Warner Bros. Studios has finally released their long-overdue slapstick comedy, Coyote vs. Acme. The film features a brilliant blend of animation and live-action, starring Will Forte, Lana Condor and John Cena. It was released on August 28, 2026–however, Coyote vs. Acme has been finished for far longer. Over three years ago, officials stated the movie was ready for a theatrical release, but Warner Bros. chose to claim a tax loss of just about $30 million without informing the cast or production crew of their decision.
Still, Coyote vs. Acme has largely been a success, following Wile E. Coyote as he sues the Acme Corporation for repeatedly selling him faulty products. His legal pursuit, though, is a grand ruse to catch the Roadrunner once and for all. Full of heartfelt, silly, and even some poignant moments, the film is an absolute triumph. Despite being a children’s movie, it’s startlingly hilarious.
The film follows various Looney Tunes characters, but centers around Wile E. Coyote and his chase of Roadrunner. The products he uses to attempt to catch the Roadrunner, which are always produced by the Acme Corporation, repeatedly end up blowing up, sending him over cliffs, or causing another cartoonishly absurd injury.
He hires lawyer Kevin Avery (played by Will Forte) to sue Acme. The lawsuit ends up becoming national news–other cartoons come forward with their Acme-related grievances, and a great deal of attention is drawn to the case. Coyote and Kevin end up becoming pretty close friends, with Kevin realizing just how deep the roots of Acme’s anti-cartoon values lie. The movie eventually culminates with the strangely emotional reappearance of the Roadrunner, which had some children in my theatre in tears.
Through the course of the movie, several iconic Looney Tunes characters appear to offer insight into the mysteries surrounding the lawsuit, such as Tweety Bird, Dr. Lorre and Bugs Bunny. However, it doesn’t feel like fanservice for the older Looney Tunes connoisseurs. I found every appearance sweetly nostalgic and amusing.
The coincidental meta element of this movie is hard to ignore. It’s a little strange that a movie that directly addresses the exploitation of minorities by large corporations was swept under the rug by a large corporation in the middle of a merger. As Coyote Vs. Acme was in its final stages of development, Warner Bros. was in the middle of a merger, and laid off up to 26% of employees, most of them international. This was, obviously, pretty disquieting for the remaining employees, and for the movie they were working on to be claimed as a tax write off directly after was particularly upsetting. To me, the release of the film in and of itself is a success, but it also being a wonderful movie is the cherry on top.
The general public reception of Coyote Vs. Acme has been very positive, and I absolutely adored this movie. Whether it was John Cena’s serious and stoic yet silly performance, or the brilliant animation of Wile E. and his gang, I had the time of my life. I rated this movie 4 out of five stars, and would recommend this movie to anyone who has grown up with Looney Tunes or is looking for a fun-filled family watch. It is currently available to stream on Prime Video.
