‘Coyote vs. Acme’ Set to Break Ketchup Entertainment’s Box Office Record Before Release

Few films have had a backstory as dramatic as ‘Coyote vs. Acme’. Warner Bros. Discovery’s controversial decision to shelve a completed, well-received movie for a tax write-off turned this family-friendly Looney Tunes comedy into an unexpected symbol of Hollywood’s willingness to abandon finished projects rather than release them.

This controversy has shadowed the film as it approaches its long-awaited theatrical debut. Ketchup Entertainment rescued the project from the studio’s scrap heap for a reported $50 million in March 2025, and since then, the film has generated buzz through a marketing campaign that embraces its troubled history, featuring a trailer tagline that reads, “The Film Acme Didn’t Want You to See.”

This underdog narrative seems to be translating into real box office momentum. According to Global Box Office, ‘Coyote vs. Acme’ is projected to earn between $16 million and $22 million in its opening weekend, which would set a record for Ketchup Entertainment’s highest-grossing domestic opening weekend. This projection marks a significant increase from earlier estimates, which had anticipated the film would open between $3 million and $8 million just weeks prior to its release.

Such a dramatic tracking swing this late in a film’s promotional cycle is quite rare. Industry reports noted that awareness for the film surged in the days leading up to its release, even as initial interest levels were lower than distributors hoped, suggesting that the film’s underdog story is finally resonating with a broader audience.

The film’s journey to theaters has been unusually public for a studio release. Completed in 2023 at a production cost of around $70 million, ‘Coyote vs. Acme’ was shelved by Warner Bros. as part of a strategy to write off finished projects, a decision that drew public backlash from the film’s cast and crew, as well as support from other filmmakers who viewed the move as indicative of a larger industry issue.

Directed by Dave Green and written by Samy Burch, based on a story by Burch, James Gunn, and Jeremy Slater, the film combines live-action and animation, reminiscent of classics like ‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit’ and ‘Space Jam.’ Will Forte stars as Kevin Avery, a billboard accident lawyer who teams up with Wile E. Coyote, voiced by Eric Bauza, to take legal action against ACME Inc. and its corporate attorney Buddy Crane, played by John Cena. Lana Condor and P.J. Byrne also feature in the supporting cast.

Critically, the film has exceeded expectations, currently boasting a 96 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes and a 75 on Metacritic, with some early reactions dubbing it the best live-action and animation hybrid since ‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit.’ Ketchup Entertainment is releasing the film exclusively in theaters, with no streaming date announced, a strategic choice given the film’s unusual transition from completed project to abandoned asset to theatrical release.

Given Ketchup’s mixed track record with previous releases like ‘Hypnotic’ and ‘The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie,’ a strong opening weekend for ‘Coyote vs. Acme’ would signify a genuine turnaround for the distributor and serve as a pointed critique of Warner Bros.’ initial decision to bury the film.

With the film set to open on August 28, the coming days will determine if this tracking surge translates into actual ticket sales.

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