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The actor got to see his film, which Warner Bros. refused to release, and says he assumed it would be “a hunk of junk … but then I saw it.”
By James Hibberd
Writer-at-Large
Actor Will Forte has posted an open letter to the cast and crew of Coyote vs. Acme after he finally got to watch his own film.
Amid heavy rumors the film is officially dead following Warner Bros. Discovery’s recent quarterly report that included a mysterious $115 million tax write-off, Forte admitted he assumed the film must have been “a hunk of junk … but then I saw it.” Forte’s comments also seem to confirm that the movie will not be released following Warners entertaining offers to sell it.
Writing on X, Forte began, “To the Cast and Crew of Coyote Vs Acme — I know that a lot of you haven’t gotten a chance to see our movie. And sadly, it’s looking like you never will. When I first heard that our movie was getting ‘deleted,’ I hadn’t seen it yet. So I was thinking what everyone else must have been thinking: this thing must be a hunk of junk. But then I saw it. And it’s incredible.”
Continued Forte: “Super funny throughout, visually stunning, sweet, sincere, and emotionally resonant in a very earned way. As the credits rolled, I just sat there thinking how lucky I was to be a part of something so special. That quickly turned to confusion and frustration. This was the movie they’re not going to release?
“Look, when it comes to Hollywood business stuff, I don’t know shit about shit. Even when a movie tests very well (like ours), there’s no guarantee that it’s gonna be a hit. And at the end of the day, the people who paid for this movie can obviously do whatever they want with it. It doesn’t mean I have to like it (I fucking hate it). Or agree with it. And it doesn’t mean that this movie is anything less than magnificent. You would be so proud of it — a movie that should be seen, but won’t. Please know that all the years and years of hard work, dedication and love that you put into this movie shows in every frame. That’s all folks.”
The Hollywood Reporter first broke the news Nov. 10 that Warner Bros. intended to shelve Coyote vs. Acme for a tax write-off. After community and fandom outcry, the studio agreed to shop the film to other potential buyers. Several distributors made bids for the project. According to two sources, Amazon offered $40-$45 million, but Warners rejected it.
Last week, Warner Bros. Discovery said in an earnings filing it wrote off $115 million in content due to abandoning films in the third quarter of 2023 as part of a “strategic realignment plan associated with the Warner Bros. Pictures Animation group.”
Many have assumed that meant Coyote vs. Acme is officially dead, though the studio has has declined to confirm this.
The film also starred John Cena and Lana Condor in a live-action, CG animation hybrid, alongside classic Looney Toons character Wile E. Coyote.
Below is the only image ever released from the film:
See ya in 2024!! 🦊🪧🧲🧨💣💥 #CoyoteVsACME pic.twitter.com/5jaGQyLdiJ
— Aaron Couch contributed to this report
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