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Warner Bros. Discovery made headlines days ago, when it was reported that the studio had opted to scrap another film after Batgirl and Scoob! Holiday Haunt. The movie in question was the Looney Tunes spinoff Coyote vs. Acme, which notably starred John Cena. When news of the flick’s apparent demise hit social media, many expressed their displeasure over the studio’s decision. However, there now seems to be hope for Cena’s CvA, as Warner is reportedly allowing the creative team to shop it around at other places. On the heels of that development, James Gunn (who’s one of the bigwigs at WBD) seemed to put his support behind the project.
James Gunn is incredibly active on social media and doesn’t mind sharing his two cents on the latest happenings in the entertainment industry. That continued to ring true when he took to his Instagram to drop what appeared to be a response to the news that the Looney Tunes movie wouldn’t be shelved. The Suicide Squad filmmaker didn’t actually release a worded statement, yet he did share a classic still of Wile E. Coyote and included a heart emoji in the caption. Take a look at the post:
It looks like the writer/director, like so many others, is pleased with the fact that there’s a chance this production will get to see the light of day. As a fan of these beloved characters myself, I’d be lying if I said I don’t share the sentiment. Some may be surprised that the filmmaker opted to issue some kind of response, given his position within Warner Bros. Discovery. But hey, there’s no conflict of interest here. All we have here is a fan who’s happy about a piece of news.
A hybrid live-action/animated production, it was first reported in 2018 that Wile E. Coyote was getting a movie and, by 2019, Dave Green had been tapped to direct. Inspired by the New Yorker article of the same name, the film centers on Wile E., who opts to sue the Acme corporation after years of unsuccessfully using its products. The movie stars Will Forte as the resilient character’s attorney, with John Cena playing the head of the titular company. Lana Condor is also in the Looney Tunes movie, playing an undisclosed role. Originally, set to be released on July 21 as part of the schedule of 2023 new movie releases, though it was later moved, with its slot taken by Barbie.
Fans and cinema pundits alike were very vocal when learning that the movie was to be locked in the WB vault. With that move, the studio would’ve been able to use the project as a $30 million tax write-down. Many seemed to take issue with that aspect of the situation as well as the fact that the flick is linked to one of the company’s biggest IPs. (To that point, a lot of Looney content is currently available for Max subscribers.)
Amid the debate, many members of CvA’s team spoke out, including Dave Green, who expressed his gratitude to his colleagues. Composer Steven Price responded by sharing a portion of the “Meep Meep” song that appears on the soundtrack. And in addition to those associated with the movie, writer Gary Whitta spoke out, admitting that he couldn’t understand WB’s decision.
It seems now, though, that the voices of the masses have been heard and possibly factored into Coyote vs. Acme getting a second berth. As of this writing, there’s been no indication as to who might scoop it up. But in the meantime, it appears that there’s an army of fans rooting for it to succeed, and it’s sweet that James Gunn is one of them.