Coyote vs. Acme has completed one of the strangest journeys in modern Hollywood. The finished Looney Tunes movie that Warner Bros. once planned to shelve for a tax write-off is finally playing in theaters, and its first weekend brought in an estimated $15.5 million at the North American box office.
That opening is not a blockbuster number on its own, especially for a film reported to have cost roughly $70 million to make. But the context is what makes it notable. Coyote vs. Acme was effectively written off in 2023 before audiences had a chance to see it, triggering a loud backlash from filmmakers, fans and animation supporters who argued that a completed movie should not disappear for accounting reasons.
The pressure did not vanish. Warner Bros. eventually allowed the project to be shopped, and Ketchup Entertainment acquired worldwide rights in 2025. The independent distributor then committed to a wide theatrical release, with its own official film page listing an August 28, 2026 opening and a cast that includes Will Forte, John Cena, Lana Condor and P.J. Byrne.
Now the movie has something the original shelving decision never gave it: a real audience result. Associated Press reported the $15.5 million estimate while noting that the film earned strong early reception, including a 95 percent Rotten Tomatoes score and an A CinemaScore from opening-weekend audiences.
The release also carries unusual cultural weight because the audience campaign became part of the film’s story. Reporting around the theatrical launch noted that Coyote vs. Acme includes a dedication thanking the people who posted, shared and spoke out while the movie was in limbo. Reddit discussion around the opening weekend has likewise focused as much on the movie surviving as on its box office rank.
Coyote vs. Acme still faces a difficult financial road. It opened behind Spider-Man: Brand New Day and Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, and one solid weekend does not erase the economics of a costly production and a major theatrical campaign. The more immediate victory is that the market, rather than a cancellation decision, is now deciding what happens to the film.
For Ketchup Entertainment, the release is also a test of whether an independent distributor can successfully handle a studio-sized title. The company said before release that Coyote vs. Acme would play on more than 3,000 screens, describing it as its largest theatrical rollout to date.
The final box office story will take weeks to settle. But after three years of being discussed as a movie audiences might never legally see, Coyote vs. Acme has already crossed the most important line: it exists in public, people are buying tickets, and the response is now measurable instead of hypothetical.
