Coyote vs. Acme builds buzz with new posters and clip ahead of August debut
Warner Bros. and Ketchup Entertainment released new posters and a fresh clip for Coyote vs. Acme this week, as tickets went on sale ahead of the legal comedy’s August 28 US release and August 21 UK debut.
TL;DR
- New posters and a clip dropped this week, mixing live-action stars with hand-drawn Looney Tunes artwork.
- Will Forte plays billboard lawyer Kevin Avery, opposite John Cena as Acme’s slick defence attorney, Buddy Crane.
- The film opens in UK and Irish cinemas on August 21 (BBFC PG), a week ahead of its US wide release.
- The marketing keeps leaning into the joke that Acme itself doesn’t want the film released, years after Warner Bros. nearly shelved it for good.
New posters and clip build hype
The latest marketing wave landed this week, pairing character posters that set live-action photography against a plain desert-yellow backdrop with classic Looney Tunes linework, alongside a new clip built around Coyote’s usual wordless, expressive slapstick. According to ComingSoon.net, the material has split fans, with some enjoying the throwback to the character’s classic style and others worried the campaign undersells the film ahead of release.
Reaction on X ran hot. One user, @furartstyle101, wrote that the poster was “one of the weakest posters” they’d seen for the franchise, while other fans pushed back and defended the clip’s throwback humour.
Also starring is Lana Condor, in a supporting role alongside Forte and Cena as the human cast squares off against a fully animated Wile E. Coyote and a jury bench of Looney Tunes regulars.
From tax write-off to theatrical release
Coyote vs. Acme finished production in 2022 for Warner Bros., which then shelved the completed film in 2023 rather than release it, instead opting to claim it as a reported $30 million tax write-off. Public backlash from fans and filmmakers followed, and Ketchup Entertainment — the distributor behind The Day the Earth Blew Up — ultimately acquired the film in March 2025.
$50 million Reported price Ketchup Entertainment paid Warner Bros. for the film’s distribution rights Source: Variety
The campaign has kept winking at that history ever since. Earlier trailers included a line noting the film was being “released for accounting purposes only,” and a San Diego Comic-Con panel was interrupted by a staged Acme Corporation “cease and desist” bit — the same self-aware joke that carries into this week’s clip and posters.
It’s a busy year for Cena, who also headlines the globe-trotting thriller Matchbox with Jessica Biel.
UK audiences get it first
British and Irish audiences see Coyote vs. Acme before US audiences do. The film opens in UK and Irish cinemas on August 21, distributed locally by Altitude Films, a week ahead of its August 28 US wide release, according to theartsshelf.com. The BBFC has rated the film PG.
Tickets on sale as the countdown begins
Tickets are now on sale in both markets ahead of release. Voice actor Eric Bauza handles nine characters in the film, including Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and Foghorn Leghorn, according to IGN. Whether the marketing push wins over skeptical fans or not, Coyote vs. Acme will finally reach the screen it was nearly denied.
Reported from publicly available press materials and verified sources. Last reviewed August 8, 2026.
Elena Vane is an award-winning comics historian and pop culture journalist. Specializing in the DC/Marvel universes and independent graphic novels, Elena has been documenting the rise of cosplay culture for over a decade . She is a frequent panelist at New York Comic Con and provides in-depth biographies of industry pioneers. Elena’s expertise ensures that every comic-related update is factually grounded and community-focused .
