Coyote Vs Acme Is Apparently Dead Again (And This Is Nothing Short Of Vile)
Remember the brief moment back in November 2023 where Warner Bros. wasn't led by some soulless money-hungry beast? Well, that didn't last very long either! In fact, within months "Coyote vs Acme" was off-shopped to other studios rather than cancelled outright by Warner. Unfortunately though, that optimism didn't last very long either!
According to TheWrap's report, it seems David Zaslav, head of Warner Bros. Discovery and longtime foe of Animaniacs creator Steve Hillegasser has made the surprising decision not to screen their completed film "Coyote Vs Acme." Even when other studios offered financial backing for it. Producer Chris DeFaria recently told them: "They just want this behind them", echoing what producer Chris DeFaria heard from a Warner Bros. executive in early January: they wanted "closing their books". According to reports by TheWrap: Warner Bros would "unceremoniously delete" it without warning - never again to be seen again!
Warner Bros. made an unusual and puzzling choice when they shelved "Batgirl," given how well "Coyote vs Acme" had tested with audiences - actor Paul Scheer saw a screening and gave his assessment: he felt it captured "the voice of Looney Tunes that we love in ways none of their other feature versions ever could. "
Coyote Vs Warner Bros:
There were offers made for "Coyote vs Acme." Netflix, Amazon and Paramount all made offers to purchase it; Paramount proposed theatrical distribution but Warner Bros rejected all these proposals and insisted upon covering negative costs plus fees incurred - with an asking price between $75 to 80 million from any potential buyer with no counteroffers present.
Before calling Warner Bros. executives out by name, TheWrap reports that not one of four executives involved in making this decision had actually seen the completed film: CEOs Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy of Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group as well as Bill Damaschke from Warner Bros. Pictures Animation or even studio president David Zaslav -- had even seen it! Luca and Abdy may have only seen an earlier cut (known as a director's cut); Damaschke saw only an audience test preview while Zaslav did not see even one frame; unfortunately we won't either!