Acme” was shelved by Warner Bros. as a tax write-off and rescued by indie distributor Ketchup Entertainment, the Looney Tunes comedy has become a box-office bright spot with more than $100 million globally. Discovery chief David Zaslav, who deemed it financially unworthy to release on the big screen, wrong to axe the film? That answer might depend on who is doing the accounting, analysts say.
Acme” is a major win for Ketchup Entertainment, which paid $50 million for distribution rights and pre-sold foreign territories to offset the cost. Those grosses might not have been as celebratory for Warner Bros., considering the film cost $70 million to produce. (Theater owners get to keep half of ticket sales.) Warner Bros. dumped the live-action animation hybrid, starring Will Forte and John Cena and produced by DC Studios co-chief James Gunn, for a $30 million tax write-down. There’s an argument to be made that Warner Bros. would have been able to put more marketing dollars behind the release, which could have elevated global ticket sales.
There’s another case that moviegoers rallied only behind “Coyote vs. Acme” to prove the studio wrong. By comparison, “Coyote vs.
Acme” dramatically outperformed another recent Ketchup-distributed Looney Tunes adventure, 2024’s “The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie,” after Warner Bros. Discovery quietly decided to offload that film as well. But it turned out to be a good movie.” Buoyed by great reviews and positive word of mouth, “Coyote vs.
Acme” launched in late August and started strong with $15.9 million domestically. Ticket sales have since climbed to $59.8 million domestically and $45 million overseas, underscoring the value of PG-rated films with brand familiarity. Theater owners frequently complain that they don’t have enough new movies aimed at families.
And while original animation has struggled in post-COVID years, remakes, spinoffs and sequels in known franchises, such as “Sonic the Hedgehog” and “PAW Patrol,” have been reliable as modest box office draws. The success of “Coyote vs. Acme” is especially glaring given Warner Bros.’ abysmal 2026 box-office performance.
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