After Warner Bros. permanently shelved its latest live-action “Looney Tunes” movie “Coyote vs. Acme” last November, many wondered if the situation was “Batgirl” redux. That is, the studio figured the movie made more sense for them as a write-off and a relic of a bygone Warner Bros. administration, never to reach audiences. Deadline reports that “Coyote vs. Acme” star Will Forte took to social media this morning to all but confirm those suspicions: the movie is as good as dead.
In an Instagram post this morning, Forte spoke out about the status of “Coyote vs. Acme” and provided some less than hopeful news. “I know that a lot of you haven’t gotten a chance to see our movie. And sadly, it’s a looking like you never will,” he wrote. But the actor sticks by the “deleted” film, despite whatever Warner Bros. execs think of it. “So I was thinking what everyone else must have been thinking: this thing must be a hunk of junk,” continued Forte. “But then I saw it, And it’s Incredible.”
It’s worth noting that while Warner Bros. shelved “Coyote vs. Acme” similarly to “Batgirl,” it still tried to find a buyer for the finished film (“Batgirl” was still in post-production when it got cancelled). But neither Netflix nor Paramount bid close to the studio’s asking price of $70 million, leaving the movie without a new home. “Coyote vs. Acme” marks the third film since the Warner Bros. Discovery merger to get shelved after “Batgirl” and “Scoob! Holiday Haunt.” Those films’ fates are emblematic of the ruthless cost-cutting of new WBD CEO David Zaslav as he pivots the studio into a new direction.
Forte described “Coyote vs. Acme” as “Super funny throughout, visually stunning, sweet, sincere, and emotionally resonant in a very earned way. As the credits rolled, I just sat there thinking how lucky I was to be a part of something so special. That quickly turned to confusion and frustration. This was the movie they’re not going to release?” It’s easy to feel sympathy for the actor, as his comments sound similar to those made by “Batgirl” star Leslie Grace shortly after her film was similarly canned.
“Look, when it comes to Hollywood business stuff, I don’t know shit about shit,” Forte continued. “Even when a movie tests very well (like ours), there’s no guarantee that it’s gonna be a hit. And at the end of the day, the people who paid for this movie can obviously do whatever they want with it. It doesn’t mean I have to like it (I fu**king hate it). Or agree with it. And it doesn’t mean that this movie is anything less than magnificent.”
Forte ended his note with “You would be so proud of it — a movie that should be seen, but won’t. Please know that all the years and years of hard work, dedication and love that you put into this movie shows in every frame. That’s all folks, Will Forte.” “Coyote vs. Acme” also stars John Cena, Lana Condor, P.J Byrne, Tone Bell, and Martha Kelly. Dave Green directs a script by Samy Burch. The film was initially set for a July 21, 2023 theatrical release before that date went to “Barbie.” After that change, “Coyote vs. Acme” never returned to the WBD release schedule.
Many in Hollywood are up in arms about the recent decisions by Warner Bros. to can films they find unworthy of release, but that hasn’t stopped the studio from its rampant cost-cutting. And as Zaslav continues his major pivots for the country, it may only be a matter of time before another project in the pipeline developed during the studio’s previous leadership gets axed, too. Read Forte’s entire Instagram post about “Coyote vs. Acme” below.