There’s another Warner Bros. movie that’s completed filming that won’t be seeing the light of day.
The latest casualty is Coyote vs. Acme, a live-action CG hybrid that starred John Cena and, according to THR, finished principal photography in 2022. It was originally greenlit as an original for HBO Max (now called Max), and in a statement issued to THR, WB cited a focus on theatrical films as the reasoning.
“With the re-launch of Warner Bros. Pictures Animation in June, the studio has shifted its global strategy to focus on theatrical releases,” reads the statement from a WB Motion Picture Group spokesperson. “With this new direction, we have made the difficult decision not to move forward with Coyote vs Acme. We have tremendous respect for the filmmakers, casts, and crew, and are grateful for their contributions to the film.”
Unsurprisingly, the movie was set to focus on classic Looney Tunes character Wile E. Coyote, and Cena was reportedly going to play one of the primary antagonists. It was based on a 1990 Ian Frazier New Yorker article of the same name.
It was originally going to be released on July 21, 2023 – but obviously, that date came and went without so much as a trailer.
Another One Bites the Dust
The news comes after WB made the shocking decision last year to not release Batgirl either in theaters or on streaming, even after the Leslie Grace-starring DC film had completed filming. Animated movie Scoob! Holiday Haunt was also scrapped, with Warner Bros. taking tax write-downs on both.
Warner Bros. not only faced massive backlash from fans, spawning a #ReleaseBatgirl movement, but from the creative community. Batgirl directors Adil El Arbi and Bilal Fallah were apparently blindsided by the cancellation. THR reports that, in the case of Coyote vs. Acme, the filmmakers were at least given advance notice before the announcement was made to the public.
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Alex Stedman is a Senior News Editor with IGN, overseeing entertainment reporting. When she's not writing or editing, you can find her reading fantasy novels or playing Dungeons & Dragons.
