Coyote Vs. Acme’s Box Office Numbers Are A Major Blow To Warner Bros.

Coyote vs. Acme has become one of the most surprising movie comeback stories of 2026. Warner Bros. shelved the completed Looney Tunes film in 2023, reportedly planning to claim an estimated $30 million tax write-off. Three years later, the movie is in theaters and has earned more than that reported amount in worldwide box office revenue.

The film’s performance does not erase the financial risk of releasing a $70 million production, but it gives the movie a very different outcome from what was originally expected. It also shows how a film once treated as a financial liability can find an audience when another distributor is willing to take a chance on it.

The Movie Warner Bros. Nearly Left Behind

Directed by Dave Green, Coyote vs. Acme stars Will Forte, John Cena, and Lana Condor. The live-action and animation hybrid follows Wile E. Coyote as he takes Acme Corporation to court after its products repeatedly fail him. The story turns the familiar cartoon rivalry into a legal comedy about an underdog challenging a powerful company.

Warner Bros. announced in November 2023 that it would not release the completed film. The studio cited a change in its theatrical strategy, while reports said it intended to take a tax write-down instead. The decision sparked criticism from filmmakers and fans, particularly because the movie had already been completed.

The studio later allowed the film to be shopped to other distributors. Ketchup Entertainment eventually acquired worldwide distribution rights for about $50 million, giving the project a path to theaters.

Coyote vs. Acme Has Now Surpassed the Reported Write-Off

According to Box Office Mojo, Coyote vs. Acme has earned approximately $44.3 million worldwide, including more than $37 million domestically. Its reported domestic opening was about $15.9 million. Those figures put the film above the estimated $30 million tax write-off reported when Warner Bros. shelved it.

That comparison needs some context. Box office revenue is not the same as profit, and the movie still had a reported production budget of around $70 million. The distributor also paid for the rights, and theatrical revenue is shared with cinemas. So, while the film has exceeded the reported write-off figure, that does not automatically mean it has recovered its full production cost or become a major financial success.

The theatrical release represents a meaningful turnaround for the project. It was once a completed movie that audiences might never see, and it is now generating revenue and attracting attention from viewers who were curious about its long-delayed release.