The Movie That Hollywood Tried To Kill Releases In Theaters This Week

Published Aug 25, 2026, 11:30 AM EDT

Dalton is a freelance writer, novelist, and filmmaker from Orlando Florida. He currently lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, and pursues writing full-time. He is an avid reader, film buff, and amateur historian who also publishes novels on the side. Dalton graduated from the University of Central Florida with a BFA in Film and he often applies his industry-specific knowledge when writing about film and television. Along with his blog, Dalton's critical essays on film have been published in various places online. 

The movie that Hollywood tried its best to kill is finally getting a theatrical release this week, but will the troubled flick actually succeed? The history of cinema is littered with examples of movie projects that never quite worked out. Sometimes, they get caught in development hell and never get past the planning stage. Other times, they get canceled further along in the process.

Though it's pretty rare, some movies get scrapped despite being completed or nearly completed at the time the plug is pulled. One infamous example is Jerry Lewis' controversial drama, The Day the Clown Cried, which never saw the light of day due to a myriad of legal issues that prevented its release. In recent years though, a more worrying trend has emerged.

Many canceled movies from the past were vanity projects or existed largely outside the sphere of Hollywood's moviemaking machine. However, studios have begun dumping big-budget projects seemingly out of nowhere, and without much explanation. Warner Bros. garnered a lot of controversy back in 2022 when it announced it would not be releasing its Batgirl movie after spending nearly $100 million to make the film.

Scrapping a misguided WWII drama is one thing, but abandoning a superhero flick from one of the big two publishers is unheard of. Batgirl wasn't the only Warner Bros. movie that got the boot around that time, and one other high-profile release was completely shelved for years. With that movie finally coming to theaters soon, it's a glimmer of hope for other scrapped projects.

Coyote Vs. Acme Releases This Week: Why It Was Originally Scrapped

Though it was filmed all the way back in 2022, Coyote vs. Acme is coming to theaters this week. The reason for the four-year gap is that Warner Bros. pulled the plug on the project after principal photography, a move that garnered a lot of controversy at the time. The studio was pretty up front with why they wanted to scrap the project, and announced they would rather claim a tax loss than sink more money into the movie.

The response to the film's original cancellation is indicative of both the popularity of the Looney Tunes franchise, and also the importance of movies as an art form. Streaming has completely changed the way movies are consumed, and many creators and audience members alike feel they have less control than ever before. Some believe that studios like Warner Bros. are devaluing film as a medium by simply throwing them in the trash and writing them off.

Like the aforementioned Batgirl film (and the lesser-known Scoob! Holiday Haunt), Coyote vs. Acme was produced at a time of great upheaval within the company. Warner Bros. Discovery was shifting its focus, and made no qualms about axing various projects at different stages of development. They did eventually open the unfinished film to prospective buyers, but no one was willing to pay the $80 million that Warner Bros. was asking.

Coyote vs. Acme did finally land a distributor in March 2025, with Ketchup Entertainment once again swooping in to save a troubled Looney Tunes movie. Ketchup Entertainment had previously bought the rights to The Day the Earth Blew Up, the first feature-length animated Looney Tunes film to release in theaters. Attendees at San Diego Comic-Con got to see the completed film for the first time in July.

Coyote Vs. Acme Has Already Proved It Deserves Its Release

Though the dust hasn't quite settled yet, Coyote vs. Acme has already proved itself to be a project worthy of release. While some insiders involved with the production of Batgirl said the film was not releasable, there were no such negative discussions about Coyote vs. Acme. Everyone involved had only glowing things to say about the project over the years. Initial critical reactions seem to be proving them right.

The movie currently sits at 96% on Rotten Tomatoes, and even holds a 77 on the generally tougher site, Metacritic. There has been consistent praise for the movie's humor, and specifically its faithful tribute to the legacy of the characters and their classic franchise. While some of the best reviews might be guilty of a bit of hyperbole, there's no denying that people who see the film tend to like it.

Screen Rant's review might be a bit closer to the truth, but there is still plenty of positive praise to go around. While only giving the film six out of 10 stars, Alex Harrison points out the clear love and care that has gone into making Coyote vs. Acme the best movie it can be. It's also important to note that the review acknowledges that the troubled movie is under so much more pressure than the average theatrical release.

Will Coyote Vs. Acme Now Be A Box Office Success?

The long and winding road that led the film to its theatrical release isn't quite over yet, and it still remains to be seen if Coyote vs. Acme will be a hit. It would be easy to say that the film's free publicity will have audiences lining up around the block to see it in theaters, but that's actually pretty doubtful. As evidenced by Ketchup Entertainment's release of The Day the Earth Blew Up, the smaller distributor doesn't have the same resources as others.

Coyote vs. Acme has been getting a much bigger media blitz than the aforementioned cartoon film, but major Hollywood promotional pushes are quite costly. In the end, the movie appeals to a relatively niche audience compared to other films in theaters in late summer. Thankfully, this weekend isn't necessarily jam-packed with must-see openings and that could work in Coyote vs. Acme's favor.

To succinctly answer whether Coyote vs. Acme will be a hit, the safe guess is probably not. Box offices in the 2020s are notoriously fickle, and even sure-fire successes aren't working like they used to. The movie probably won't bomb, but it's unclear exactly how much money it will need to make to help Ketchup Entertainment recoup their losses. If major studios like Disney can struggle to grab audiences by the wallet, underdog movies like Coyote vs. Acme hardly stand a fighting chance.

Sources: Deadline, Metacritic, Rotten Tomatoes