Warner Bros. Shelves John Cena’s Coyote vs. Acme for Tax Write-Off

Warner Bros. Discovery has axed yet another of its in-development projects as the studio confirms that the Coyote vs. Acme, the live-action/animation hybrid movie is no more.

Per Deadline, the film, which had reportedly been completed and earned very positive test scores amongst early audience, was terminated to act as a tax write off. Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav, who has already garnered a reputation of axing completed films like Batgirl and Scoob: Holiday Haunt, reportedly made the call in an effort to claim back $30 million as a tax write off for Q3 2023.

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“With the re-launch of Warner Bros. Pictures Animation in June, the studio has shifted its global strategy to focus on theatrical releases,” said a Warner Bros. 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.” Coyote vs. Acme was originally slated to arrive in theaters on July 21, 2023. This date ultimately went to Barbie, which only went on to be the biggest movie of 2023.

While it seems like we may never know what happens in the titular feud between Wile E. Coyote and Acme, it’s a damn shame the movie won’t see the light of day. The cast included comedy heavy weights like John Cena, Will Forte and Lana Condor and would have seen the titular cartoon character suing Acme Corp. for grievous injury given that many of their products not only failed to catch the Roadrunner but ending up hurting the user in the process.