Coyote vs Acme Trailer Roasts Warner Bros Over Shelving Drama

The moment has finally arrived: the trailer for Coyote vs Acme is here, and it doesn't hold back on the studio politics that nearly kept it off screens entirely.

The animated-live-action hybrid has had quite the journey. Filmed back in 2022, the project faced an uncertain future when Warner Bros shelved it over a year later. But salvation came roughly a year ago when Ketchup Entertainment stepped in and struck a deal to bring the film to life.

Now, with an August 28th theatrical release date locked in, the studio is having fun with the whole ordeal—and the trailer makes that abundantly clear.

The opening moments deliver the first wink to audiences: right after the Warner Bros logo appears, text zooms in declaring WB is "*A wholly owned subsidiary of The ACME Corporation"—a clever nod to the fictional conglomerate from the Looney Tunes universe that's responsible for all those faulty products that backfire spectacularly on Wile E. Coyote.

Midway through, another on-screen message lands the punch line: "The movie ACME doesn't want you to see." Later, a rapid-fire disclaimer mimicking pharmaceutical commercial disclaimers wraps things up with: "The ACME Corporation is releasing this film for accounting purposes only. We do not condone any of the storylines depicted."

That final quip carries extra weight given Warner Bros' history of shelving films—including Batgirl and Scoob! Holiday Haunt—while claiming tax benefits in the process.

The film reunites Wile E. Coyote (Genius) with Kevin Avery, a billboard accident attorney played by Will Forte, as they take on slick corporate lawyer Buddy Crane, portrayed by John Cena, and the corporate machine known as ACME, Inc. The ensemble cast also includes Lana Condor and Tone Bell.

Director Dave Green helmed the project from a screenplay by Samy Burch, based on a story by James Gunn and Jeremy Slater alongside Burch. The film hits theaters August 28th through Ketchup Entertainment.