Warner Bros. shelved "Coyote vs. Acme" after principal photography wrapped, but the film officially arrives in weeks with a historic distinction. The movie sets a runtime record for the entire Looney Tunes franchise, making it the longest theatrical feature tied to the beloved cartoon characters.
The project spent years in limbo following its 2021 completion. Warner Bros. Discovery's leadership shift and corporate restructuring left the film's fate uncertain, with executives deciding not to release it theatrically. The studio later sold the project to another distributor, finally clearing the path for public release.
"Coyote vs. Acme" marks a departure from traditional Looney Tunes content. Rather than a short-form animated piece, the live-action and CGI hybrid film puts the Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote in a courtroom setting. Will Forte plays the Coyote character in this unconventional take on the classic cat-and-mouse dynamic that defined the franchise for decades.
The extended runtime reflects the film's ambition to expand beyond the quick-hitting humor of the original cartoons. Directors Dave Green and co-writer Soren Sveinson crafted a feature-length narrative that sustains the Acme Corporation lawsuit premise throughout. The joke of the Coyote suing over defective products fuels an entire script rather than a seven-minute short.
This release comes as studios reassess their approach to legacy IP. Warner Bros. previously shelved other projects, including "Batgirl" and DC films, but "Coyote vs. Acme" found another home. The film's journey from production to release reflects the industry's unpredictable handling of completed content.
Audiences have waited nearly a decade since filming ended. The extended runtime record signals that filmmakers treated this property