How Coyote Vs. Acme Went From Being Shelved To Finally Reaching UAE Cinemas

Coyote vs. Acme is finally making its way to cinemas, nearly three years after Warner Bros. decided to shelve the completed film.

The live action and animation hybrid, starring Will Forte, John Cena and Lana Condor, opens in UAE cinemas today, August 27.

But its journey to the big screen has been anything but straightforward.

Warner Bros. announced in November 2023 that it would not release the film, despite production having already been completed.

The studio planned to take a tax write off, with the decision coming as it shifted its strategy away from projects originally intended for streaming.

The decision sparked backlash across Hollywood, particularly because the film had reportedly performed well during test screenings. Warner Bros. eventually allowed the filmmakers to seek another buyer.

Will Forte, who stars as lawyer Kevin Avery, recalled learning that the film was being shelved just as those involved were preparing to see the finished project.

“I got a call from the producers saying they were ready to show us the movie, and they were so excited, and it was testing really well,” Forte told the Los Angeles Times. The following day, he learned it had been shelved.

Director Dave Green also spoke about holding on to hope that the film would eventually reach audiences.“There was always a flicker of hope, and I don't think we ever gave up on that,” he said in the same interview.

The film remained unreleased until Ketchup Entertainment acquired worldwide rights from Warner Bros. in 2025 for a reported $50 million.

Coyote vs. Acme follows Wile E. Coyote as he turns against Acme Corporation after years of being injured by its products.

He teams up with struggling lawyer Kevin Avery, played by Forte, to take the company to court, while Cena plays Acme's corporate lawyer Buddy Crane.

The story mirrors the film's own unusual journey, with a character taking on a powerful corporation while the movie itself survived a decision by one of Hollywood's biggest studios not to release it.

After being shelved, put up for sale and eventually picked up by another distributor, Coyote vs. Acme is finally playing in UAE cinemas today.

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