Coyote vs Acme finally hits theaters but faces a box office question mark
After a massive public campaign saved it from the shelf, the Looney Tunes film Coyote vs. Acme is finally in theaters this weekend. But per TheWrap, its box office future is uncertain without the marketing power of a major studio behind it.
Warner Bros. originally planned to write the film off for a tax break, but sold it to indie distributor Ketchup Entertainment after a year of backlash. The movie is now tracking for an opening weekend between $14 and $16 million, according to the outlet.
The road to release was rocky. TheWrap reports that Warner Bros. initially set a price tag between $75 and $80 million for the movie, scaring off potential buyers. A deal was finally struck with Ketchup for $50 million.
Without a traditional studio marketing campaign, Ketchup has leaned into the film's real-life struggle for release. Its marketing sells the movie as the one the fictional ACME corporation doesn't want you to see, cheekily framing Warner Bros. as part of that plot.
Projections have improved from an initial $8-10 million start, helped in part by positive early reactions. The film is aimed at a broad audience, mixing cartoon slapstick with a legal drama storyline featuring Will Forte, Lana Condor, and John Cena.
Its success will now depend on word-of-mouth from fans and families, testing whether audience passion can replace a major studio's advertising budget.
