Few comedy universes are as chaotic as Looney Tunes — and Coyote vs. Acme finds a clever way to bring that chaos into the real world. The live-action and animation hybrid puts Will Forte at the center of a courtroom story while veteran voice performer Eric Bauza helps populate the film with some of the franchise’s most recognizable characters.
Released in U.S. theaters on August 28, 2026, the film follows Wile E. Coyote as he finally takes ACME Corporation to court over the seemingly endless stream of defective products that have caused his spectacular failures. Forte plays Albuquerque personal-injury attorney Kevin Avery, while John Cena plays ACME’s corporate lawyer Buddy Crane.
Will Forte Finds the Heart Beneath the Chaos
Forte’s performance gives the film a grounded human perspective. Kevin Avery isn’t another cartoon character; he’s a lawyer who becomes involved in one of the strangest cases imaginable when Wile E. Coyote seeks justice against ACME.
That contrast is central to the movie’s comedy. Forte has to react to impossible cartoon logic as though it were a legitimate legal dispute, allowing the absurdity of the Looney Tunes universe to collide with recognizable courtroom conventions.
The unusual premise also gives Forte room to combine physical comedy with a more sincere performance. Recent coverage of the film’s difficult journey has highlighted how meaningful its eventual release was for Forte after the completed movie spent years in limbo.
Eric Bauza Becomes the Voice of the Chaos
Eric Bauza’s contribution is equally important. The veteran voice actor performs multiple Looney Tunes characters in the movie, including Foghorn Leghorn, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig and Elmer Fudd.
That requires more than simply imitating familiar voices. Bauza has to preserve the personalities and comic rhythms associated with characters audiences have known for generations while making them work inside a modern live-action story.
Director Dave Green has emphasized the responsibility of updating these classic characters without losing their identity. Bauza has similarly described the process as one requiring care because these characters represent a legacy much older than the filmmakers themselves.
Why the Looney Tunes Formula Still Works
The genius of Looney Tunes has always been its ability to turn failure into comedy. Wile E. Coyote can be flattened, launched into the sky or blown up repeatedly, only to return for another attempt moments later.
Coyote vs. Acme transforms that familiar cycle into a legal argument. Instead of simply accepting his fate, Wile E. Coyote asks whether ACME should be held responsible for the products that repeatedly fail him.
The concept allows the filmmakers to preserve classic slapstick while adding satire about corporations, consumer expectations and personal responsibility. The result is a movie that can operate simultaneously as nostalgic entertainment and a modern comedy.
A Comeback Worth Celebrating
The film’s own production history makes its theme of persistence particularly fitting. Completed before Warner Bros. shelved it in 2023, Coyote vs. Acme eventually found a new home with Ketchup Entertainment after a sustained campaign to get the movie released.
That second chance has now paid off with a theatrical opening of approximately $15.5 million in North America and an A CinemaScore, according to the Associated Press.
For Forte, Bauza and the Looney Tunes characters, the film represents more than another animated comedy. It is a reminder that classic characters can still generate fresh stories when filmmakers respect their history while giving them a new world to play in.
And in the wonderfully unpredictable universe of Looney Tunes, surviving the impossible may be the most appropriate ending of all.
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