[REVISION HISTORY]

Coyote vs. ACME achieves box office success after shelving

Updated 37 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-09-07 11:56 UTC → 2026-09-09 15:52 UTC · added ~~removed~~

Warner Bros. Discovery’s 2023 tax-write-off of the mixed live-action/animation hybrid *Coyote vs. ACME* was reversed when Ketchup Entertainment bought the rights for $50 million in March 2025. The film, directed by Dave Green and produced by James Gunn and Chris DeFaria, follows Wile E. Coyote as he sues the Acme Corporation for its faulty products, based on Ian Frazier’s 1990 New Yorker article. Originally completed in 2023 for HBO Max, the project was abruptly shelved by Warner Bros. for tax purposes despite positive audience test scores. This decision, which allowed the studio to claim a tax write-off of approximately $30 million, caused significant frustration and was described as “devastating” by star Will Forte. Following its August 28, 2026, worldwide theatrical opening, the film achieved a successful debut. In its opening weekend, *Coyote vs. ACME* earned approximately $15.4 million in North America, securing the second position at the box office. The film has seen particularly strong performance in Mexico, where it outperformed ‘Spider-Man: Un Nuevo Día’. As of September 6, 8, 2026, the film has ~~amassed a global box office total of US$39,836,660. The majority of this revenue,~~ earned approximately ~~85%, was generated~~ $38.6 million in ~~North America, with~~ the ~~United States and Canada accounting for US$33,843,397. The film’s~~ US ~~debut of approximately $15.9~~ and $49.5 million ~~marked~~ worldwide. While the ~~strongest opening in~~ original production budget was estimated at $70 million, Ketchup Entertainment’s ~~history. During its second weekend in~~ primary investment is the ~~US and Canada,~~ $50 million acquisition of distribution rights. To reach a traditional profitability benchmark of 2.5 times its cost, the film ~~earned~~ would need to earn approximately $125 million globally, leaving a remaining gap of about ~~$11.3 million,~~ $75.5 million. The film currently holds a ~~27% decline from its opening.~~ 96% fresh rating and stars Lana Condor, with voice actor Eric Bauza providing voices for the Looney Tunes characters. The film’s successful comeback has sparked industry discussions regarding the practice of shelving completed films for tax purposes, drawing comparisons to the previously canceled DC project “Batgirl.”

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