Warner Bros.' previously shelved film, Coyote vs. Acme, may soon hit the big screen after all, according to a report by Deadline. The Los Angeles-based independent film company, Ketchup Entertainment, is reportedly in deep negotiations to acquire the completed movie, which was thought to be entirely scrapped.
While the deal is not yet finalized, Deadline suggests that a theatrical release could be expected in 2026 if the negotiations succeed.
Coyote vs. Acme was first announced in 2022 and draws its inspiration from a 1990 Ian Frazier article published in The New Yorker. The film, co-written by James Gunn and featuring stars Will Forte and John Cena, was initially slated for a mid-2023 release on Max. However, despite being fully filmed, it was shelved, prompting a dedicated fan campaign to save it.
Ketchup Entertainment has a track record of rescuing films from oblivion, as evidenced by their recent acquisition of Warner Bros.' The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie. This film, also facing cancellation, was saved by Ketchup Entertainment and is set for a theatrical release in the US. It marks the first fully animated Looney Tunes movie to be shown in theaters, and IGN's review praised it as a "laugh-out-loud riot."
Ketchup Entertainment's portfolio includes other notable projects such as Hellboy: The Crooked Man and the Robert Rodriguez thriller Hypnotic, starring Ben Affleck. They also co-produced Michael Mann's 2023 biopic, Ferrari.
