Paramount & Amazon Reportedly Still In Mix To Acquire Coyote Vs. Acme

Warner Bros.’ Coyote Vs. Acme film is still up for sale, with Paramount and Amazon both reportedly in the mix to acquire the film. As you may recall, Warner Bros. quickly reversed a decision to permanently shelve their live-action/animated hybrid film last month after their announced decision to keep it from release for tax purposes drew serious outcry from fans as well as those involved in making the film. Deadline reports that Paramount Pictures has made an offer and that Amazon is considering an offer, but hasn’t yet made one.

Paramount offers the advantage of a theatrical release for the picture, though Amazon has done some theatrical releases of their own films as well. Warner Bros. Discovery is said to be playing “hardball” and is seeking the $70 million production budget “and then some” for the film. Of note, they were planning on shelving it for a $30 million tax break. Coyote vs. Acme is reportedly a fully complete film and tested very well with audiences, with marks well above the normal scores for a family film.

The report notes that Apple and Sony are not planning on making bids for the film, and that the fallout over the initial shelving plans has led one filmmaker to tell them, “We have a project over at Warners in development. We’re so not pursuing active development until the studio is sold. God knows what will happen to projects in development.”

The movie stars John Cena, Will Forte and Lana Candor and was directed by David Green from a script by Sammy Burch. It followed Wile E. Coyote, who after ACME products fail him one too many times in his dogged pursuit of the Roadrunner, decides to hire a billboard lawyer to sue the ACME Corporation. The case pits Wile E. and his lawyer (Forte) against the latter’s intimidating former boss (Cena), but a growing friendship between man and cartoon stokes their determination to win.