Coyote vs. Acme (2026) Ketchup/Comedy RT: 101 minutes Rated PG (cartoon violence and some language) Director: Dave Green Screenplay: Samy Burch Music: Steven Price Cinematography: Brandon Trost Release date: August 28, 2026 (US) Cast: Will Forte, Lana Condor, John Cena, Tone Bell, Luis Guzman, Martha Kelly, P.J. Byrne, Kenneth Choi, Eric Bauza, Candi Milo, Jeff Bergman, Jim Cummings.
Rating: ***
It took a while, but the live-action/animation hybrid Coyote vs. Acme has finally landed in theaters. It was completed in 2023, but Warner Bros. cancelled the release, deciding to take a $30M tax write-off instead. It drew a lot of criticism from fans and people who worked on the film. The studio did an about-face of sorts and allowed the makers to shop it to other studios. Offers were made and rejected until 2025 when Ketchup Entertainment acquired North American distribution rights. And that’s how we got here.
Coyote vs. Acme is easily the best of the Looney Tunes movies of the past 30 years. The first Space Jam was decent, but the rest (Back in Action, Space Jam 2) haven’t been all that great. As for The Day the Earth Blew Up, I can only say “Where’s Marvin the Martian?” I hope I don’t sound unnecessarily harsh. I do love the Looney Tunes. I grew up watching the cartoons every morning before school. I still enjoy them as an adult. In fact, I enjoy them more because I catch the jokes I missed as a child. Like a lot of you, I was upset when I heard the world might never get to see Coyote vs. Acme. I’m glad it didn’t turn out that way.
For those who don’t know, the Acme in the title does not refer to the grocery store chain. It’s the name of the fictional company that makes the products Wile E. Coyote uses in his futile attempts to catch the Road Runner. They always fail spectacularly. Having had enough, he decides to sue them. He hires personal injury lawyer Kevin Avery (Forte, Strays) to represent him. He’s the type who prefers to settle out of court to avoid going to trial. His client wants to take it all the way. So it is that Avery (named for animator Tex Avery) actually has to do his job.
Encouraged by his intern and niece Paige (Condor, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before), Avery starts looking into Acme. This, of course, is bad news to company head Foghorn Leghorn who orders lead counsel Buddy Crane (Cena, Peacemaker) to deal with the mess. Meanwhile, a not-so-anonymous whistleblower (a certain carrot-munching rabbit) alerts Avery to a program called “Project Sisyphus”. Naturally, Acme would rather it didn’t get out. It’s not good.
Directed by Dave Green (Earth to Echo), Coyote vs. Acme is a lot of fun, especially if you’re a fan. You’ll see many familiar faces from Bugs and Daffy to Miss Prissy and Gossamer (the orange monster in sneakers). Mad scientist Peter Lorre (no, it’s really NOT Steve Buscemi!) even shows up and if you’re old enough to know the name without Googling it, we were probably in school around the same time. It’s great to see the old gang in a setting that doesn’t basketball. They, of course, are the movie’s biggest draw.
The humans look like they’re having fun too. Forte makes a pretty good leading man, especially when you consider he’s playing opposite a toon. He and Wile have a good rapport even if the latter can only communicate through a limited number of signs. Cena is great as the antagonist. I love that he has a sense of humor about himself using his limited acting range to great effect. He really has come a long way since The Marine twenty years ago. Condor exudes sweetness and spunk as the idealistic intern who still believes in the legal system.
The blend of live action and animation is Coyote vs. Acme is seamless. You really believe the humans are interacting with toons. Not only that, the animation (a blend of 2D and 3D) is top of the line. It’s a little more streamlined than the original animated shorts, but it doesn’t look too different that it becomes distracting (except when Green uses clips from the OGs). I did enjoy seeing Wile and Road Runner doing their thing again after all these years. Then again, who doesn’t?
The nostalgia factor is high in Coyote vs. Acme. It’s a fun and funny trip down memory lane in this all-new (well, mostly new) story. It has plenty of inside jokes for the superfans. But here’s my question. Will the kids like it? Do today’s kids even know Looney Tunes? If they don’t, Coyote vs. Acme is an excellent introduction to a wonderful world of falling anvils and other loony things.
