Voice actor Eric Bauza has shared the first look at Wile E. Coyote in troubled animated film “Coyote vs. Acme.”
“See ya in 2024!” Bauza said on social media.
The movie got a second life after Warner Bros. first said late last year that it would shelve the completed $70 million project for a tax write-off despite claims by some directors who saw it that the film had tested strongly.
“With the relaunch of Warner Bros. Pictures Animation in June, the studio has shifted its global strategy to focus on theatrical releases,” a Warner Bros. spokesperson said at the time. “With this new direction, we have made the difficult decision not to move forward with ‘Coyote vs. Acme.’ We have tremendous respect for the filmmakers, casts, and crew, and are grateful for their contributions to the film.”
“Doctor Strange” director Scott Derrickson blasted the move.
“I think it’s absolute bullshit that a studio can and does shelve the creative work of hundreds of people for a fucking tax break,” Derrickson wrote on X, noting a reason that circulated widely on social media even though the studio denied it.
After the backlash from the creative community, Warner Bros. reversed its decision to shelve the finished “Coyote vs. Acme” film and said it would shop the live-action/animated hybrid to potential distributors. Instead of taking a tax write-off, Warner Bros. hopes this will give the animated film a chance for release, following the controversial announcement that the movie would be canceled despite being completed.