Coyote vs. Acme has crossed $100 million at the global box office, making it one of the more unlikely success stories of 2026. The film arrives on Prime Video and Apple TV on September 29 for $24.99. It comes nearly three years after Warner Bros. shelved it as a tax write-off.
Warner Bros. cancelled the completed film in November 2023, claiming a $30 million tax deduction against a $70 million production budget. The studio had already shelved Batgirl the same way. But Coyote vs. Acme became the most public casualty of the strategy, drawing immediate backlash that eventually forced a reversal.
Ketchup Entertainment acquired the film in March 2025 for $50 million. The company partnered with publicity firm 42West and creative shop Maximum Effort on a campaign built around the film's backstory, with the tagline "The Movie ACME Didn't Want You to See." Total marketing spend: $10 million.
Director Dave Green, speaking to IndieWire ahead of the theatrical release, said: "The day I heard that news, I was in total shock. I remain in total shock." The film, co-written by James Gunn and starring Will Forte, Lana Condor, John Cena, and Eric Bauza, has earned a 96% Certified Fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes. It has now outgrossed all but three Warner Bros. releases in 2026. Green added: "I think the themes that we were talking about when we were making the movie have only become more relevant since we've made the movie."
Its theatrical performance has opened early Oscar conversation for Best Animated Feature. It hits VOD in five days.
