The tide has turned for Coyote vs. Acme (pictured), the live-action/CG-animated feature from Warner Bros. that previously seemed destined to never hit the big screen.

Ketchup Entertainment has picked up worldwide rights to the film, and is planning to release it theatrically next year. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Deadline has reported that it’s valued in the US$50-million range.

The pic’s premise sees Wile E. Coyote take the Acme Corporation to court over its infamously faulty products that always seem to backfire when he’s trying to capture the Road Runner. It was produced by Chris deFaria (Tom & Jerry) and James Gunn (Superman) and directed by Dave Green (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows), with a screenplay written by Samy Burch (May December).

Coyote vs. Acme has been navigating an uncertain future since WBD announced in November 2023 that it was shelving the project for a planned tax write-off, despite it being fully completed and reportedly scoring well in test screenings. The move was part of CEO David Zaslav’s cost-savings plan, which also included the previous year’s shelving of live-action superhero pic Batgirl and animated flick Scoob! Holiday Haunt.

After strong criticism from fans and the broader animation industry, WBD reportedly shopped Coyote vs. Acme to a number of buyers last year. While the talks didn’t result in a deal right away, The Wrap reported that WB had been seeking offers between US$75 million and US$80 million (close to the film’s reported budget of US$70 million) and screened the film for Netflix, Amazon and Paramount. 

Ketchup is fresh off the launch of The Day the Earth Blew Up—another Warner Bros. film based on the Looney Tunes IP—which it released widely on March 14 after a limited rollout last year. This 2D-animated feature has already made US$15 million at the box office against an estimated US$10-million budget.

Image courtesy of Warner Bros. Discovery