Coyote vs. Acme
Coyote vs. Acme is an upcoming American comedy film directed by Dave Green, from a screenplay written by Samy Burch, and a story by James Gunn (who also serves as a producer), Jeremy Slater, and Burch.[3] Combining live-action and animation, the film is based on the character Wile E. Coyote and the ACME Corporation from the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of cartoons, and the 1990 magazine article of the same name originally published in The New Yorker by Ian Frazier. Produced by Warner Animation Group, the film stars John Cena, Will Forte and Lana Condor.
| Coyote vs. Acme | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Dave Green |
| Screenplay by | Samy Burch |
| Story by |
|
| Based on | Coyote v. Acme by Ian Frazier[1] |
| Produced by |
|
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Brandon Trost |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Warner Bros. Pictures |
Release date |
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| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Coyote vs. Acme is scheduled to be released in the United States in 2023, by Warner Bros. Pictures.
Premise
After every ACME Corporation product backfired on Wile E. Coyote, in his pursuit of the Road Runner, he hires an equally-unlucky human attorney to sue the company. When Wile E.'s lawyer finds out that his former law firm's intimidating boss is ACME's CEO, he teams up with Wile E. to win the court case against him.[4]
Cast
- Will Forte as Wile E. Coyote's attorney
- John Cena as the ACME Corporation's CEO that Wile E. Coyote files a case against
- Lana Condor
Production
Development
In August 2018, Warner Bros. announced the development of a Wile E. Coyote project, titled Coyote vs. Acme, with The Lego Batman Movie director Chris McKay as producer and Jon and Josh Silberman writing the screenplay.[5] In mid-December 2019, Dave Green signed on to direct the live-action animated hybrid film, while Jon and Josh Silberman were replaced as screenwriters, though they remained as producers.[6] In December 2020, McKay left the project, while Jon and Josh Silberman left their producing roles and returned to screenwriting duties alongside Samy Burch, Jeremy Slater, and James Gunn.[2] Along with the departure of McKay, it was reported that the film would draw inspiration from the fictional New Yorker article of the same name by Ian Frazier.[2] Ultimately, Burch received screenplay credit, with Burch, Slater and Gunn having "story by" billing.[3]
Casting
In February 2022, John Cena was cast as the film's main antagonist, described as the lawyer in defense of ACME and the former boss to Wile E.'s lawyer; he previously collaborated with Gunn on the DC Extended Universe projects The Suicide Squad (2021) and Peacemaker (2022).[7] The following month, Will Forte and Lana Condor would be added to the cast, with Forte starring as Coyote's lawyer.[8]
Filming
Principal photography commenced on April 1, 2022, with cinematographer Brandon Trost.[9] Filming took place in Albuquerque, New Mexico,[10] as it is an iconic setting referenced in numerous Looney Tunes cartoons.[11] Filming wrapped on May 28, 2022.[12]
Visual effects and animation
Visual effects and animation services were provided by DNEG.[13]
Release
Coyote vs. Acme was originally scheduled to be theatrically released in the United States on July 21, 2023, by Warner Bros. Pictures.[2] On April 26, 2022, it was taken off the release schedule with Barbie taking over its original release date.[14] However, the film was quoted to still release on an undisclosed date in 2023.[15]
References
- ^ "Coyote v. Acme By Ian Frazier". The New Yorker. February 19, 1990.
- ^ a b c d Rubin, Rebecca (December 23, 2020). "Warner Bros. to Release 'Mad Max: Fury Road' Prequel and 'The Color Purple' Musical in Theaters in 2023". Variety. Penske Media Corporation. from the original on December 24, 2020. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
- ^ a b "Coyote vs. Acme". Writers Guild of America West. March 21, 2023. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
- ^ Kit, Borys (March 9, 2022). "Will Forte Joins John Cena in Coyote vs. Acme for Warner Bros". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (August 28, 2018). "Warner Bros' Wile E. Coyote Movie Finds Its Scribes In The Silberman Brothers". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 12, 2022.
- ^ Donnelly, Matt (December 17, 2019). "Warner Bros.' Wile E. Coyote Movie Sets Dave Green to Direct (Exclusive)". Variety. Penske Media Corporation. from the original on December 17, 2019. Retrieved December 18, 2019.
- ^ Kit, Borys (February 16, 2022). "John Cena to Star in 'Coyote vs. Acme' for Warner Bros". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 16, 2022.
- ^ Kroll, Justin (March 9, 2022). "Will Forte And Lana Condor To Co-Star With John Cena In Looney Tunes Live-Action/Animated Hybrid Pic Coyote Vs. Acme". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
- ^ @@B_TRO (March 21, 2022). "I can confirm that this is true" (Tweet). Retrieved April 15, 2022 – via Twitter.
- ^ Kasule, Melissa (February 22, 2022). "Warner Bros.' Coyote vs. Acme set to shoot in New Mexico". Kemps Film and TV Production Services Handbook. Retrieved April 19, 2022.
- ^ The Observer (June 9, 2022). "Live-action movie Coyote vs. ACME filmed in ABQ area". Rio Rancho Observer.
- ^ mikedfernandez (May 28, 2022). "We wrapped Coyote vs. Acme Sat morning! 📸". Instagram. Retrieved November 1, 2022.
- ^ "Coyote vs. Acme - DNEG".
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (April 26, 2022). "Barbie Heads To Summer 2023 – CinemaCon". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 26, 2022.
- ^ O'Rourke, Ryan (January 27, 2023). "Will Forte Details What It's Like Starring With the Looney Tunes in 'Coyote vs. Acme' [Exclusive]". Collider. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
External links
- Coyote vs. Acme at IMDb