‘Coyote vs. Acme’ Is Back: Release Date Set with New Poster and New Look Images

Coyote vs. Acme is officially back from the dead, and it’s heading to theaters around the world on August 28, 2026. The announcement came during a lively panel at San Diego Comic-Con, where cast and crew celebrated the movie’s surprising return.

The hybrid live-action and animation film, originally made by Warner Bros., was shelved in 2023 as part of a tax write-off move. It seemed like the movie would never see the light of day. But that changed when Ketchup Entertainment stepped in and bought the worldwide rights for around $50 million.

The company had also rescued another abandoned Looney Tunes film, The Day the Earth Blew Up, which ended up making over $15 million worldwide.

Paul Scheer, who hosted the Comic-Con panel, poked fun at the movie’s rocky journey. “This movie wasn’t supposed to come out,” he said. “I heard Warner Bros wouldn’t release the film — I’ve never heard of Warner Bros! This is really an Acme decision and I’m saying that for legal purposes.”

He also gave props to the new distributor, saying, “Ketchup is single-handedly saving the Looney Tunes. Mr. Ketchup, we salute you.”

Will Forte, who stars as an injury lawyer helping Wile E. Coyote sue the Acme Corporation, thanked the fans for not giving up. He said their support played a big role in bringing the movie back.

The panel had its share of wild moments too. Actor P.J. Byrne stormed the stage in character as Acme’s legal rep Bill Pellicano, yelling about cease and desist orders. He jokingly called Forte “Fart-e” as the crowd laughed and booed.

Eric Bauza, who voices Bugs Bunny, joined the fun, saying in character that the movie was made “without the use of A.I. and basketball players,” which got a big laugh, a clear jab at Space Jam.

Two clips from the film were shown to the audience. One showed Coyote sadly flipping through his long list of failed attempts to catch the Road Runner, all thanks to Acme products. The scene was set to Johnny Cash’s song “Hurt.” The second clip showed a courtroom scene where Forte’s character demonstrates a defective rocket skate in front of the judge, who ends up literally catching fire—played by Luis Guzmán.

Director Dave Green said he first got the job in late 2019 and worked closely with Oscar-nominated writer Samy Burch to shape the story. The movie is based on a 1990 humor article from The New Yorker called Coyote v. Acme, written by Ian Frazier. It blends the classic Looney Tunes characters with a legal comedy twist.

The cast includes Forte, John Cena, Lana Condor, Martha Kelly, Tone Bell, and Byrne, with Bauza voicing Bugs. Cena plays a slick lawyer named Buddy Crane who defends Acme in court.

At one point during the panel, a fan asked Forte how it felt to join legendary fictional lawyers like Jack McCoy and Atticus Finch. He laughed and replied, “It’s nice to look down from the perch at their performances.”

The trailer was also shown in Hall H, but not before Byrne returned to stall things again, saying, “We took the projector out!” in character.

Coyote vs. Acme went through years of development. Green directed the film based on a story by Burch, James Gunn, and Jeremy Slater. Filming took place in New Mexico from March to May 2022.

Though it once looked like this movie would be locked away forever, Coyote vs. Acme is now set for release, and fans will finally get to see Wile E. Coyote have his day in court.

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