Dave Green’s Coyote vs. ACME has had an incredibly long and tumultuous road to a theatrical release. Filming took place in March 2022 in New Mexico. However, in November 2023, with the film nearly finished, Warner Bros. decided to shelve the film and turn it into a tax write-off. This decision not only outraged the filmmakers behind the film but also the general public. Many assumed that the film would never see the light of day, as many potential distributors failed to meet WB’s hefty asking price for the film. But in March 2025, it was announced that the film had secured distribution from Ketchup Entertainment and would get a theatrical release during the summer of 2026. Now that Coyote vs. ACME has been released, I am so glad that it is finally being seen by the public.
After ACME products fail him one too many times in his dogged pursuit of the Roadrunner, Wile E. Coyote decides to hire a billboard lawyer to sue the ACME Corporation for negligence.
Coyote vs. ACME is both a nostalgic love letter to and a reinvention of Looney Tunes. The film understands exactly why these characters have remained beloved for generations as the cartoon was the perfect blend of cartoon slapstick, physical comedy, and iconic character standoffs. At the heart of Looney Tunes has always been a story about being an underdog. We watch the hungry Wile E. Coyote relentlessly pursue the Road Runner for his next meal, Sylvester scheme to capture Tweety Bird, and Elmer Fudd desperately attempt to outsmart Bugs Bunny. No matter the situation, the outcome is almost always the same: the underdog triumphs while the would-be victor is left utterly destroyed, whether by an explosion, a spectacular fall, or, inevitably, a one-ton anvil.
Coyote vs. ACME is filled to the brim with this signature brand of humor. Its commitment to the exaggerated physical comedy, escalating disasters, and beautifully cartoonish destruction of the original shorts makes the film feel instantly familiar while still giving the material a fresh spin. For longtime fans, it captures much of what made the original cartoons so enduring while reintroducing that classic comedic style to a new generation.
However, Coyote vs. ACME takes this classic standoff and turns it on its head. This time, the Coyote is the underdog as he takes on ACME, a giant corporation with seemingly unlimited money, power, and control. The Coyote has no job, no possessions, and not even a home, yet that does not stop him from taking on the corporate giant responsible for the countless products that have left him battered, bruised, and nearly destroyed.
But ACME is not his only problem. To take on a corporation this powerful, the Coyote needs a lawyer with the audacity and courage to fight back. Unfortunately, the lawyer he hires, Kevin Avery (Will Forte, The LEGO Movie), is more interested in settling before the case reaches court than taking on the system itself. As ACME continues to sabotage their case and attempts to force them into submission, Kevin is eventually pushed to abandon his cautious approach. He finds the courage to stand up to ACME and, alongside the Coyote, take the corporation head-on.
Coyote vs. ACME takes the classic Looney Tunes standoff premise and gives it a modern twist. Instead of the familiar predator-versus-prey dynamic, the film transforms it into an ordinary man taking on a powerful corporation. It turns this David-and-Goliath story into a vehicle for all the classic slapstick and physical comedy that made Looney Tunes so beloved in the first place. The film strikes a satisfying balance between honoring what came before and reinventing the material for a modern audience. Throughout, the screen is filled with the sheer, chaotic absurdity of Looney Tunes, and when the jokes land, they are genuinely hilarious. Sure, the film is far from perfect as only about half of the jokes actually land, but there is something undeniably satisfying about finally seeing this film get a chance at life.
And if you spent years complaining about Warner Bros. canceling Coyote vs. ACME, then you better show up to theaters this weekend and support it. Because if you don’t, you’re only proving Warner Bros. right.
My Rating: B
Coyote vs. ACME is coming to theaters August 28th.
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