A worldwide theatrical run of Coyote vs. Acme is still happening, and we have the key art reveal to prove it. The film’s first poster has been released ahead of its inevitably, highly anticipated release this summer.
The new visual is simple but evocative, and shows Wile E. Coyote in shadow running from a massive wrecking ball that has the film’s title on it. It also highlights the movie’s stars Lana Condor, John Cena, and Will Forte, and confirms its August 28 release date.
Beep Beep! pic.twitter.com/WJFSj33VSr
— Coyote vs. ACME (@CoyoteACMEMovie) April 15, 2026
The movie, which will be released by Ketchup Entertainment this summer, went through a lot to get to this point. It was originally produced by Warner Bros, but the company dumped the nearly completed film back in 2023 and decided not to release it. That decision put the public into an uproar, especially when it became known that the project tested well ahead of the puzzling choice to shelve it entirely.
From there, the studio decided to entertain buyers and ultimately sold the project to Ketchup for around $50 million in March 2025. The distributor also purchased another recent Looney Tunes title, The Day the Earth Blew Up, from Warner Bros last year and essentially saved that movie from what was almost Coyote vs. Acme’s permanent fate.
Alongside the poster, we have confirmation that a new trailer will be released next week. The clip below announcing this is well-timed, coming as it does on tax day. There’s even a cheeky note to “check your write-offs” — a clear nod to Warner Bros.’ decision to take a reported $30 million tax write-down on Coyote vs. Acme rather than release it.
Coyote vs. Acme has elected to file its trailer next week. In theaters everywhere August 28th. pic.twitter.com/83YmBoIz02
— Coyote vs. ACME (@CoyoteACMEMovie) April 15, 2026
But it isn’t just the fact that the film was scrapped that makes it one audiences want to see. The script was written by Samy Burch, who wrote Todd Haynes’ recent melodrama hit May December and was praised for that project. She was ultimately nominated for an Oscar for her work. The cast, particularly John Cena, feels like it’s a bunch of pitch perfect choices coming together, and the movie — what we’ve seen of it so far, anyway — ends up having a Who Framed Roger Rabbit? feeling as a result. And if they pull that off for the entire picture? Well, it might just be the movie of the year.
Coyote vs. Acme was directed by David Green and produced by Marvel Studios head James Gunn. It is based on a humorous New Yorker article of the same name by Ian Frazier.
Lex Briscuso is a film and television critic and a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. You can follow her on Twitter at @nikonamerica.
