If there’s one thing we can all agree on, it’s that blending the real world and animation, animatronics and/or puppetry is a killer combination that most know and love. Hence the adoration of films like Who Framed Roger Rabbit, The Muppet Christmas Carol, and my own personal favorite, director Russell Chuck’s 1994 masterpiece, The Mask.
However, there’s a surprisingly niche subgenre that, frankly, deserves more movies. We’re talking about Looney Tunes movies, specifically those that blend live action with the wacky, whimsical shenanigans of characters like Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and more. The most memorable of them all is arguably the 1996 sports-comedy hybrid film, Space Jam, which paired basketball legend Michael Jordan with aliens who want to turn the Looney Tunes characters into theme park slaves.
The last time we saw a Looney Tunes live-action movie was in 2021 with Space Jam’s sequel, A New Legacy, which was a lackluster entry compared to the original. Thankfully, the latest upcoming comedy from director Dave Green (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) with a story by Samy Burch, James Gunn, and Jeremy Slater might be just the Looney Tunes film that fans have been waiting for.
After endless delays and near death at the hands of Warner Bros. CEO David Zaslav, Coyote vs. Acme finally arrives in theaters in just three weeks. Here’s everything you need to know about this highly anticipated mashup of Looney Tunes animation and live-action movie.
What is the plot of Coyote vs. Acme?
As anyone who has watched Looney Tunes long enough will tell you, Wile E. Coyote rarely manages to catch his rival, the superfast Road Runner. This is largely down to dear Wile E. putting far too much faith in the products of the Acme Corporation — a fictional company best known for its truly wacky products, like rocket roller skates, anvils, and bombs that can be delivered straight to you once you purchase them.
Frustrated by his lack of success, Wile E. blames it entirely on Acme and does what any good, respectful coyote would do if unhappy with a product — he sues the living daylights out of them. Wile E. turns to Kevin Avery, a human attorney played by Will Forte, who promises to represent Wile. E in his lawsuit against Acme. There’s just one problem: the court case pits them against Buddy Crane, Kevin’s former boss, portrayed by DC superstar and wrestling legend John Cena.
Image: Ketchup Entertainment
Several Looney Tunes characters have been confirmed to appear, such as Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Tweety Bird, and Foghorn Leghorn. With so many cartoon legends, we assume more will appear too – either in minor roles or as blink-and-you’ll-miss-them cameos.
Is Coyote vs. Acme a sequel?
Looney Tunes live-action movie connoisseurs’ ears might have pricked up at the concept of one of the Looney Tunes characters taking on the Acme Corporation. It’s not exactly a concept that hasn’t been done before, with both Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck teaming up with Brendan Fraser as himself and D.J. Drake to battle against Acme in the 2003 film Looney Tunes: Back in Action. In this film, Acme has plans to turn the world into monkeys and force everyone to create Acme products. You know, normal evil corporation stuff.
Despite following Wile. E. Coyote as a protagonist and the film being labeled a comedy, Coyote vs. Acme appears to be taking a far more grounded route, with a stronger focus on courtroom drama rather than the overacted spy shenanigans seen in Back in Action. While that doesn’t mean Coyote vs. Acme isn’t a sequel, it doesn’t seem likely that Warner Bros. will make it connect to Back in Action, given how different the two films are in setting and tone.
What is the Coyote vs. Acme controversy?
Image: Warner Bros/Ketchup Entertainment
In November 2023, Warner Bros. decided to shelve a handful of movies that were either in development or finished to instead take a $30 million tax write-off. Coyote vs. Acme, alongside Batgirl and Scoob! Holiday Haunt, was one of those films. It was a decision that rankled everyone involved in the making of the movie, so much so that Warner Bros. ended up trying to shop the film around to other studios, including Netflix and Sony Pictures.
It looked as though the film was going to end up in the trash until Ketchup Entertainment, a distributor that also handled the release of The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie, stepped in to save the day. Fast-forward to 2026, and Coyote vs. Acme is just around the corner.
When is the Coyote vs. Acme release date?
With a runtime of 103 minutes (1 hour and 43 minutes), Coyote vs. Acme will have you drawn into this not-so-gritty comedy-drama when it releases on August 28. That’s all, folks!