Coyote vs. ACME‘s screenwriter reveals something that will surprise Looney Tunes fans. The upcoming movie is a blend of live-action and animation but takes a new approach to its classic tone.
Why Coyote vs. ACME may not be the Looney Tunes movie fans imagined
In an interview with Empire for its August 2026 issue, the screenwriter Samy Burch spoke about Coyote vs. ACME and how they wanted to “treat the premise very seriously as if it were a straightforward legal thriller.” Since Looney Tunes is known for being comedic, fans would not expect the words “serious” or “legal thriller” to be associated with the franchise (via SYFY Wire).
She also added, “We wanted it to be very character-focused and for there to be moments where you get so caught up in the emotion of it, then remember: ‘This is a film about a cartoon coyote suing a company whose products keep blowing him up.'”
The movie is helmed by Dave Green, known for Earth to Echo and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows. Initially, the movie was shelved by Warner Bros., but was picked up by Ketchup Entertainment in 2025.
There was also a “funeral screening” for the cast and crew before the movie was shelved. In the Empire interview, Green recalled, “It was so ironic, I almost couldn’t believe it. Rewatching the movie at the funeral screening, it almost felt like we had written it knowing this would happen. The meta whirlpool I felt experiencing this film…was absolutely crazy. Coyote vs. ACME is a movie about what it means to be an underdog in a corporate world. And here we are,” which adds to the movie’s stance with a serious tone.
Burch wrote the screenplay from a story by her, James Gunn, and Jeremy Slater. The synopsis reads, “After enduring years of catastrophic product failures at the hands of ACME, Inc., a tenacious, unemployed coyote uncovers a corporate cover-up and spearheads an unhinged battle against the multinational conglomerate that’s been blowing him up in the name of profit. Also, there’s a roadrunner. And dynamite.”
The movie stars Will Forte, Lana Condor, Tone Bell, John Cena, P.J. Byrne, and Nancy Linehan Charles. Gunn and Christopher DeFaria are the producers of the movie, while Allison Abbate, Jesse Ehrman, Carsten H.W. Lorenz, and Carlton Lorenz serve as executive producers.
Coyote vs ACME will hit theaters in the United States on August 28, 2026.
