Coyote vs. Acme Is Finally Here — And With a 96% RT Score, Hollywood's Most Scrapped Movie Just Proved Everyone Wrong

The Movie That Warner Bros. Tried to Kill Is Now One of 2026's Best-Reviewed Films

Here's a wild one for you: a movie that was literally thrown in the trash by its own studio is now sitting at a 96% Rotten Tomatoes score with 104 reviews counted. Coyote vs. Acme hits theaters this August 28, 2026, and honestly? It might be the most satisfying underdog story Hollywood has seen in years.

Directed by Dave Green and starring Will Forte, Lana Condor, and John Cena, this live-action/animation hybrid brings Wile E. Coyote to the big screen in a way nobody expected. The premise? Wile E. finally takes the Acme Corporation to court for all those defective products that ruined his life. Think My Cousin Vinny meets the Looney Tunes — and yes, it works way better than it sounds.

How Warner Bros. Scrapped a Finished Movie (And How It Came Back)

The backstory here is genuinely insane. Coyote vs. Acme was filmed back in 2022, but Warner Bros. Discovery decided to pull the plug on the project after principal photography wrapped. The studio openly admitted they'd rather claim a tax loss than release the film — the same fate that befell the Batgirl movie and Scoob! Holiday Haunt during that same chaotic period under CEO David Zaslav.

Warner Bros. tried to shop the completed film to other buyers for $80 million, but nobody bit. It wasn't until March 2025 that Ketchup Entertainment — the same company that rescued The Day the Earth Blew Up, the first theatrical Looney Tunes feature — swooped in and saved the day. The film finally got its first public screening at San Diego Comic-Con in July 2026, and the response was electric.

Based on Ian Frazier's iconic 1990 New Yorker humor piece, the film also features Eric Bauza voicing the beloved cartoon coyote, alongside Luis Guzmán, Tone Bell, and Jeff Bergman. It's a love letter to classic Looney Tunes slapstick wrapped in a surprisingly heartfelt legal comedy.

Why This Matters Beyond the Box Office

The success of Coyote vs. Acme isn't just about one movie — it's a statement. When Warner Bros. scrapped Batgirl and Coyote vs. Acme in 2022, it sent shockwaves through the industry. Creators and audiences felt powerless as studios started treating finished films like write-off material. Now, with a 96% RT score and genuine buzz, this movie proves that sometimes the projects studios abandon are the ones audiences actually want.

If you're a millennial who grew up watching Wile E. Coyote chase the Road Runner into oblivion, this is the movie you've been waiting for. It's funny, it's smart, and it's got something to say about how Hollywood treats its own art. Coyote vs. Acme opens in theaters on August 28 — and after everything this film has been through, you really should go see it.