Warner Bros. Changes Course, Will Allow Coyote Vs. Acme To Be Shopped To Other Distributors
Last week, Warner Bros. made headlines and raised eyebrows when they revealed they would not be releasing their completed live-action/animation hybrid movie "Coyote vs. Acme." The news came with the following statement:
"With the re-launch of Warner Bros. Pictures Animation in June, the studio has shifted its global strategy to focus on theatrical releases. 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."
Needless to say, this did not go over well. Folks involved with the film and everyday individuals just eager to see the flick took to social media to unleash outrage on Warner Bros. and its CEO David Zaslav. Zaslav has become a lightning rod for anti-art controversy, as it really seems like he's a movie studio exec who just does not like movies. Like WB movies "Batgirl" and "Scoob 2," both of which were shelved, the plan was for WB to lock "Coyote vs. Acme" away in a vault for a tax write-off.
But now things have changed!
Changing course
Puck News is reporting that after the very heavy backlash against their decision, Warner Bros. will now allow the filmmakers to shop "Coyote vs. Acme" to another distributor. A source said, "the decision was made this weekend by Warner's film chiefs Mike De Luca and Pam Andy, along with new animation head Bill Damaschke." This decision arose after intense online outcry from both filmmakers and fans. People who worked on the film were obviously not happy, and while Warners agreed to pay the film's "top talent" their streaming bonuses, everyone involved preferred to have the film actually released somewhere instead of sitting in a vault.
Now we'll (eventually) get to see the film for ourselves! It's worth noting that several folks involved with the film took to the internet to declare that it received great scores from test audiences. However, Puck News states that the film "actually didn't test that well" and that Damaschke, "who is formulating his own strategy for the Looney Tunes," was worried about "brand damage" should "Coyote vs. Acme" underperform at the box office. But now, by selling the film off to another distributor, Warner Bros. will seemingly not have to worry about any of those things. Although you have to wonder how it will look to have a Looney Tunes property being distributed by someone other than Warners.
While it would've been best if Warner Bros. had just released the dang movie like they were supposed to, this is the next best option. It also confirms that the folks running the show over at WB aren't completely oblivious and unreceptive to backlash. "Coyote vs. Acme" was helmed by Dave Green and stars John Cena, Will Forte, and Lana Condor. It will hopefully find a home soon.