Shelved John Cena Film May Be Released After All

Reports of the Looney Tunes’ demise may be greatly exaggerated.

The John Cena-starring live-action comedy flick Coyote vs. Acme, previously shelved indefinitely after Warner Bros. Discovery used it as a tax write-off, is now in talks to be sold to Gareth West’s distribution company Ketchup Entertainment and released theatrically.

The same company also purchased the last Looney Tunes movie from WBD, an animated feature entitled The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie that released in theaters this past weekend.

According to Deadline, Ketchup Entertainment is in talks to spend over $50 million for the rights to the film. It’s not a done deal yet, but the movie will release in theaters in 2026 if the negotiation is successful.

In the film, which is a mix of animation and live-action in the vein of Who Framed Roger Rabbit and Looney Tunes: Back in Action, Wile E. Coyote attempts to sue ACME after the company’s products have let him down one too many times in his pursuit of the Roadrunner. The case pits Wile E. Coyote and his lawyer (Will Forte) against the boss of ACME (Cena) in a wacky comedic spin on a legal thriller.

Despite rave reviews in early screenings, WBD opted to use it as a tax write-off, speculating that the movie’s profits would be lower than the production costs and shelved the film for good. Several high profile Hollywood figures, including Forte, have been lambasting WBD for months over the decision. “I can’t tell you possibly why the decision was made to not release it. But it makes my blood boil,” he said, while adding that the situation was “f–king bullsh-t.”

Both The Day the Earth Blew Up and Coyote vs. Acme were intended to be part of the HBO Max lineup before being ultimately shelved. Now, it seems both may make it to the public eye after all.