Warner Bros. just showcased its roster of exciting new movies coming in 2023 at this week’s CinemaCon, but one upcoming film was notable for its absence. The studio has finally given the much-anticipated Barbie a release date, with the Margot Robbie vehicle set to open on July 21, 2023, opposite Universal’s Christopher Nolan biopic Oppenheimer. The thing is, though, that this date was previously occupied by Looney Tunes spinoff Coyote vs. Acme.
With Barbie stealing its due date, Coyote vs. Acme is now officially “unscheduled”, which leaves its fate somewhat unknown. Presumably it’s still on course to make its way to screens at some point, however, as filming is believed to have commenced at the beginning of April. Not to mention that it’s got John Cena attached, with the former WWE star enjoying a moment right now off the back of HBO Max’s super-successful Peacemaker.
Coyote vs. Acme is a legal comedy that would be a live-action/CG-animated hybrid in the vein of the Space Jam movies. The plot sees Wile. E. Coyote sue the Acme Corporation for all the faulty products he’s used over the decades in his endless attempts to hunt Road Runner. Cena is playing the villain of the piece, Acme’s defense attorney. Will Forte and Lana Condor are also in the cast.
Directed by Dave Green (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows), the movie comes from the mind of writer/producer James Gunn, who co-wrote the script with Moon Knight‘s Jeremy Slater, Jon Silberman, Josh Silberman, and Samy Burch.
It’s possible WB has lost a certain amount of faith in this project in the wake of Space Jam: A New Legacy flopping hard, but again, Coyote vs. Acme isn’t necessarily in trouble. It’s just that Cena, Gunn, and Looney Tunes fans will have to wait a while longer to see it.