Here is all you need to know about the ongoing controversy surrounding the Warner Bros. film Coyote vs. Acme.
Much online discourse is being made of the now-canceled Coyote vs. Acme film. The Warner Bros. project is no longer set to release despite being completed and ready for launch.
However, this isn’t the first time the company has done something like this. Famously, the standalone Batgirl movie was also scrapped by Warner Bros in a move that lost the company $90 million.
So why does this keep happening and what does it have to do with the ongoing legal battle Warner Bros faces? Continue reading as we break down the situation.
Coyote vs. Acme controversy explained
Back in November 2023, it was confirmed that Warner Bros. would no longer be aiming to release the Coyote vs. Acme film despite the project being finished and the company having spent a reported $70 million bringing it to life.
However, Warner Bros. recently screened the film for 12 potential buyers, the likes of Netflix and Paramount both putting in bids to own the rights to the film and screen it on their own platforms.
The larger issue at hand though is related to the way in which Warner Bros. canceled multiple films during 2023. With Batgirl and Coyote vs. Acme both axed by the company in an effort to reduce their earnings for the year and claim a higher tax bracket.
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Days after Warner decided to axe Coyote vs. Acme back in November 2023, Texas congressman Joaquin Castro took to social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter) and called out the studio for attempting a tax writeoff.
“The WBD tactic of scrapping fully made films for tax breaks is predatory and anti-competitive,” wrote Castro.
The @WBD tactic of scrapping fully made films for tax breaks is predatory and anti-competitive.As the Justice Department and @FTC revise their antitrust guidelines they should review this conduct.As someone remarked, it’s like burning down a building for the insurance money. https://t.co/Vb8vj3brD7
— Joaquin Castro (@JoaquinCastrotx) November 14, 2023
As reported by Deadline, one source revealed that “no one is doing anything at Warner to push this film for a sale” and as a result, this new project could wind up locked away in a vault similar to Batgirl.
Even three months after its axing was first announced, the #SaveCoyoteVsAcme hashtag is still present on social media.
Time will tell what the fate of the film becomes, however, we’ll be sure to keep you updated here as the situation develops.