Live-action animation has produced some enduring favourites, from Who Framed Roger Rabbit and The Muppet Christmas Carol to The Mask. The format also has a particularly appealing Looney Tunes tradition, where familiar cartoon chaos collides with the real world.
The best-known example is arguably 1996’s Space Jam, which teamed basketball star Michael Jordan with the Looney Tunes against aliens planning to turn the characters into theme-park attractions. Its 2021 follow-up, Space Jam: A New Legacy, received a much less enthusiastic response.
Now, director Dave Green, known for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, brings another live-action Looney Tunes comedy to cinemas. The story is credited to Samy Burch, James Gunn and Jeremy Slater.
After years of delays and an attempted cancellation by Warner Bros. leadership under CEO David Zaslav, Coyote vs. Acme is scheduled to reach cinemas on August 28, 2026. Here is what to know about the film before its Australian release.
What is Coyote vs. Acme about?
Wile E. Coyote has spent years pursuing the impossibly fast Road Runner, usually with help from the Acme Corporation’s unreliable catalogue of products. Rocket skates, anvils and mail-order explosives are among the fictional company’s famously hazardous offerings.
After another string of failures, Wile E. decides Acme is responsible and takes the company to court. He hires Kevin Avery, a human lawyer played by Will Forte, to handle the case. Their opposition is Buddy Crane, Kevin’s former boss, portrayed by John Cena, the actor, DC star and professional wrestling legend.
The confirmed Looney Tunes appearances include Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Tweety Bird and Foghorn Leghorn. Further characters may also turn up in smaller parts or brief cameos.
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Is Coyote vs. Acme a sequel?
The premise may remind viewers of 2003’s Looney Tunes: Back in Action. That film also involved Acme, with Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck joining Brendan Fraser, playing himself, and D.J. Drake in a story about a plan to turn the world’s population into monkeys and make them produce Acme goods.
Despite the shared characters and company, Coyote vs. Acme does not appear to be a direct sequel. Its story is built around Wile E. Coyote and a courtroom dispute, giving it a more grounded comedy-drama tone than the exaggerated spy adventure of Back in Action. There is currently no clear indication that Warner Bros. intends to connect the two films.
Why was Coyote vs. Acme shelved?
In November 2023, Warner Bros. shelved several completed or developing projects and claimed a $30 million tax write-off. Coyote vs. Acme was among them, alongside Batgirl and Scoob! Holiday Haunt.
The decision angered people involved with the production. Warner Bros. subsequently explored selling the film to other distributors, including Netflix and Sony Pictures, but its future remained uncertain for some time.
Ketchup Entertainment eventually acquired the opportunity to release Coyote vs. Acme. The distributor had also handled The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie, helping keep this long-delayed project alive until its planned 2026 cinema run.
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When does Coyote vs. Acme release?
Coyote vs. Acme is scheduled for theatrical release on August 28, 2026. The film has a reported runtime of 103 minutes, or one hour and 43 minutes.
That makes this courtroom battle between Wile E. Coyote and Acme a notable return for the live-action Looney Tunes format—assuming the release proceeds as planned.
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