The actor, who stars as Wile E. Coyote’s lawyer Kevin Avery, reflected on the unusual journey at the film’s Los Angeles premiere. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Forte admitted that the campaign to save the creation initially seemed unlikely to change its fate.
Will Forte Had Already Given Up on ‘Coyote vs. Acme’
When Warner Bros. Discovery initially shelved “Coyote vs. Acme” in November 2023, the decision came after the picture had already been completed. The studio intended to take a tax write-off, leaving the cast and crew with no clear path toward seeing their work released.
Source: IMDb
Forte recalled the period as “an emotional roller coaster,” particularly because supporters of the title continued pushing for its release online. At first, however, he did not believe the campaign would have an impact. “I didn’t think it would do anything,” the actor admitted.
That changed as the public pressure continued. “I was just like, ‘They’re not hearing you, it’s not going to make a difference.’ And then they just kept going and it’s because of them the movie’s out,” Forte stated.
The production eventually got another chance after Ketchup Entertainment acquired it in 2025. The distributor secured the rights for approximately $50 million, paving the way for a theatrical release after the project had spent years caught between cancellation and a possible sale,
For Forte, the experience became even more surreal once the film began receiving positive reviews. “I had given up on it and I can’t thank these people enough,” he said. “I always thought this movie was super special and the support from the community has meant so much.”
Forte also described the psychological toll of spending so long unsure whether audiences would ever see the finished project. “It’s made me feel sane; I felt gaslit for a while and their support, now the positive reviews coming out — [they] just make it feel like you’re not crazy.”
Now, “Coyote vs. Acme” is no longer a movie that exists only in stories about what might have been.
