
By Michaela Gordoni
COYOTE VS. ACME lead Will Forte was gutted when Warner Bros. tossed the fully made film, but now finally with a release date, his hopes are fulfilled.
“I’m pretty speechless,” Forte said at San Diego Comic-Con. “It blows my mind. You think back to the journey this movie has taken. I had kind of given up hope at a certain point, so this is amazing.”
Fans saw the first footage of the movie at Comic-Con. It’s set to premiere in theaters on Aug. 28, 2026, distributed by Ketchup Entertainment. The movie sold for a purported $50 million, Variety said. It cost $70 million to produce. Ketchup also distributed THE DAY THE EARTH BLEW UP: A LOONEY TUNES MOVIE, which came out in March.
“We’re thrilled to have made a deal with Warner Bros. Pictures to bring this film to audiences worldwide,” Gareth West, chief executive of Ketchup Entertainment, said in a statement earlier this year. “COYOTE VS. ACME is a perfect blend of nostalgia and modern storytelling, capturing the essence of the beloved Looney Tunes characters while introducing them to a new generation.”
Forte said Wile E. Coyote as “a character that never gives up,” but “The real hero of this movie is all of you guys sitting in those seats. Like Wile E. Coyote, you guys were an underdog who fought against a major corporation, and because you never gave up, this movie is now going to come out in wide global release.”
Related: LOONEY TUNES Movie COYOTE VS. ACME Saved — What We Know
Warner Bros. tossed COYOTE VS. ACME in 2023 as part of a $115 million write-down. Fans’ outcry helped revive the project.
The movie is based on Ian Frazier’s 1990 New Yorker article, titled “Coyote v. Acme.” It centers on attorney Kevin Avery, played by Forte, who represents Wile in a lawsuit against Acme over Wile’s failed efforts to catch Road Runner.
It stars Forte, John Cena, Eric Bauza and Martha Kelly. It is directed by Dave Green. Samy Burch wrote the script, and James Gunn and Jeremey Slater have story credit.
“I never thought it would happen, so it just came out of nowhere, and I’m so thrilled,” Forte said earlier this year. “I’m so excited for people to see this movie. I’m gonna promote the crap out of it. Just tell me what you want me to do and I’ll go, I’ll do whatever — go to the top of Mount Everest, I’m there.”
Fans can catch Wile and Road Runner in theaters on Aug. 28 next year.
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