Coyote vs. Acme

The midcentury modern aesthetic of Chuck Jones's streamlined Roadrunner cartoons (b. 1949) is fruitfully transported to a 21st century context of rampant legalism and corporate hegemony. Taking off from a clever 1990 New Yorker piece by Ian Frazier, director Dave Green (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows) executes the most satisfying blend of live action and animation since Robert Zemeckis’s 1988 Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

The pristine desert landscapes of the cartoons have given way to a dingy, cluttered southwestern strip mall culture. Once an incurable techno-optimist, Jones’s Wile E. Coyote has finally grown disillusioned with the utopian promises of the Acme Corporation. Enlisting the aid of a personal injury lawyer (Will Forte), he files a product liability complaint that threatens to expose massive corporate malfeasance. The screenplay, by the versatile Samy Burch (May December, Late Fame) introduces some nicely understated pathos as Wile E., the ultimate lone wolf, discovers the pleasures of friendship. The animation was directed by Keith Roberts; Eric Bauza voices Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Tweety, and Foghorn Leghorn. Completed in 2023 and shelved by Warner Bros., the film reached theaters in 2026 through Ketchup Entertainment.

2026. USA. Directed by Dave Green. Screenplay by Samy Burch, James Gunn, Jeremy Slater. With Will Forte, Lana Condor, John Cena. DCP courtesy Ketchup Entertainment. 103 min.

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