It had been a little bit of time since Warner Bros. Discovery shelved completed projects and films for tax write-offs. Now it’s back on the radar with the cancellation of the hybrid live-action/animated film Coyote vs. Acme.
According to Deadline, the company takes an estimated $30 million write-down on the $70 million production. The outlet notes this write-down was applied to the recent Q3 reporting. The decision to shelf the Looney Tunes movie is the third completed film to end up unreleased.
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According to The Hollywood Reporter, the film completed principal photography in 2022. Director Dave Green spoke out on X (formerly Twitter), lamenting the sudden end of his film’s production.
“For three years, I was lucky enough to make a movie about Wile E. Coyote, the most persistent, passionate, and resilient character of al time,” he wrote. “I was surrounded by a brilliant team, who poured their souls into this project. … Along the ride, we were embraced by test audiences who rewarded us with fantastic scores.”
“I am beyond proud of the final product, and beyond devastated by WB’s decision. But in the spirit of Wile E. Coyte, resilience and persistence win the day,” Green added to close his statement. He still had another film in the works with the company, producing it under the New Line wing.
Cena was taking on the role of ACME CEO and is already established with Warner due to Peacemaker‘s success. DC Studio co-lead James Gunn was even connected to Coyote vs. Acme as a producer and story work.
“With the re-launch of Warner Bros. Pictures Animation in June, the studio has shifted its global strategy to focus on theatrical releases,” a statement from WB Motion Picture Group read. “With this new direction, we have made the difficult decision not to move forward with Coyote vs Acme. We have tremendous respect for the filmmakers, casts, and crew, and are grateful for their contributions to the film.”
The film was initially given the green light back in December 2020 and would have premiered on HBO Max. The film was originally slated for a release in July 2023 but would be removed in April 2022 and replaced with Barbie.
Warner Bros Discovery made waves in August 2022 after the merger was finalized and CEO David Zaslav took charge. He pushed to find $3 billion in savings across the newly formed conglomerate. This led to decisions like the cancellation of the releases of Batgirl and Scoob! Holiday Haunt. The key similarity between all three cancellations has been the company’s focus on theatrical releases.
