Entertainment
‘Coyote vs. Acme’ Director Interview
The long, winding road of “Coyote vs. Acme,” the latest in a long line of live-action films based on the “Looney Tunes” characters, is about as complex and tangled as the conspiracy Wile E. Coyote and his allies spend the film‘s runtime unpacking. Shot from March to May 2022 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, “Coyote vs. Acme” was shelved by Warner Bros. the following year for the purposes of obtaining a tax write-off, one of many projects — most infamously a “Batgirl” movie — to be canned by David Zaslav’s company before it ever received a real release. Warner Bros. eventually reversed the decision, but still wouldn’t distribute the movie. So, for two years, before Ketchup Entertainment finally acquired it in March 2025, the team behind the film, a charming courtroom comedy mixing live-action with animation, had no idea if their work would ever actually be seen.
“I heard about the news that Ketchup had acquired the movie maybe 24 hours before everyone else found out, and I absolutely could not believe it,” director Dave Green said during a recent interview with IndieWire. “At that point in time, I was kind of finding a place of acceptance that, hey, we made a movie that we’re really proud of and we love, and it’s something that we can own in our hearts, but maybe it’s something people will never see. The day I heard that news, I was in total shock. I remain in total shock.”
“It is a miracle that we are sitting together, getting to talk about the movie today,” he continued. “It was a wild ride, and I would say making any movie is a gargantuan task. You’re pushing a boulder up a hill, and as a director, you are trained to deal with things that you don’t expect all the time. What I saw through this process — the incredible support of everyone online, and friends, and other filmmakers, and people who had seen the film, and people who just wanted to see the film speaking out and wanting to support the movie, it was such an incredible miracle.”
Green, whose other directorial work includes the sci-fi adventure film “Earth to Echo” and 2016’s “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows,” has been attached to “Coyote vs. Acme” since 2019, when he was hired to direct the film when it was in development at Warner Bros. The movie, based on a satirical 1990 New Yorker piece about a lawsuit from the cartoon character Wile E. Coyote suing the Acme Corporation for the many faulty products he employs.
A child of the ’90s, Green grew up watching the Coyote and Roadrunner series of cartoons as well as modern-at-the-time spiritual successors like “Tiny Toon Adventures,” “Animaniacs,” and “Pinky and the Brain.” He loved the classic shorts of animators Chuck Jones and Tex Avery because of their sophistication and lack of sentimentality compared to other animated movies.
“All of them were just so funny to me because they were violent and they were irreverent. They weren’t saccharine: they were sarcastic and subversive and weird,” Green said. “That was always the fabric of what ‘Looney Tunes’ was to me as a kid and in the DNA from the very beginning. And so, in making this movie, we tried to carry that torch the best we could, and and speak as much as we could with that tonality and that voice, and keep it weird and keep it smart and sophisticated and dark and funny.”

The resulting film carries much of the slapstick spirit that has made “Looney Tunes” such an enduring franchise. But like other “Looney Tune” big-screen features such as “Space Jam” and “Back in Action,” it also stretches the set pieces into a proper, full-length story. The result is a daffy (pun intended) parody of conspiracy theory and legal thrillers that sees Wile and his legal team, put upon personal injury attorney Kevin Avery (Will Forte) and his ambitious niece Paige (Lana Condor), attempt to uncover the corruption stewing inside the mega-conglomerate Acme involving the abuse and mistreatment of cartoons.
Similar to the other “Looney Tunes” films, “Coyote vs. Acme” derives much of its humor from combining live-action performances with animated characters in a “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?” fashion. To plan ahead for the mix between the two mediums, Green had a team of storyboard artists map out every scene in a similar manner as to how a Pixar or Disney movie gets made, mapping out all the beats and jokes and where the animated characters would go ahead of the actual live-action shooting. During production, the filmmakers employed David Barclay, a puppeteer who worked on several Jim Henson projects such as “The Dark Crystal” or “Return of the Jedi” and served as the chief puppeteer on “Who Framed Roger Rabbit.” Barclay built a life-size Coyote puppet for the actors to perform with, and Green had the cast shoot most scenes twice: one heavily choreographed to their original plans, and one more spontaneous take with the puppet so that the interactions between animated and human characters could work naturally in the final product.
“The crazy thing is, and I didn’t realize this when I signed on, Wile E. Coyote does not exist,” Green joked.

Unlike “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?,” the final product uses a blend of 2D animation with some 3D animation, handled by the British company DNEG. Green chose to use 3D for certain shots so he could better control elements like lighting, compositing, shadow, and an added grain effect on top of Wile that couldn’t necessarily be controlled with completely traditional 2D animation. With all the moving parts, directing the film sometimes became extraordinarily complicated. The second day of filming saw the team film a gag sequence where Wile attempts to bring an endless supply of gadgets and weapons through a courtroom metal detector, with about 40 to 50 background actors whom Green had to direct to find the eyeline of a completely invisible character. It was the most challenging sequence he had to film, although he also called it his favorite.
Although “Coyote vs. Acme” is a largely lighthearted film filled with physical comedy of that nature, the script by Samy Burch isn’t completely frivolous. Its storyline spins the futile, determined chase of Wile to one day capture Roadrunner as something admirable, and applies that underdog mentality to the average person trying to navigate a late capitalist landscape that values profits over people. It’s a moral that’s resonant with the journey the film itself had to finally find a proper theatrical release. And Green noted that, in the wake of more recent news involving corporate mergers, the film just feels more timely now than it did when it was shot four years ago.
“I think the themes that we were talking about when we were making the movie have only become more relevant since we’ve made the movie,” Green said. “I watched the movie after all of the news broke, and I could not believe the kind of surreal meta whirlpool that the movie had kind of become. It felt like a hall of mirrors, where it almost felt like we had shot the movie after the news had broke. It was surreal, but it’s that we all deal with every single day in our daily lives, which is trying to have voices and autonomy in a very corporate world.”
Ketchup Entertainment will release “Coyote vs. Acme” in theaters August 28.
>
movies
Nicole Kidman On “Spontaneous” Appearance In Troye Sivan Video
Nicole Kidman seems to be popping up onscreen everywhere the past few years, and Troye Sivan‘s latest music video was no exception.
After the Oscar-winning actress made a surprise appearance in the 3x Grammy-nominated artist’s “She’s the Best” music video earlier this month, she recently explained the “spontaneous” decision.
“I love him. I’ve known him for such a long time,” Kidman told Attitude. “He called me up and just said: ‘Will you be in this with me?’ I didn’t even need to read anything, I didn’t need to have any information, I just said: ‘Yeah! I’m in!’ But that’s me! I make very spontaneous decisions!”
Marking the lead single on Sivan’s upcoming fourth studio album of the same name, the video for “She’s the Best” features Kidman on a night out in New York City, where Sivan serenades and dances with her at a bar before slipping into drag.
Kidman’s appearance in her fellow Aussie’s video came after they co-starred in the 2018 Joel Edgerton-helmed adaptation of Garrard Conley’s memoir Boy Erased, recounting the author’s experience as an LGBTQ kid in conversion therapy.
Announced a day before the video dropped, She’s the Best is scheduled for an Oct. 9 album release via Interscope’s EMI Records.
>
movies
‘Attack of the Killer Tomatoes: Organic Intelligence’ Sets Fall VOD Release
EXCLUSIVE: The fifth installment of Attack of the Killer Tomatoes, titled Attack of the Killer Tomatoes: Organic Intelligence, is coming to VOD platforms on Sept 22. This is following a theatrical release that began on Aug. 7 for the David Ferino directed comedy.
The release comes via a strategic distribution partnership between Starboard Entertainment and Stonecutter Media. Additional titles distributed through the collaboration will be announced in the months ahead.
In the latest installment to the series which first launched in 1978, a young biotech prodigy develops a revolutionary genetically engineered vegetable intended to solve humanity’s greatest problems. When the experiment spirals out of control, it unleashes a new generation of killer tomatoes and sets the stage for another wildly unpredictable chapter in the cult saga. The production was shot in Southern California and stars John Astin (The Addams Family), reprising his role as Professor Gangreen, David Koechner (Anchorman), Academy Award nominee Eric Roberts (The Dark Knight), Catherine Corcoran (Terrifier), Dan Bakkedahl (Veep), Myrna Velasco (Star Wars Resistance) Vernée Watson (Shrinking, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air), Paul Bates (Coming to America), Zachary Roozen (Romeo and Juliet Killers), Samantha Bailey (Just Add Magic) and Noor Razooky (The Old Man).
“Stonecutter Media is in the business of distributing and promoting edgy, over-the-top films, and Attack of the Killer Tomatoes: Organic Intelligence fits right in our wheelhouse,” said Steven Karel, Owner and President of Stonecutter Media.
“These types of films have proven time and time again to have a sales edge that you don’t get with softer movies,” he added.
“Steve and I have known each other for years, and we always believed we would eventually find the right project to work on together,” said Starboard found Thomas Zambeck.
“Attack of the Killer Tomatoes: Organic Intelligence is exactly that project. It has a worldwide fan base, an unmistakable identity and the kind of bold creative vision that cuts through a crowded market. Stonecutter understands how to reach the audience for a film like this, and this partnership gives us an opportunity to build something that extends well beyond a single release,” Zambeck added.
Stonecutter delivers film, sports and entertainment content across broadcast, cable, pay-per-view and major VOD and OTT platforms, developing release strategies designed to connect distinctive programming with its core audience. Stonecutter Media has distributed such movies as Red Wing, featuring Glen Powell in his first leading film role alongside Bill Paxton and Luke Perry.
Attack of the Killer Tomatoes: Organic Intelligence produced in association with Atomic Toybox Entertainment. The film continues the creation of original Attack of the Killer Tomatoes filmmakers Costa Dillon and Steve Peace.
Editor’s note: David Ferino is a former head of video production at Deadline Hollywood
>
movies
Coyote vs. Acme: Will Forte Celebrates Film’s Long-Awaited Release
The time has finally come: Coyote vs. Acme is now playing in theaters.
To celebrate the film’s official release day, director Dave Green shared a thank-you letter on social media, writing in part, “COYOTE VS. ACME IS FINALLY, GLORIOUSLY, IN THEATERS NOW. Which means one thing. WE WON. You can go see this movie. In a theater. In your favorite seat. With your favorite snacks. With your favorite people. You can head into a dark room and laugh with strangers. Together. Congratulations to everyone who made this happen.”
Coyote vs. Acme, a hybrid live-action and animated movie set in the Looney Tunes universe, follows Wile E. Coyote as he sues the Acme Corporation after its products repeatedly fail him in his pursuit of the Road Runner. The film stars Will Forte, John Cena, Lana Condor, Eric Bauza and Martha Kelly.
The film’s journey to theaters has been anything but typical. The Hollywood Reporter exclusively reported in November 2023 that Warner Bros. had shelved Coyote vs. Acme after the movie was completed. The project had been in development at the studio for years and was originally intended as an HBO Max streaming original before Warner Bros. ultimately decided not to release it.
At the time, Warner Bros. said the decision came as the studio shifted its global strategy to focus on theatrical releases following the relaunch of Warner Bros. Pictures Animation. However, reports indicated that the studio planned to take an estimated $30 million tax write-down by shelving the approximately $70 million movie.
The decision sparked widespread backlash from fans, filmmakers and the film’s stars, who continued to publicly advocate for the movie’s release.
In March 2025, Ketchup Entertainment acquired the worldwide distribution rights to Coyote vs. Acme from Warner Bros., giving the film a path to a theatrical release. The deal was reportedly valued at around $50 million.
Green went on to explain why the film’s theatrical release is a “victory.”
“It’s a record of the cast and crew, post, prep and animation teams who poured so much love and passion into it over years and years,” he wrote. “It’s shared, permanently, with the audience who fought so hard for its survival. Your fight is the reason this film finally made it to the big screen. Thank you @ketchupentertainment for hearing the audience. We’re so grateful that you did.”
“This is a celebration, it’s proof that movies don’t just go away. We make work so it can be seen and shared — that’s the whole reason we do what we do. Persistence and resilience have truly won the day. Enjoy Coyote vs. Acme on the big screen. Where it was always meant to be seen!” Green concluded his letter.
Forte took to X on Friday to reply to Green’s letter, writing, “Beautifully put, Dave.” He also shared a video thanking people for their efforts to push for the movie’s release and explaining how its messages correlate with the film’s journey.
“It’s about hope and determination. It’s about fighting injustice, and it’s about the importance of friendship and the importance of community. And that last one really strikes a chord because we went through some weird times with this movie, and it is only because of the support of the community that we’re here today, seeing this movie,” Forte said. “You guys lifted us up on your shoulders and just fought and fought for this movie. Most of you, without even having seen it. So I am forever thankful, and just want you to know that I’m so excited for you to see this because I think you’re going to see that it was worth the fight.”
In THR‘s profile of Green, published earlier this month, DC Studios co-head James Gunn, who produced the feature and worked on the story, also reflected on Coyote vs. Acme‘s journey.
“Dave was a great guy throughout the ups and downs. He was never overly bitter and negative, although a little bit of bitterness and negativity was understandable in the given circumstances,” he said. “However, I think you see, when people show true character in the face of adversity, the world rises up to meet them. And in this case, it did — Coyote vs. Acme being saved is because of Dave’s character and because he made a great movie too powerful to be buried. And gosh, perseverance is kind of what Wile E. and the movie are all about.”
>
-
movies3 months agoSearch For Canadian TV Actor Stewart McLean Now Homicide Investigation
-
Fashion9 years agoThese ’90s fashion trends are making a comeback in 2017
-
Fashion9 years agoAccording to Dior Couture, this taboo fashion accessory is back
-
Fashion9 years agoModel Jocelyn Chew’s Instagram is the best vacation you’ve ever had
-
Fashion9 years agoEmily Ratajkowski channels back-to-school style
-
Fashion9 years ago9 Celebrities who have spoken out about being photoshopped
-
Fashion9 years agoYour comprehensive guide to this fall’s biggest trends
-
Anime3 months agoRurouni Kenshin: Hokkaido Arc Manga Takes 1-Issue Break – News



