lead the cast, with Wile E. Coyote suing the Acme Corporation in a live-action legal comedy.
For more Comic-Con reveals from this year, check out our coverage of Spaceballs: The New One and Rick Moranis’s surprise return. Source: Variety, Coyote vs. Acme release date and distribution report.
