Prior to being labeled “the funeral screening,” it was simply the occasion on which Will Forte intended to view the film.

"Coyote vs. Acme" was completed.

Director Dave Green, inspired by "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?", had finished editing the Looney Tunes blend of animation and live action.

The entire project, based on an Ian Frazier "Shouts and Murmurs" column from The New Yorker, was a bold comedic gamble that seemed to be paying off.

Expectations were running high, and audience test scores had been promising.

Yet just days before Forte, who plays Wile E. Coyote’s attorney, could watch “Coyote vs. Acme,” Warner Bros. pulled the plug.

It wasn’t merely a postponed screening or a shift to streaming—the studio was scrapping the project entirely.

“I reasoned to myself: ‘Well, if they’re pulling the film, it must be subpar,’” Forte recollects.

Forte and his wife, suspecting the film had evidently fallen short of expectations, joined the cast and crew to bid farewell to a production that no one else was likely to see.

"That was when the real emotions started," Forte says.

"It was everything I wished the movie could have been and more.

It was so special, which made it so frustrating and so devastating.

The confusion was amped up, then frustration, then just searing anger.

"Then it made even less sense," he adds.

"We all exchanged bewildered glances, as if to query, 'What on earth is transpiring here?'"

The abrupt cancellation of “Coyote vs. Acme” sent tremors through Hollywood.

Those in the film industry are well-versed in sudden, brutal reversals of fortune.

Yet the wholesale scrapping of a completed picture in the blink of an eye was unprecedented.

David Zaslav, the chief executive of Warner Bros., was determined to steer clear of the straight-to-HBO Max ventures championed by his predecessor.

The anticipated marketing expenditure—roughly $30–40 million—for the theatrical release of “Coyote vs. Acme” was deemed unjustifiable by the studio.

Instead, the studio concluded that claiming a tax write-off on the $70 million production was the more prudent course of action.

Alongside two other titles—“Batgirl” and “Scoob! Holiday Haunt”—“Coyote vs. Acme” was shelved indefinitely.

Nearly three years after that "funeral screening," the film, much like its indefatigable protagonist, has staged a remarkable comeback.

Following widespread backlash, Warner Bros. opted to put "Coyote vs. Acme" on the market.

Ketchup Entertainment—an independent distributor that released the Looney Tunes feature "The Day the Earth Blew Up" last year—acquired it for roughly $50 million.

On Aug. 28, "Coyote vs. Acme" will finally see the light of day.

The whirlwind of developments has left everyone involved reeling.

Eric Bauza, who lends his voice to Daffy Duck, Bugs Bunny, and others in the film, remained skeptical until he caught "Obsession" at his local cinema.

As I stepped out of the theater, there in a small illuminated marquee box hung the poster for ‘Coyote vs. Acme,’” Bauza recalls.

“It struck me then: this is destined to be seen by audiences.”

In a recent interview, Green remained utterly incredulous.

“I must be dreaming,” said Green.

“It is utterly astonishing to find myself here, conversing with you today.”

The filmmakers and their new distributor have embraced the project's turbulent history, marketing it as "the film ACME didn't want you to see."

Furthermore, "Coyote vs. Acme" now has a fresh meta dimension.

The plot follows Coyote, who, after enduring years of faulty products, sues Acme.

Reflecting the controversy around the film, it's a story of an underdog oppressed by a large corporation.

"I couldn't help but view the film through a completely different lens, given the meta crossovers between the narrative and what the movie had come to symbolize," Green remarks.

"It almost felt as if we had written the film after the news had broken."

The cancellation of “Coyote vs. Acme” became a rallying cry for its supporters.

Filmmakers including Christopher Miller, Phil Lord, Daniel Kwan, and Daniel Scheinert argued that the project was too exceptional to be shelved.

Even politicians, such as Democratic Representative Joaquin Castro of Texas, called on the Justice Department to scrutinize Warner Bros.'s decision.

Bauza, a seasoned voice actor, promoted the hashtag #ReleaseCoyoteVsACME on social media.

His most notable effort, however, came at the 2024 Annie Awards, where he received enthusiastic applause for presenting his case from the podium—using the distinctive voice of Daffy Duck.

"He's the go-to cartoon character above anyone else when it comes to begging and pleading," Bauza says.

"It seemed appropriate."

Such was the outpouring of support for the film that Green never once felt isolated throughout the ordeal.

"I'd check my phone one morning and see someone dressed as Wile E. Coyote outside the studio, holding a protest sign in the rain — the kind of thing you couldn't believe," says Green.

At the same time, the whole affair pointed to a troubling new phase for the film industry, leaving many connected with “Coyote vs. Acme” deeply uneasy.

This was not a newcomer being rejected on a first project; it was two years of effort on one of Warner Bros.’ most iconic series—a film even backed by DC Studios head James Gunn.

"I cannot say what their judgment was," says Bauza.

"Did they even know, or were they just looking at numbers?

It's hard to observe from the outside and think: 'If that's how the Looney Tunes are treated, what about my story?'"

“The pipeline has undergone a transformation,” he adds.

“The route to the finish line is no longer what it once was.”

“Coyote vs. Acme” was greenlit at a time when studios were still navigating the uncertainties of the pandemic and theaters were fighting for survival.

Yet Green’s film now arrives at a markedly different juncture.

The theatrical landscape is flourishing, owing in no small part to the creative visions of filmmakers ranging from Christopher Nolan to Curry Barker.

For Green, the fact that "Coyote vs. Acme" is finally having its day in the court of public opinion signals Hollywood's return to its roots.

"The film industry, however counterintuitive it may seem, is driven and shaped by the creative desires of artists, filmmakers, actors, and writers," says Green.

"Nothing will ever be able to take that desire away from creators.

As long as we keep creating, the movie business will continue to exist."

Forte continues to grapple with the prospect of an unresolved conclusion.

The initial cancellation of the film, as he describes it, felt “cruel and heartless.”

“The drawback is: place your trust in no one,” says Forte.

“And the upside is: never relinquish hope.

And it is that latter sentiment that I intend to hold on to.”