Warner buries completed “Looney Tunes” film and immediately digs it back up after protest
Darui Sven
November 13, 2023 11:40 pm
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3 min read
Apparently, the studio wanted to use the comedy featuring John Cena as a tax write-off. However, director Dave Green was not at all on board with this idea.
Warner Bros. Discovery has done it again; or rather, the studio wanted to do it again and dump a film production as a tax write-off. Just like what happened last year with the DC production “Batgirl” and the animated film “Scoop! Holiday Haunt” (via The Hollywood Reporter). This time, the relatively inexpensive $72 million film “Coyote vs. Acme” was supposed to be sacrificed, a “Looney Tunes” film about the eternal feud between Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner. All this just to write off a mere $30 million.
The difference with “Coyote vs. Acme” compared to “Batgirl” is that this hybrid film with live-action and animations has already been completely filmed and has gone through post-production. There are even reports of test screenings where the film was very well-received by the audience. A significant part of this success is attributed to the well-cast ensemble including John Cena, Lana Condor, Will Forte, P.J. Byrne, and Nancy Linehan Charles.
The shock over this decision hit Hollywood’s creative minds particularly hard, as Warner had communicated the tax write-off as a one-time thing last year with “Batgirl” and “Scoop! Holiday Haunt.” The attempt to apparently sneakily repeat this disrespectful action towards the film team enraged filmmakers in Hollywood who had already seen the film. One of them is BenDavid Grabinski, showrunner of the upcoming Netflix animated series “Scott Filgrim Takes Off”:
COYOTE V ACME is a great movie. The best of its kind since ROGER RABBIT. It's commercial. It tested well. The leads are super likable. It's beautifully shot. The animation is great. The ending makes everyone fucking cry. I thought the goal of this business was to make hit movies?
— BenDavid Grabinski (@bdgrabinski) November 9, 2023
Can’t get my head around this. By all accounts COYOTE VS ACME is terrific. It’s based on one of WB’s crown jewel properties. Fantastic premise. John Cena. Co-written/produced by James Gunn. There’s been nothing like it since WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT? And they just… threw it away. https://t.co/FLyJxS5HpS
— Gary Whitta (inactive) (@garywhitta) November 10, 2023
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That’s right, the film by director Dave Green (“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows”) was written by James Gunn, along with Jeremy Slater (“Moon Knight”) and Samy Burch (“The Hunger Games”). Gunn is the CEO and Co-Chairman of DC Studios, holding a high and responsible position within Warner. Nevertheless, the studio discarded the film. Let’s have an animated film in response! We have tips in the video for you.
“Coyote vs. Acme”: Filmmakers save the comedy from being shelved While the film teams for “Batgirl” and “Scoop! Haunted Holiday” might have had their hands tied due to the uniqueness of this endeavor and could have simply been too shocked, this time Hollywood filmmakers are said to have mobilized and protested against this decision. They reportedly canceled meetings with Warner executives in protest. Their rebellion paid off: Warner has reversed the decision and instead offers director Green the opportunity to sell “Coyote vs. Acme” to another studio or streaming service.
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So, it remains to be seen who will step in. In essence, this situation seems ripe for a streaming premiere on Netflix or Amazon Prime Video.
If you watched not only “Looney Tunes” in the 80s and 90s, you shouldn’t have any problems with this animated quiz.
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