Sorry, millennials, but Warner Bros. Discovery does not care about your nostalgia. A week after announcing the sunsetting of the Boomerang website (effective September 30), Wbd has quietly shut down the Cartoon Network website. It now invites visitors to subscribe to Max for $9.99 a month.
Those who still have a cable subscription, however, can blithely continue watching Boomerang and Cartoon Network programming, making us question why we ever cut cords to begin with.
“We are focusing on the Cartoon Network shows and social media where we find consumers are the most engaged and there is a meaningful potential for growth,” a Cartoon Network spokesperson told IndieWire on August 9. “While we have closed some digital products, fans can continue to interact with Cartoon Network via the Cartoon Network app as well as select TV providers apps on platforms including mobile and connected devices like Roku, Apple TV, and Amazon and via social platforms YouTube,...
Those who still have a cable subscription, however, can blithely continue watching Boomerang and Cartoon Network programming, making us question why we ever cut cords to begin with.
“We are focusing on the Cartoon Network shows and social media where we find consumers are the most engaged and there is a meaningful potential for growth,” a Cartoon Network spokesperson told IndieWire on August 9. “While we have closed some digital products, fans can continue to interact with Cartoon Network via the Cartoon Network app as well as select TV providers apps on platforms including mobile and connected devices like Roku, Apple TV, and Amazon and via social platforms YouTube,...
- 8/9/2024
- by Mark Peikert
- Indiewire
Mystery Inc. rides again! Variety is reporting that the long-running "Scooby-Doo" franchise may be making a leap back to the live-action world, this time courtesy of Netflix. Sources tell the outlet that, unlike past versions of the Hanna-Barbera-created franchise, the new series won't be a comedic mystery but a one-hour drama series. Warner Bros. Television, which has been responsible for other dark teen-centric Netflix shows like "Chilling Adventures of Sabrina" and "Dead Boy Detectives," is set to produce.
Though the deal apparently isn't set in stone yet, the untitled "Scooby-Doo" live-action project is apparently in talks to receive a script-to-series commitment, with the team from Arrowverse maestro Greg Berlanti's Berlanti Productions (which also helped bring the two above titles to life) set to produce. Josh Appelbaum and Scott Rosenberg, the creative duo that co-executive produced shows like Hulu's "High Fidelity" and MGM+'s underrated "From," are set to...
Though the deal apparently isn't set in stone yet, the untitled "Scooby-Doo" live-action project is apparently in talks to receive a script-to-series commitment, with the team from Arrowverse maestro Greg Berlanti's Berlanti Productions (which also helped bring the two above titles to life) set to produce. Josh Appelbaum and Scott Rosenberg, the creative duo that co-executive produced shows like Hulu's "High Fidelity" and MGM+'s underrated "From," are set to...
- 4/29/2024
- by Valerie Ettenhofer
- Slash Film
After Warner Bros. Discovery seemingly dropped the final anvil on the head of “Coyote vs. Acme,” screenwriter Samy Burch is speaking out about the shelved film.
Burch told IndieWire’s Vincent Perella on the red carpet for the 2024 Oscars that the conversation is “ongoing” about whether or not the film will see the light of day.
“As far as I know, it’s ongoing,” Burch said. “I think we’re all pretty heartbroken about it. We hope it will somehow find its home and not end up stuck in a vault for the rest of time. That would be a great resolution.”
While the story outline for the feature was reportedly leaked via Paste Bin in early March 2024, Warner Bros. has yet to officially announce the fate of the completed live-action and cartoon hybrid film. John Cena and Will Forte star in the film which was at first announced as...
Burch told IndieWire’s Vincent Perella on the red carpet for the 2024 Oscars that the conversation is “ongoing” about whether or not the film will see the light of day.
“As far as I know, it’s ongoing,” Burch said. “I think we’re all pretty heartbroken about it. We hope it will somehow find its home and not end up stuck in a vault for the rest of time. That would be a great resolution.”
While the story outline for the feature was reportedly leaked via Paste Bin in early March 2024, Warner Bros. has yet to officially announce the fate of the completed live-action and cartoon hybrid film. John Cena and Will Forte star in the film which was at first announced as...
- 3/10/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson and Vincent Perella
- Indiewire
“Coyote vs. Acme” star Will Forte has broken his silence on Warner Bros.’ shelving of the completed but unlikely-to-be-released Looney Tunes movie. Forte posted a statement to social media addressed to the film’s cast and crew on Thursday, praising their work on the “incredible” film.
“I know a lot of you haven’t gotten a chance to see our movie,” wrote Forte, who stars in the live-action/animated hybrid comedy as Wile E. Coyote’s attorney. “And sadly, it’s looking like you never will.”
“When I first heard that our movie was getting ‘deleted,’ I hadn’t seen it yet,” he continued. “So I was thinking what everyone else must have been thinking: this thing must be a hunk of junk. But then I saw it. And it’s incredible.”
“Super funny throughout, visually stunning, sweet, sincere, and emotionally resonant in a very earned way,” the “Saturday Night Live” alum wrote.
“I know a lot of you haven’t gotten a chance to see our movie,” wrote Forte, who stars in the live-action/animated hybrid comedy as Wile E. Coyote’s attorney. “And sadly, it’s looking like you never will.”
“When I first heard that our movie was getting ‘deleted,’ I hadn’t seen it yet,” he continued. “So I was thinking what everyone else must have been thinking: this thing must be a hunk of junk. But then I saw it. And it’s incredible.”
“Super funny throughout, visually stunning, sweet, sincere, and emotionally resonant in a very earned way,” the “Saturday Night Live” alum wrote.
- 2/29/2024
- by Liam Mathews
- Gold Derby
Will Forte is applauding the “Coyote vs. Acme” cast and crew, especially since the film is indefinitely shelved by Warner Bros. Discovery.
Forte issued a social media statement (below) that cited his “confusion and frustration” over the Looney Tunes cartoon live-action hybrid movie being effectively canceled by Wbd.
“Super funny throughout, visually stunning, sweet, sincere, and emotionally resonant in a very earned way. As the credits rolled, I just sat there thinking how lucky I was to be part of something so special,” Forte wrote. “That quickly turned to confusion and frustration. This was the movie they’re not going to release?”
The film was written by Oscar-nominated “May December” scribe Samy Burch and stars Forte and John Cena. “Coyote vs. Acme” completed production in New Mexico in 2022 and was set to start streaming on Wbd’s platform Max on July 21. James Gunn produced the feature and also received a story credit.
Forte issued a social media statement (below) that cited his “confusion and frustration” over the Looney Tunes cartoon live-action hybrid movie being effectively canceled by Wbd.
“Super funny throughout, visually stunning, sweet, sincere, and emotionally resonant in a very earned way. As the credits rolled, I just sat there thinking how lucky I was to be part of something so special,” Forte wrote. “That quickly turned to confusion and frustration. This was the movie they’re not going to release?”
The film was written by Oscar-nominated “May December” scribe Samy Burch and stars Forte and John Cena. “Coyote vs. Acme” completed production in New Mexico in 2022 and was set to start streaming on Wbd’s platform Max on July 21. James Gunn produced the feature and also received a story credit.
- 2/29/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav is facing intense criticism yet again after the studio disclosed $115 million in abandoned film write-downs in an earnings report on Friday. The news renewed outrage over Zaslav’s strategy of canceling projects for tax benefits, with fans calling for his ousting. The write-offs likely include the scrapped $70 million film Coyote vs. Acme. Warner Bros. initially planned to release the animated Looney Tunes spinoff theatrically in 2023, before new animation leadership decided to shelve it.
Warner Bros. Faces Major Backlash Over $115 Million Tax Write-Downs
Coyote vs. Acme
Director Dave Green blasted the “devastating” decision last November. After backlash, Warner Bros. allowed him to shop the finished film to other distributors, but its fate remains uncertain. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the $115 million write-down disclosure suggests Coyote vs. Acme is permanently canceled.
Many are expressing anger at Zaslav and Warner Bros. for repeatedly scrapping films solely for tax benefits.
Warner Bros. Faces Major Backlash Over $115 Million Tax Write-Downs
Coyote vs. Acme
Director Dave Green blasted the “devastating” decision last November. After backlash, Warner Bros. allowed him to shop the finished film to other distributors, but its fate remains uncertain. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the $115 million write-down disclosure suggests Coyote vs. Acme is permanently canceled.
Many are expressing anger at Zaslav and Warner Bros. for repeatedly scrapping films solely for tax benefits.
- 2/24/2024
- by Nivedita Dubey
- FandomWire
It’s no secret that Hollywood studios often employ big names and flashy announcements in order to create hype and distract from negative press. Warner Bros. might be hoping for that. By dangling the tantalizing prospect of a Tom Cruise-Quentin Tarantino collaboration in front of fans, they will mitigate the blow of scrapped projects like Coyote vs. Acme & Batgirl.
According to Variety, Warner Bros. is making big investments in projects by Tom Cruise and Quentin Tarantino, in addition to Joker 2. But are they luring these powerful figures in Hollywood with their own sinister motives?
In recent years, many assumed WB would become a studio non-grata, especially after Discovery purchased the studio and put CEO David Zaslav at the top of the apex, canceling completed films like Batgirl and Coyote vs. Acme. Why? Because the tax incentives were too good to resist.
Tom Cruise in Top Gun: Maverick
Well,...
According to Variety, Warner Bros. is making big investments in projects by Tom Cruise and Quentin Tarantino, in addition to Joker 2. But are they luring these powerful figures in Hollywood with their own sinister motives?
In recent years, many assumed WB would become a studio non-grata, especially after Discovery purchased the studio and put CEO David Zaslav at the top of the apex, canceling completed films like Batgirl and Coyote vs. Acme. Why? Because the tax incentives were too good to resist.
Tom Cruise in Top Gun: Maverick
Well,...
- 2/22/2024
- by Siddhika Prajapati
- FandomWire
Iain Armitage is opening up about the end of Young Sheldon.
The hit CBS series, which is a spinoff of The Big Bang Theory, is ending after season seven, which is currently ending.
In a new interview, Iain, now 15, looked back at auditioning for the role of Sheldon Cooper when he was just 8-years-old and revealed what the future holds for him when the show ends.
Keep reading to find out more…“It’s been half my life, which is kind of wild to think about, but just so fun, so wonderful, and I couldn’t have asked for a better way to grow up,” Iain shared with People.
“Every single person I get to work with, I feel so honored to get to be working with and get to be their costar or … get to be part of their work and part of their livelihood,” he added.
Next up,...
The hit CBS series, which is a spinoff of The Big Bang Theory, is ending after season seven, which is currently ending.
In a new interview, Iain, now 15, looked back at auditioning for the role of Sheldon Cooper when he was just 8-years-old and revealed what the future holds for him when the show ends.
Keep reading to find out more…“It’s been half my life, which is kind of wild to think about, but just so fun, so wonderful, and I couldn’t have asked for a better way to grow up,” Iain shared with People.
“Every single person I get to work with, I feel so honored to get to be working with and get to be their costar or … get to be part of their work and part of their livelihood,” he added.
Next up,...
- 2/16/2024
- by Just Jared
- Just Jared
Last week, Netflix did what is unfortunately becoming common practice around Hollywood: They killed a nearly completed movie, Halle Berry’s sci-fi title The Mothership.
Essentially, the Matthew Charman-directed movie was in postproduction, and for all the changes that were required, it would have been impossible to do reshoots on the title completed in 2021 due to the child actors who are now grown up.
No bruised eyes: Reportedly, MRC and the pic’s producers Automatik were fully onboard with the decision, with Netflix pointing out that they’re still in business with Berry on an upcoming Mark Wahlberg action title The Union (August 16), not to mention the streamer has a film deal with the Best Actress Oscar winner.
While it’s been a motif for the David Zaslav-run Warner Bros Discovery to kill movies at Netflix, Chief Content Officer Bela Bajaria says,...
Essentially, the Matthew Charman-directed movie was in postproduction, and for all the changes that were required, it would have been impossible to do reshoots on the title completed in 2021 due to the child actors who are now grown up.
No bruised eyes: Reportedly, MRC and the pic’s producers Automatik were fully onboard with the decision, with Netflix pointing out that they’re still in business with Berry on an upcoming Mark Wahlberg action title The Union (August 16), not to mention the streamer has a film deal with the Best Actress Oscar winner.
While it’s been a motif for the David Zaslav-run Warner Bros Discovery to kill movies at Netflix, Chief Content Officer Bela Bajaria says,...
- 2/1/2024
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Could The Mothership have been 2024’s Ex Machina? We’ll never know, as the alien farm drama joins Batgirl in the dustbin of write-offs
Why would you scrap a movie that is all but finished before anyone except studio suits have had a chance to see it? The answer, for Hollywood bigwigs, is a tax write-off. In the last 18 months, Warner Bros has deleted a live-action Looney Tunes riff, Coyote vs Acme; the animated adventure Scoob! Holiday Haunt; and, most infamously, the $90m DC Extended Universe flick Batgirl. Now Netflix seems to be getting in on the act with news this week that the Halle Berry-led sci-fi tale The Mothership is also being axed before critics have had the chance to view it. Has it also fallen victim to the twisted machinations of nefarious accountants?
It’s probably fair to say that a cheesy-sounding Scooby Doo episode and a...
Why would you scrap a movie that is all but finished before anyone except studio suits have had a chance to see it? The answer, for Hollywood bigwigs, is a tax write-off. In the last 18 months, Warner Bros has deleted a live-action Looney Tunes riff, Coyote vs Acme; the animated adventure Scoob! Holiday Haunt; and, most infamously, the $90m DC Extended Universe flick Batgirl. Now Netflix seems to be getting in on the act with news this week that the Halle Berry-led sci-fi tale The Mothership is also being axed before critics have had the chance to view it. Has it also fallen victim to the twisted machinations of nefarious accountants?
It’s probably fair to say that a cheesy-sounding Scooby Doo episode and a...
- 1/26/2024
- by Ben Child
- The Guardian - Film News
Back in 2021, a Netflix production called The Mothership was filmed with Halle Berry in the lead role and Bridge of Spies writer Matthew Charman at the helm, making his feature directorial debut. Unfortunately, there have been “multiple delays in post-production” for unspecified reasons… and now Variety has confirmed that Netflix has made the decision to scrap the film instead of completing post-production.
Most people thought it was a questionable move when Warner Bros. decided to scrap the films Coyote vs. Acme, Batgirl, and Scoob! Holiday Haunt for the purpose of tax write-offs, but apparently Netflix thought it was a good idea, since they’ve decided to do the same thing with this project.
If we had the chance to watch The Mothership, we would have found that the story of the sci-fi movie took place one year after the husband of Berry’s character mysteriously vanishes from their rural farm.
Most people thought it was a questionable move when Warner Bros. decided to scrap the films Coyote vs. Acme, Batgirl, and Scoob! Holiday Haunt for the purpose of tax write-offs, but apparently Netflix thought it was a good idea, since they’ve decided to do the same thing with this project.
If we had the chance to watch The Mothership, we would have found that the story of the sci-fi movie took place one year after the husband of Berry’s character mysteriously vanishes from their rural farm.
- 1/25/2024
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Netflix has scrapped the release of Halle Berry's sci-fi film 'The Mothership'.The movie had finished filming back in 2021 but was unable to be completed after a number of delays in post-production, leading the streaming giant to axe the picture altogether.According to The InSneider, the film still required plenty of reshoots and one of the children in the flick had aged significantly since filming had first wrapped.'The Mothership' is the latest Hollywood film not to be released even though filming had finished after Warner Bros. axed three movies – 'Coyote vs. Acme', 'Scoob! Holiday Haunt' and the DC adventure 'Batgirl' – for financial reasons in recent years.The plot follows Sara Morse (Berry) and takes place a year after her husband's mysterious disappearance from their rural farm.When Sara and her children find an extraterrestrial object underneath their home, they hope that it...
- 1/25/2024
- by Joe Graber
- Bang Showbiz
Netflix has shelved Halle Berry sci-fi The Mothership, Screen understands.
Production on the film wrapped in 2021 however the streamer elected not to continue after multiple delays in post-production.
The film centres on a mother who uncovers an alien object under her farmhouse which may solve the mystery of her husband’s disappearance a year prior. MRC was producing the film and Matthew Charman was the director.
The Mothership joins a line of Hollywood films which have been axed despite wrapping production. Warner Bros did this with its DC feature Batgirl, as well as animation Scoob! Holiday Haunt, and Coyote vs. Acme.
Production on the film wrapped in 2021 however the streamer elected not to continue after multiple delays in post-production.
The film centres on a mother who uncovers an alien object under her farmhouse which may solve the mystery of her husband’s disappearance a year prior. MRC was producing the film and Matthew Charman was the director.
The Mothership joins a line of Hollywood films which have been axed despite wrapping production. Warner Bros did this with its DC feature Batgirl, as well as animation Scoob! Holiday Haunt, and Coyote vs. Acme.
- 1/25/2024
- ScreenDaily
Netflix has scrapped the release of “The Mothership,” a science-fiction film starring Halle Berry.
The movie finished filming in 2021, but it couldn’t be completed after multiple delays in post-production, Variety has confirmed.
“The Mothership” is the latest Hollywood movie to disappear even though filming had wrapped. Since 2022, Warner Bros. has axed three movies — John Cena’s “Coyote vs. Acme,” the $90 million budgeted DC adventure “Batgirl” and the animated “Scoob! Holiday Haunt” — for the purpose of tax write-offs.
“Bridge of Spies” writer Matthew Charman directed “The Mothership,” which takes place one year after the husband of Berry’s character mysteriously vanishes from their rural farm. Now a single mother, Sara Morse and her children discover an extraterrestrial object underneath their home. It (hopefully) leads them to discover the truth about the patriarch’s disappearance. Molly Parker and Omari Hardwick round out the cast.
Berry will continue to work with Netflix...
The movie finished filming in 2021, but it couldn’t be completed after multiple delays in post-production, Variety has confirmed.
“The Mothership” is the latest Hollywood movie to disappear even though filming had wrapped. Since 2022, Warner Bros. has axed three movies — John Cena’s “Coyote vs. Acme,” the $90 million budgeted DC adventure “Batgirl” and the animated “Scoob! Holiday Haunt” — for the purpose of tax write-offs.
“Bridge of Spies” writer Matthew Charman directed “The Mothership,” which takes place one year after the husband of Berry’s character mysteriously vanishes from their rural farm. Now a single mother, Sara Morse and her children discover an extraterrestrial object underneath their home. It (hopefully) leads them to discover the truth about the patriarch’s disappearance. Molly Parker and Omari Hardwick round out the cast.
Berry will continue to work with Netflix...
- 1/24/2024
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
After Warner Bros. Pictures announced the cancelation of the film Coyote Vs. Acme, the studio has decided to change course and un-cancel the film.
The film’s director, Dave Green, will now be allowed to sell the film to another distributor for a theatrical or streaming release.
Warner Bros. is currently hosting screenings for Amazon Prime Video, Apple and Netflix.
The upcoming hybrid live-action/animated movie was set to suffer the same fate as Batgirl and Scoob!: Holiday Haunt, by being pulled from the release schedule to take tax write-downs from last year.
The company received extensive criticism for canceling the films.
Many filmmakers canceled upcoming meetings with the studio once word got out about Coyote Vs. Acme being shelved.
Green and several more of the film’s crew members expressed their disappointment, as well.
The director wrote about his feelings in a post on X.
“For three years, I...
The film’s director, Dave Green, will now be allowed to sell the film to another distributor for a theatrical or streaming release.
Warner Bros. is currently hosting screenings for Amazon Prime Video, Apple and Netflix.
The upcoming hybrid live-action/animated movie was set to suffer the same fate as Batgirl and Scoob!: Holiday Haunt, by being pulled from the release schedule to take tax write-downs from last year.
The company received extensive criticism for canceling the films.
Many filmmakers canceled upcoming meetings with the studio once word got out about Coyote Vs. Acme being shelved.
Green and several more of the film’s crew members expressed their disappointment, as well.
The director wrote about his feelings in a post on X.
“For three years, I...
- 12/15/2023
- by Alessio Atria
- Uinterview
Warner Bros Discovery boss David Zaslav isn’t backing down over the decision to basically ‘delete’ the Batgirl film in 2022.
Uh-oh. Every time the Batgirl bonfire looks like it’s about to go out, along comes someone to pour a few more gallons of fuel onto it. In this case, once again, it’s the divisive boss of Warner Bros Discovery, David Zaslav.
The brief story so far. The movie Batgirl was coming towards the end of post-production when the decision was made to can the movie. Test screenings had been positive, but Warner Bros nonetheless took the decision to effectively delete the pretty much completed movie, and take the tax write-off money instead.
Leslie Grace was in the lead role, with Brendan Fraser, Michael Keaton and J K Simmons in supporting roles.
Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah were directing, from a screenplay by Christina Hodson. But nobody’s allowed to see the film,...
Uh-oh. Every time the Batgirl bonfire looks like it’s about to go out, along comes someone to pour a few more gallons of fuel onto it. In this case, once again, it’s the divisive boss of Warner Bros Discovery, David Zaslav.
The brief story so far. The movie Batgirl was coming towards the end of post-production when the decision was made to can the movie. Test screenings had been positive, but Warner Bros nonetheless took the decision to effectively delete the pretty much completed movie, and take the tax write-off money instead.
Leslie Grace was in the lead role, with Brendan Fraser, Michael Keaton and J K Simmons in supporting roles.
Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah were directing, from a screenplay by Christina Hodson. But nobody’s allowed to see the film,...
- 11/30/2023
- by Simon Brew
- Film Stories
Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav weighed in on the twin SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes and defended the company’s budget cuts — including shelving completed films “Batgirl” and “Coyote vs. Acme” — as requiring “courage” to right-size its balance sheet.
Zaslav, speaking Wednesday at the New York Times’ DealBook Summit, reiterated to moderator Andrew Ross Sorkin that with respect to the strikes, he was focused on achieving a resolution as soon as possible.
“I think the idea of going on strike was bad for all of us,” he said. “My focus was on, we need to settle the strike, every day that we were on strike and people weren’t working was a bad day for us.”
Zaslav recently was quoted in a New York Times piece as saying the WGA was “right about almost everything.” Asked about that at the DealBook event, the CEO stuck by his previous comment and...
Zaslav, speaking Wednesday at the New York Times’ DealBook Summit, reiterated to moderator Andrew Ross Sorkin that with respect to the strikes, he was focused on achieving a resolution as soon as possible.
“I think the idea of going on strike was bad for all of us,” he said. “My focus was on, we need to settle the strike, every day that we were on strike and people weren’t working was a bad day for us.”
Zaslav recently was quoted in a New York Times piece as saying the WGA was “right about almost everything.” Asked about that at the DealBook event, the CEO stuck by his previous comment and...
- 11/29/2023
- by Todd Spangler
- Variety Film + TV
It took real “courage” for Warner Bros. Discovery to cancel completed movies like “Batgirl” and “Coyote vs. Acme,” CEO David Zaslav said at a conference today.
Speaking at the New York Times DealBook Summit on November 29, the executive defended the company’s moves to shelve films for tax write-downs, despite the outcry from the creative community back the first time they did it with “Batgirl” and again last month with the Looney Tunes hybrid animated feature “Coyote vs. Acme.” “We decided that we had to have courage,” Zaslav told the Times’ Andrew Ross Sorkin.
Both “Coyote vs. Acme” and “Batgirl,” along with “Scoob! Holiday Haunt,” were completed films that had been shown to audiences in test screenings. “Coyote vs. Acme” had a budget in the $70 million range, and “Batgirl” cost about $90 million. Each were originally intended for streaming and were greenlit by the prior regime before Zaslav took over. Rather...
Speaking at the New York Times DealBook Summit on November 29, the executive defended the company’s moves to shelve films for tax write-downs, despite the outcry from the creative community back the first time they did it with “Batgirl” and again last month with the Looney Tunes hybrid animated feature “Coyote vs. Acme.” “We decided that we had to have courage,” Zaslav told the Times’ Andrew Ross Sorkin.
Both “Coyote vs. Acme” and “Batgirl,” along with “Scoob! Holiday Haunt,” were completed films that had been shown to audiences in test screenings. “Coyote vs. Acme” had a budget in the $70 million range, and “Batgirl” cost about $90 million. Each were originally intended for streaming and were greenlit by the prior regime before Zaslav took over. Rather...
- 11/29/2023
- by Brian Welk
- Indiewire
Warner Bros. Discovery’s streaming platform Max caused a bit of stir on Monday when it sent out its list of films and television series being added to and leaving the service in December. Included on the list of shows being taken off Max was “Looney Tunes,” one of the studio’s most cherished properties. The news sent “Looney Tunes” fans and Max subscribers into a frenzy on social media, with many infuriated at Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav for seemingly stripping Max of “Looney Tunes” content after his recent decision to scrap the “Looney Tunes” movie “Coyote vs. Acme” despite filming being already completed.
Was this the latest step in the total erasure of “Looney Tunes” at Warner Bros. as many fans feared? Not at all, according to Max. The streaming service later sent out an updated list and the following statement: “Please note – a revised What’s...
Was this the latest step in the total erasure of “Looney Tunes” at Warner Bros. as many fans feared? Not at all, according to Max. The streaming service later sent out an updated list and the following statement: “Please note – a revised What’s...
- 11/28/2023
- by Zack Sharf
- Variety Film + TV
The animated feature film, “Coyote vs. Acme,” has never been more popular than it was last week, after Warner Bros. announced on Nov. 9 that it would shelve the completed $70 million film for a tax write-off, despite claims by some directors who saw it that the film had tested strongly.
But it might not make the studio so popular, as the move is being seen in the creative community as another bait and switch after the cancellation of last year’s “Batgirl.”
“I think it’s absolute bullshit that a studio can and does shelve the creative work of hundreds of people for a fucking tax break,” director Scott Derrickson wrote on X, noting a reason that circulated widely on social media even though the studio denied it.
The response on social media to Warner Bros.’ decision to shelve the film was uniformly intense, with top directors like Derrickson and Phil Lord...
But it might not make the studio so popular, as the move is being seen in the creative community as another bait and switch after the cancellation of last year’s “Batgirl.”
“I think it’s absolute bullshit that a studio can and does shelve the creative work of hundreds of people for a fucking tax break,” director Scott Derrickson wrote on X, noting a reason that circulated widely on social media even though the studio denied it.
The response on social media to Warner Bros.’ decision to shelve the film was uniformly intense, with top directors like Derrickson and Phil Lord...
- 11/20/2023
- by Kristen Lopez
- The Wrap
“I’ve never regretted overpaying for great talent or a great asset,” mogul tells Nyt.
Six weeks after the end of the Hollywood writers strike Warner Bros Discovery CEO David Zaslav has said the union was right and expressed no regrets “overpaying” for the new three-year contract.
“They are right about almost everything,” Zaslav told The New York Times in ’How David Zaslav Blew Up Hollywood’ a far-reaching interview published on Wednesday. “So what if we overpay? I’ve never regretted overpaying for great talent or a great asset.”
The Writers Guild of America (WGA) contract is estimated to cost...
Six weeks after the end of the Hollywood writers strike Warner Bros Discovery CEO David Zaslav has said the union was right and expressed no regrets “overpaying” for the new three-year contract.
“They are right about almost everything,” Zaslav told The New York Times in ’How David Zaslav Blew Up Hollywood’ a far-reaching interview published on Wednesday. “So what if we overpay? I’ve never regretted overpaying for great talent or a great asset.”
The Writers Guild of America (WGA) contract is estimated to cost...
- 11/15/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
In a new New York Times profile about the last 18 tumultuous months at Warner Bros. Discovery, company CFO Gunnar Wiedenfels said “you don’t make friends” via the studio’s now-infamous cost-cutting approach. His boss, CEO David Zaslav, certainly has not.
Take the comments Zaslav gave the Nyt about the WGA strike. No sooner than he seemed to start courting the creative class he needs to fuel his company’s future, the CEO steps in it by implying the same scribes might now be overpaid: “So what if we overpay? I’ve never regretted overpaying for great talent or a great asset.”
Nice negging. Yes, he’s calling those he says he’s overpaying “a great talent,” but he’s also suggesting they’re not worth the pricepoint — at least that’s the way it’s being taken by many, and perhaps that’s all that matters. Paging Dale Carnegie...
Take the comments Zaslav gave the Nyt about the WGA strike. No sooner than he seemed to start courting the creative class he needs to fuel his company’s future, the CEO steps in it by implying the same scribes might now be overpaid: “So what if we overpay? I’ve never regretted overpaying for great talent or a great asset.”
Nice negging. Yes, he’s calling those he says he’s overpaying “a great talent,” but he’s also suggesting they’re not worth the pricepoint — at least that’s the way it’s being taken by many, and perhaps that’s all that matters. Paging Dale Carnegie...
- 11/15/2023
- by Christian Blauvelt
- Indiewire
Warner Bros. Discovery boss David Zaslav now admits that striking writers were correct in their demands for sweeping changes in how creatives are compensated in Hollywood.
Zaslav told The New York Times in a lengthy new profile that he has no regrets about the deal struck between studios and the Writers Guild of America for a new three-year contract on Sept. 24.
“They are right about almost everything,” Zaslav said. “So what if we overpay? I’ve never regretted overpaying for great talent or a great asset.”
In the deal, writers received an increase in pay, minimum show staffing requirements and protections against artificial intelligence, among other gains. Yet studios resisted the writers’ demands for months, resulting in a strike that lasted a brutal 148 days and brought the industry to a near halt. In July, Disney chief Bob Iger called the writers’ proposed changes in compensation “unrealistic.”
Zaslav’s suggestion that...
Zaslav told The New York Times in a lengthy new profile that he has no regrets about the deal struck between studios and the Writers Guild of America for a new three-year contract on Sept. 24.
“They are right about almost everything,” Zaslav said. “So what if we overpay? I’ve never regretted overpaying for great talent or a great asset.”
In the deal, writers received an increase in pay, minimum show staffing requirements and protections against artificial intelligence, among other gains. Yet studios resisted the writers’ demands for months, resulting in a strike that lasted a brutal 148 days and brought the industry to a near halt. In July, Disney chief Bob Iger called the writers’ proposed changes in compensation “unrealistic.”
Zaslav’s suggestion that...
- 11/15/2023
- by James Hibberd
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Oscar-winning filmmakers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller have given the much-talked-about Coyote vs. Acme his seal of approval, describing the film as “delightful.”
Lord and Miller, the producers behind the animated hits Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and The Lego Movie franchise, took to X on Tuesday night to reveal that they had seen Coyote and attested to its quality.
“I saw Coyote Vs Acme and it’s delightful,” Miller tweeted. “Funny, charming, good physical comedy timing, with a surprising amount of heart. I hope several studios go after it so the world can see all the good work people did.”
“Coyote Vs Acme is wonderful. @dgreenmachine nails it,” Lord tweeted. “Hilarious smart existential and moving and makes this all-time character more relevant than ever.
Lord and Miller, the producers behind the animated hits Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and The Lego Movie franchise, took to X on Tuesday night to reveal that they had seen Coyote and attested to its quality.
“I saw Coyote Vs Acme and it’s delightful,” Miller tweeted. “Funny, charming, good physical comedy timing, with a surprising amount of heart. I hope several studios go after it so the world can see all the good work people did.”
“Coyote Vs Acme is wonderful. @dgreenmachine nails it,” Lord tweeted. “Hilarious smart existential and moving and makes this all-time character more relevant than ever.
- 11/15/2023
- by Abid Rahman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
There’s been an exciting new development for the already filmed movie Coyote vs Acme!
The live-action/animated hybrid movie, based on characters from the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoons, was revealed to be scrapped by Warner Bros Discovery just last week, after it was already filmed about a year and a half ago.
Now, it’s being reported that the upcoming film will be getting a second chance at release, unlike Scoob! Holiday Haunt and Batgirl.
Get more details inside…
Puck News was first to report that the decision to scrap the movie has been reversed after backlash broke out online following the news it was being shelved.
After the news came out, several filmmakers and showrunners spoke out about how good the movie was after seeing early test screenings of it.
Now, Warner Bros is said to be setting up screenings for distributors/streaming services like Prime Video,...
The live-action/animated hybrid movie, based on characters from the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoons, was revealed to be scrapped by Warner Bros Discovery just last week, after it was already filmed about a year and a half ago.
Now, it’s being reported that the upcoming film will be getting a second chance at release, unlike Scoob! Holiday Haunt and Batgirl.
Get more details inside…
Puck News was first to report that the decision to scrap the movie has been reversed after backlash broke out online following the news it was being shelved.
After the news came out, several filmmakers and showrunners spoke out about how good the movie was after seeing early test screenings of it.
Now, Warner Bros is said to be setting up screenings for distributors/streaming services like Prime Video,...
- 11/15/2023
- by Just Jared
- Just Jared
Congressman Joaquin Castro has taken to X/Twitter to call out Warner Bros. Discovery for planning to shelve the completed film “Coyote vs. Acme” for the sake of receiving a $30 million tax break. Amid backlash against the studio, Wbd has since put the film on the market in an effort to shop it to other potential distributors.
“The @Wbd tactic of scrapping fully made films for tax breaks is predatory and anti-competitive,” Castro wrote on X. “As the Justice Department and @FTC revise their antitrust guidelines they should review this conduct.”
The Texas Democrat concluded his message by saying, “As someone remarked, it’s like burning down a building for the insurance money.”
“Coyote vs. Acme” is a live-action animation hybrid from Wbd’s “Looney Tunes” universe, featuring Lana Condor and John Cena. Shooting concluded in 2022 with a $70 million budget.
“Coyote vs. Acme” marks the third instance in less than...
“The @Wbd tactic of scrapping fully made films for tax breaks is predatory and anti-competitive,” Castro wrote on X. “As the Justice Department and @FTC revise their antitrust guidelines they should review this conduct.”
The Texas Democrat concluded his message by saying, “As someone remarked, it’s like burning down a building for the insurance money.”
“Coyote vs. Acme” is a live-action animation hybrid from Wbd’s “Looney Tunes” universe, featuring Lana Condor and John Cena. Shooting concluded in 2022 with a $70 million budget.
“Coyote vs. Acme” marks the third instance in less than...
- 11/14/2023
- by Jaden Thompson
- Variety Film + TV
A congressman is calling for a federal investigation of Warner Bros. for its handling of Coyote vs. Acme.
Texas Rep. Joaquin Castro took to X to blast the studio for its original plan to shelve the movie for a tax break.
“The Wbd tactic of scrapping fully made films for tax breaks is predatory and anti-competitive,” the San Antonio Democrat wrote. “As the Justice Department and @FTC revise their antitrust guidelines they should review this conduct. As someone remarked, it’s like burning down a building for the insurance money.”
Warners has since reversed its decision amid industry backlash and decided to try and shop the film to other studios and streamers. But the studio previously went through with shelving the movies Batgirl and Scoob! Holiday Haunt for tax write-offs last year.
Castro has been vocal on antitrust issues in media and entertainment. In April, he called on the competition...
Texas Rep. Joaquin Castro took to X to blast the studio for its original plan to shelve the movie for a tax break.
“The Wbd tactic of scrapping fully made films for tax breaks is predatory and anti-competitive,” the San Antonio Democrat wrote. “As the Justice Department and @FTC revise their antitrust guidelines they should review this conduct. As someone remarked, it’s like burning down a building for the insurance money.”
Warners has since reversed its decision amid industry backlash and decided to try and shop the film to other studios and streamers. But the studio previously went through with shelving the movies Batgirl and Scoob! Holiday Haunt for tax write-offs last year.
Castro has been vocal on antitrust issues in media and entertainment. In April, he called on the competition...
- 11/14/2023
- by James Hibberd and Winston Cho
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group and investment firm Domain Capital announced that they have inked a multi-year, co-financing agreement spanning multiple years that “reflects Warner Bros. expanded focus of theatrical films as the company continues to grow its diverse slate of movies across every genre for audiences across the globe.”
The new arrangement included Barbie — released in July — and will continue with the studio’s major tentpoles including Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, Wonka and The Color Purple. The time frame of the deal wasn’t released.
The news comes after Wbd reported mixed quarterly earnings last week with a glum advertising outlook, and as the company led by David Zazlav is making headlines over Coyote Vs Acme. Wbd planned to axe the finished Looney Tunes film but after an uproar from the filmmakers and creative community it decided instead to shop it around and is holding screenings. The studio...
The new arrangement included Barbie — released in July — and will continue with the studio’s major tentpoles including Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, Wonka and The Color Purple. The time frame of the deal wasn’t released.
The news comes after Wbd reported mixed quarterly earnings last week with a glum advertising outlook, and as the company led by David Zazlav is making headlines over Coyote Vs Acme. Wbd planned to axe the finished Looney Tunes film but after an uproar from the filmmakers and creative community it decided instead to shop it around and is holding screenings. The studio...
- 11/14/2023
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
Wbd has made headlines more than once in the past year for shelving projects that were essentially complete in favor of tax benefits.
Warner Bros. Discovery may have a crack legal team, but it would almost certainly prefer its name stop coming up in connection with governmental investigations. For example, in spring of this year a group of congresspeople asked the Department of Justice to investigate the company for anti-competitive business practices.
Texas Congressman Joaquin Castro is calling for a look into Wbd’s habit of shelving already-finished projects for tax benefits. Wbd tried to kill the animated Looney Tunes movie “Coyote vs. Acme,” before reversing course after backlash. Castro calls the practice “outright hostile” to content creators, as Wbd attempys to right its financial ship through essentially any methods necessary. 7-Day Free Trial $9.99+ / month Max via amazon.com
Get 20% Off Your Next Year of Max When Pre-Paid Annually
Why is Wbd Under Fire From Congress?...
Warner Bros. Discovery may have a crack legal team, but it would almost certainly prefer its name stop coming up in connection with governmental investigations. For example, in spring of this year a group of congresspeople asked the Department of Justice to investigate the company for anti-competitive business practices.
Texas Congressman Joaquin Castro is calling for a look into Wbd’s habit of shelving already-finished projects for tax benefits. Wbd tried to kill the animated Looney Tunes movie “Coyote vs. Acme,” before reversing course after backlash. Castro calls the practice “outright hostile” to content creators, as Wbd attempys to right its financial ship through essentially any methods necessary. 7-Day Free Trial $9.99+ / month Max via amazon.com
Get 20% Off Your Next Year of Max When Pre-Paid Annually
Why is Wbd Under Fire From Congress?...
- 11/14/2023
- by David Satin
- The Streamable
Warner Bros might finally be learning to undelete films following its Coyote Vs Acme debacle: now it should revisit its disastrous cull of Batgirl and Scoob! 2.
It’s been a difficult week for Warner Bros Discovery, in a year that’s not been shy of them. Not that filmmakers and film fans are offering much sympathy for the company, which is in danger of making a habit of canning completed films.
The story so far.
Following its 2022 decision to scrap both Batgirl and Scoob! 2: The Holiday Haunt, a pair of pretty much completed movies that collectively had cost over $120m to make, it threw the anvil last week on Coyote Vs Acme.
As film critic Robbie Collin wrote on whatever Twitter’s called now, “Why would anyone work for a studio that makes a habit of this?”
And that’s the problem. Doing it once? A nasty one-off. Twice?...
It’s been a difficult week for Warner Bros Discovery, in a year that’s not been shy of them. Not that filmmakers and film fans are offering much sympathy for the company, which is in danger of making a habit of canning completed films.
The story so far.
Following its 2022 decision to scrap both Batgirl and Scoob! 2: The Holiday Haunt, a pair of pretty much completed movies that collectively had cost over $120m to make, it threw the anvil last week on Coyote Vs Acme.
As film critic Robbie Collin wrote on whatever Twitter’s called now, “Why would anyone work for a studio that makes a habit of this?”
And that’s the problem. Doing it once? A nasty one-off. Twice?...
- 11/14/2023
- by Simon Brew
- Film Stories
“Coyote vs. Acme” is officially on the market.
Days after Warner Bros. announced it’s shelving the completed Looney Tunes-inspired film as a $30 million tax write-off, the studio is letting the filmmakers shop “Coyote vs. Acme” to other distributors. Puck, a newsletter covering the industry, and Deadline first reported that screenings are being set up for Amazon Prime Video, Apple and Netflix to acquire the movie, which finished filming in 2022 and was intended to play in theaters.
Amazon and Netflix were active buyers during the pandemic as traditional studios were siphoning off films for extra cash, but nothing has been ironed out for “Coyote vs. Acme.” Sources familiar with negotiations say the movie hasn’t been screened yet. In these instances, rights go to the highest bidder. It’s unclear if another company would want to buy a movie that Warner Bros. deemed unworthy to release on the big or small screen.
Days after Warner Bros. announced it’s shelving the completed Looney Tunes-inspired film as a $30 million tax write-off, the studio is letting the filmmakers shop “Coyote vs. Acme” to other distributors. Puck, a newsletter covering the industry, and Deadline first reported that screenings are being set up for Amazon Prime Video, Apple and Netflix to acquire the movie, which finished filming in 2022 and was intended to play in theaters.
Amazon and Netflix were active buyers during the pandemic as traditional studios were siphoning off films for extra cash, but nothing has been ironed out for “Coyote vs. Acme.” Sources familiar with negotiations say the movie hasn’t been screened yet. In these instances, rights go to the highest bidder. It’s unclear if another company would want to buy a movie that Warner Bros. deemed unworthy to release on the big or small screen.
- 11/13/2023
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
In a significant backpedal, Warner Bros. has reversed its decision to shelve the completed Coyote vs. Acme film, and is now allowing an outside distributor to purchase the film after significant public protest, a source confirmed to Rolling Stone.
It’s been a quick turnaround from Thursday when it was first reported that Warner Bros. was using the live-action/animation hybrid starring John Cena and Lana Condor as an estimated $30 million tax write-off instead of moving ahead with a theatrical and/or streaming release.
After filmmakers and crew expressed their...
It’s been a quick turnaround from Thursday when it was first reported that Warner Bros. was using the live-action/animation hybrid starring John Cena and Lana Condor as an estimated $30 million tax write-off instead of moving ahead with a theatrical and/or streaming release.
After filmmakers and crew expressed their...
- 11/13/2023
- by Cheyenne Roundtree
- Rollingstone.com
“Coyote Vs. Acme” may have just dodged a fatal anvil.
The live-action/animated movie is getting a new shot at being released after Warner Bros. pulled the plug on the completed film. John Cena and Will Forte star in the Warner Bros. movie, with the studio announcing November 9 that it would be scrapped for a tax write-off for Warner Bros. Discovery’s Q3 earnings. The $70 million project was completed in New Mexico in 2022 and was set to stream on Max July 21. James Gunn produced the feature and was also credited with the story; “May December” screenwriter Samy Burch penned the script with Dave Green directing.
Now, Warner Bros. is allowing director Green to shop the movie to other potential distributors, as IndieWire confirmed. Puck first reported the news.
Per Puck, Warner Bros. film chiefs Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy, plus animation head Bill Damaschke, decided to let “Coyote Vs. Acme...
The live-action/animated movie is getting a new shot at being released after Warner Bros. pulled the plug on the completed film. John Cena and Will Forte star in the Warner Bros. movie, with the studio announcing November 9 that it would be scrapped for a tax write-off for Warner Bros. Discovery’s Q3 earnings. The $70 million project was completed in New Mexico in 2022 and was set to stream on Max July 21. James Gunn produced the feature and was also credited with the story; “May December” screenwriter Samy Burch penned the script with Dave Green directing.
Now, Warner Bros. is allowing director Green to shop the movie to other potential distributors, as IndieWire confirmed. Puck first reported the news.
Per Puck, Warner Bros. film chiefs Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy, plus animation head Bill Damaschke, decided to let “Coyote Vs. Acme...
- 11/13/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Warner Bros. will no longer be shelving the completed live-action/animation hybrid film “Coyote vs. Acme” after outcry from filmmakers and artists over the decision last week. Instead of taking a tax write-off on the movie, TheWrap has learned that the studio will now allow it to be shopped to other distributors, meaning it will hopefully see the light of day.
Warner Bros. had no comment.
The studio said last week that it was shelving the completed movie due to a shift in strategy. “With the relaunch of Warner Bros. Pictures Animation in June, the studio has shifted its global strategy to focus on theatrical releases,” a Warner Bros. spokesperson said at the time. “With this new direction, we have made the difficult decision not to move forward with ‘Coyote vs. Acme.’ We have tremendous respect for the filmmakers, casts, and crew, and are grateful for their contributions to the film.
Warner Bros. had no comment.
The studio said last week that it was shelving the completed movie due to a shift in strategy. “With the relaunch of Warner Bros. Pictures Animation in June, the studio has shifted its global strategy to focus on theatrical releases,” a Warner Bros. spokesperson said at the time. “With this new direction, we have made the difficult decision not to move forward with ‘Coyote vs. Acme.’ We have tremendous respect for the filmmakers, casts, and crew, and are grateful for their contributions to the film.
- 11/13/2023
- by Adam Chitwood
- The Wrap
Two Lost Doctor Who Episodes Have Been Found, But Their Guardians Are Too 'Terrified' To Return Them
"Doctor Who" has long been regarded as one of the pillars of science fiction television. Unfortunately, back in the 1960s and 1970s, the BBC regarded previously broadcast "Doctor Who" episodes as junk that was just taking up space, so the episodes were destroyed to make room for new programming. Some lost "Doctor Who" stories have since been recovered from collectors, overseas broadcasters, and -- in the case of two episodes of the serial "The Daleks' Master Plan" -- in the basement of a Mormon church. However, despite decades of searching, 97 episodes remain lost.
That number could be whittled down to 95, according to a new report by The Observer, but there's a problem. Film collector John Franklin, who knows the locations of the two missing episodes, says their guardians are afraid that if they come forward their precious mementos could be confiscated, and that they might even face criminal prosecution. The...
That number could be whittled down to 95, according to a new report by The Observer, but there's a problem. Film collector John Franklin, who knows the locations of the two missing episodes, says their guardians are afraid that if they come forward their precious mementos could be confiscated, and that they might even face criminal prosecution. The...
- 11/12/2023
- by Hannah Shaw-Williams
- Slash Film
The scrapped “Coyote Vs. Acme” has now garnered a filmmakers vs. Warner Bros. campaign on social media.
On private Facebook group Crew Stories, “Coyote Vs. Acme” crew member Nate Bannister posted (and gave IndieWire permission to quote) his frustration. “I was Key Alm [assistant location manager] on this movie, almost died of stress pulling all the permits, we closed down the entirety of downtown Albuquerque, I had to call in every favor of my career to close an overpass with a half a days notice, I got so many angry calls from neighbors, business owners, etc day and night, working on this movie almost tore apart my relationship with my fiancée,” he wrote. “Why do I work in this industry?”
The live-action and animated hybrid film starring John Cena was officially axed by Warner Bros. November 9 as a tax write-off for its Q3 earnings, even though the film had been finished. The $70 million...
On private Facebook group Crew Stories, “Coyote Vs. Acme” crew member Nate Bannister posted (and gave IndieWire permission to quote) his frustration. “I was Key Alm [assistant location manager] on this movie, almost died of stress pulling all the permits, we closed down the entirety of downtown Albuquerque, I had to call in every favor of my career to close an overpass with a half a days notice, I got so many angry calls from neighbors, business owners, etc day and night, working on this movie almost tore apart my relationship with my fiancée,” he wrote. “Why do I work in this industry?”
The live-action and animated hybrid film starring John Cena was officially axed by Warner Bros. November 9 as a tax write-off for its Q3 earnings, even though the film had been finished. The $70 million...
- 11/10/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
The feature reportedly completed filming last year.
Warner Bros has shelved completed feature Coyote vs Acme, with the studio taking an estimated $30m tax write-down by not releasing the project, according to reports.
In a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, the studio said: “With the re-launch of Warner Bros Pictures Animation in June, the studio has shifted its global strategy to focus on theatrical releases. With this new direction, we have made the difficult decision not to move forward with Coyote vs Acme. We have tremendous respect for the filmmakers, casts and crew, and are grateful for their contributions to the film.
Warner Bros has shelved completed feature Coyote vs Acme, with the studio taking an estimated $30m tax write-down by not releasing the project, according to reports.
In a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, the studio said: “With the re-launch of Warner Bros Pictures Animation in June, the studio has shifted its global strategy to focus on theatrical releases. With this new direction, we have made the difficult decision not to move forward with Coyote vs Acme. We have tremendous respect for the filmmakers, casts and crew, and are grateful for their contributions to the film.
- 11/10/2023
- by Orlando Parfitt
- ScreenDaily
Warner Bros. has shelved 'Coyote vs. Acme'.The studio has decided not to release the live-action/animated hybrid film based on the Looney Tunes characters that had been set to star John Cena, Will Forte and Lana Condor.The film was due to follow Wile E. Coyote, who after Acme products fail him constantly in his dogged pursuit of the Roadrunner, decides to hire a lawyer to sue the corporation.The case pits Wile E. and his lawyer against the Acme company's intimidating former boss (Cena), but a growing friendship between man and cartoon stokes the pair's determination to win.The project – based on the 1990 New Yorker magazine article 'Coyote vs. Acme' by Ian Frazier - had completed principal photography in New Mexico last year but the decision to abandon the release comes after veteran executive Bill Damaschke took charge of the Warner Animation Group earlier this year.
- 11/10/2023
- by Joe Graber
- Bang Showbiz
If you thought “Batgirl” was the end of it, think again. Warner Bros. has shelved and will take a tax write-off on another completed film, this time a Looney Tunes live-action and animated movie called “Coyote vs. Acme” starring John Cena, IndieWire has confirmed. THR first reported the news.
Principal photography on “Coyote vs. Acme” was completed in New Mexico last year, and the film originally intended for streaming has a budget in the $70 million range. But Warner Bros. is deciding to not move forward with the movie and has already realized the tax savings in its Q3 earnings, which were reported yesterday.
Warner Bros. had no comment on the exact method by which the film is being shelved and written off or how much the studio stands to recoup, but Deadline is reporting that it is taking an estimated $30 million write-down, which the studio believes is more than the...
Principal photography on “Coyote vs. Acme” was completed in New Mexico last year, and the film originally intended for streaming has a budget in the $70 million range. But Warner Bros. is deciding to not move forward with the movie and has already realized the tax savings in its Q3 earnings, which were reported yesterday.
Warner Bros. had no comment on the exact method by which the film is being shelved and written off or how much the studio stands to recoup, but Deadline is reporting that it is taking an estimated $30 million write-down, which the studio believes is more than the...
- 11/9/2023
- by Brian Welk
- Indiewire
Another Warner Bros. movie bites the dust.
The studio no longer plans to release “Coyote vs. Acme,” a live action-animation hybrid starring John Cena, which completed filming in 2022. A similar situation transpired a little over a year ago as Warner Bros. shocked the entertainment industry by shelving the $90 million-budgeted DC adventure “Batgirl” and the kid-friendly “Scoob! Holiday Haunt” as tax write-offs.
Those films, as well as the $30 million “Coyote vs. Acme,” were greenlit by the former regime, led by Jason Kilar and intended for release on HBO Max. His successor, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav, has shifted the studio’s priorities back to theatrical and felt this movie didn’t fit with the new creative direction of the company. The decision also comes after Bill Damaschke took over Warner Animation Group earlier this year.
“With the re-launch of Warner Bros. Pictures Animation in June, the studio has shifted its...
The studio no longer plans to release “Coyote vs. Acme,” a live action-animation hybrid starring John Cena, which completed filming in 2022. A similar situation transpired a little over a year ago as Warner Bros. shocked the entertainment industry by shelving the $90 million-budgeted DC adventure “Batgirl” and the kid-friendly “Scoob! Holiday Haunt” as tax write-offs.
Those films, as well as the $30 million “Coyote vs. Acme,” were greenlit by the former regime, led by Jason Kilar and intended for release on HBO Max. His successor, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav, has shifted the studio’s priorities back to theatrical and felt this movie didn’t fit with the new creative direction of the company. The decision also comes after Bill Damaschke took over Warner Animation Group earlier this year.
“With the re-launch of Warner Bros. Pictures Animation in June, the studio has shifted its...
- 11/9/2023
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
In another maneuver by the David Zaslav-run Warner Bros Discovery to kill movies, we hear on very good authority that Warner Bros will not be releasing the hybrid live-action/animated Coyote vs. Acme, with the conglom taking an estimated $30M write-down on the $70M production. We understand the write-down for the pic was applied to the recently reported Q3.
This reps the third time that Zaslav’s Warner Bros has pulled the plug on a movie greenlighted by the previous Warner Media administration, the other two being the Max-destined Batgirl and the animated Scoob Holiday Haunt!
The difference here is that Coyote vs. Acme is a completed movie with very good test scores, 14 points above the family norm. We’re told that the cash-strapped Warners finds that it’s not worth the cost to release the film theatrically or to sell to other buyers (and there are parties who...
This reps the third time that Zaslav’s Warner Bros has pulled the plug on a movie greenlighted by the previous Warner Media administration, the other two being the Max-destined Batgirl and the animated Scoob Holiday Haunt!
The difference here is that Coyote vs. Acme is a completed movie with very good test scores, 14 points above the family norm. We’re told that the cash-strapped Warners finds that it’s not worth the cost to release the film theatrically or to sell to other buyers (and there are parties who...
- 11/9/2023
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
A little over a year after the shelving of Batgirl sent shockwaves throughout Hollywood, Warner Bros. is putting another of its films in the studio vault.
Warners no longer plans to release Coyote vs. Acme, a live-action, CG animation hybrid that completed principal photography last year in New Mexico. The move follows veteran animation executive Bill Damaschke taking over Warner Animation Group earlier this year.
“For three years, I was lucky enough to make a movie about Wile E. Coyote, the most persistent, passionate, and resilient character of al time,” filmmaker Dave Green wrote on X after this story initially published. “I was surrounded by a brilliant team, who poured their souls into this project. … Along the ride, we were embraced by test audiences who rewarded us with fantastic scores.”
The feature, which sources believe cost around $72 million to make, had key Warners talent involved in front of the camera and behind the scenes.
Warners no longer plans to release Coyote vs. Acme, a live-action, CG animation hybrid that completed principal photography last year in New Mexico. The move follows veteran animation executive Bill Damaschke taking over Warner Animation Group earlier this year.
“For three years, I was lucky enough to make a movie about Wile E. Coyote, the most persistent, passionate, and resilient character of al time,” filmmaker Dave Green wrote on X after this story initially published. “I was surrounded by a brilliant team, who poured their souls into this project. … Along the ride, we were embraced by test audiences who rewarded us with fantastic scores.”
The feature, which sources believe cost around $72 million to make, had key Warners talent involved in front of the camera and behind the scenes.
- 11/9/2023
- by Borys Kit and Aaron Couch
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
A new era for Warner Bros. animation is about to begin.
Veteran animation executive Bill Damaschke, who rose to lead DreamWorks Animation before its sale to NBCUniversal, is in final talks to take over as head of Warner Animation Group, the beleaguered animation arm of Warner Bros. Pictures..
The company has been leaderless since the exit of executive vp Allison Abbate, who departed in the summer of 2022 amid the Warners takeover by Discovery and the shake-up that followed. That included the shelving of Scoob!: Holiday Haunt, a completed feature that was co-written and produced by Abbate’s husband, Tony Cervone.
The executive is expected to report to Warners film bosses Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy. It is unclear what title he will hold.
Damaschke spent 20 years at DreamWorks Animation, joining it from startup level in 1995 and rising to COO. He oversaw productions such as Madagascar, Kung Fu Panda, How to Train Your Dragon...
Veteran animation executive Bill Damaschke, who rose to lead DreamWorks Animation before its sale to NBCUniversal, is in final talks to take over as head of Warner Animation Group, the beleaguered animation arm of Warner Bros. Pictures..
The company has been leaderless since the exit of executive vp Allison Abbate, who departed in the summer of 2022 amid the Warners takeover by Discovery and the shake-up that followed. That included the shelving of Scoob!: Holiday Haunt, a completed feature that was co-written and produced by Abbate’s husband, Tony Cervone.
The executive is expected to report to Warners film bosses Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy. It is unclear what title he will hold.
Damaschke spent 20 years at DreamWorks Animation, joining it from startup level in 1995 and rising to COO. He oversaw productions such as Madagascar, Kung Fu Panda, How to Train Your Dragon...
- 2/9/2023
- by Borys Kit
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
A trend among entertainment companies as Hollywood continues its will-they/won’t-they relationship with a possible recession is the unloading of completed projects. The move has been seen across the industry, from AMC+ to Parmaount+ and Disney to HBO Max. Now The Hollywood Reporter has learned of two completed Netflix feature films, The Inheritance and House/Wife, that will no longer be distributed by the streamer, with filmmakers shopping them elsewhere for distribution.
The Inheritance, directed by Alejandro Brugués and produced by Paul Schiff, and House/Wife, from director Danis Goulet and producers Tripp Vinson and Daniel Bekerman, are genre films that were set to be released by Netflix, which will now no longer move forward with the movies.
In the summer, HBO Max made the announcement that the DC feature film Batgirl and the animated movie Scoob!: Holiday Haunt would be shelved after both had completed production. At the time,...
The Inheritance, directed by Alejandro Brugués and produced by Paul Schiff, and House/Wife, from director Danis Goulet and producers Tripp Vinson and Daniel Bekerman, are genre films that were set to be released by Netflix, which will now no longer move forward with the movies.
In the summer, HBO Max made the announcement that the DC feature film Batgirl and the animated movie Scoob!: Holiday Haunt would be shelved after both had completed production. At the time,...
- 1/27/2023
- by Mia Galuppo
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
When the news dropped about Warner Bros. deciding to shelve "Batgirl," "Scoob!: Holiday Haunt," and potentially other projects being produced for HBO Max, it struck a lot of us as a fairly unprecedented move. For "Batgirl" in particular, the size of the budget (a reported 90 million) and its connection to a popular franchise make it an even more startling that this decision has happened. The implications of using productions that artists spend years working on as mere tax loophole fodder sets a fairly depressing precedent for how studios can operate in the future.
However, this is not the first time a nearly completed film has been shelved by a studio. It's not even the first one shelved by Warner Bros. since the turn of the 21st Century. In fact, one shelved production also happened to connect to a very well-known franchise, and next year, we will see a new entry...
However, this is not the first time a nearly completed film has been shelved by a studio. It's not even the first one shelved by Warner Bros. since the turn of the 21st Century. In fact, one shelved production also happened to connect to a very well-known franchise, and next year, we will see a new entry...
- 8/31/2022
- by Mike Shutt
- Slash Film
The staggering decision to scrap “Batgirl” leads a growing list of HBO Max titles audiences may never see thanks to the Warner Bros. Discovery merger.
On Monday, Deadline broke the news that six more movies and series would not go forward at the streaming service, notably including “Batman: Caped Crusader” from Matt Reeves, who despite the change just cut a multi-year film deal with Warner Bros.
The animated DC series is expected to continue production and possibly stream elsewhere, per Borys Kit for The Hollywood Reporter. But not all of the impacted projects can be so lucky.
“The movie is practically finished and turned out beautifully,” lamented “Scoob!: Holiday Haunt” co-writer Tony Cervone in an Instagram post made when the film’s cancellation was first announced along with “Batgirl” in early August. “I am heartbroken,” he continued.
“Why cancel a 95 finished holiday movie this close to fall?” tweeted co-writer Paul Dini.
On Monday, Deadline broke the news that six more movies and series would not go forward at the streaming service, notably including “Batman: Caped Crusader” from Matt Reeves, who despite the change just cut a multi-year film deal with Warner Bros.
The animated DC series is expected to continue production and possibly stream elsewhere, per Borys Kit for The Hollywood Reporter. But not all of the impacted projects can be so lucky.
“The movie is practically finished and turned out beautifully,” lamented “Scoob!: Holiday Haunt” co-writer Tony Cervone in an Instagram post made when the film’s cancellation was first announced along with “Batgirl” in early August. “I am heartbroken,” he continued.
“Why cancel a 95 finished holiday movie this close to fall?” tweeted co-writer Paul Dini.
- 8/24/2022
- by Alison Foreman
- Indiewire
Is there any better way to guarantee people are going to keep talking about a project than keeping it locked away from prying eyes? Such is the quandary presented by "Batgirl" and "Scoob!: Holiday Haunt," two films that might've come and gone with only so much fanfare had Warner Bros. Discovery released them as originally planned. Instead, the movies were shelved at the eleventh hour as the result of what amounts to a glorified tax write-off, at a point where the pair were either near or already well into the final stages of post-production.
The optics are particularly bad when it comes to "Batgirl," a superhero film that features a Latina woman as its lead ("In the Heights" star Leslie Grace), a script by a British-Asian woman ("Bumblebee" and "Birds of Prey" writer Christina Hodson), two Belgian-Moroccan directors ("Bad Boys for Life" and "Ms. Marvel" duo Adil & Bilall), and a...
The optics are particularly bad when it comes to "Batgirl," a superhero film that features a Latina woman as its lead ("In the Heights" star Leslie Grace), a script by a British-Asian woman ("Bumblebee" and "Birds of Prey" writer Christina Hodson), two Belgian-Moroccan directors ("Bad Boys for Life" and "Ms. Marvel" duo Adil & Bilall), and a...
- 8/22/2022
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
Julia Pott, an animator who serves as the creator on “Summer Camp Island,” has expressed disappointment in HBO Max’s decision to remove the series from its library.
The streamer confirmed plans to remove “Summer Camp Island” and 35 other titles, including 19 more HBO Max originals, from its catalog on Wednesday evening.
“We worked for five years to make 100 episodes of animation. We worked late into the night, we let ourselves go, we were a family of hard working artists who wanted to make something beautiful, and HBO Max just pulled them all like we were nothing,” Pott wrote. “Animation is not nothing!”
We worked for 5 years to make 100 episodes of animation. We worked late into the night, we let ourselves go, we were a family of hard working artists who wanted to make something beautiful, and HBO Max just pulled them all like we were nothing. Animation is not nothing!
The streamer confirmed plans to remove “Summer Camp Island” and 35 other titles, including 19 more HBO Max originals, from its catalog on Wednesday evening.
“We worked for five years to make 100 episodes of animation. We worked late into the night, we let ourselves go, we were a family of hard working artists who wanted to make something beautiful, and HBO Max just pulled them all like we were nothing,” Pott wrote. “Animation is not nothing!”
We worked for 5 years to make 100 episodes of animation. We worked late into the night, we let ourselves go, we were a family of hard working artists who wanted to make something beautiful, and HBO Max just pulled them all like we were nothing. Animation is not nothing!
- 8/18/2022
- by J. Kim Murphy
- Variety Film + TV
For “Batgirl” composer Natalie Holt, Warner Bros. Discovery’s decision to indefinitely shelve the film was a giant “disappointment” to the DC family.
Emmy nominee Holt revealed to Discussing Film that she had spent over a year crafting the original score for the DC film starring Leslie Grace, Brendan Fraser, Jk Simmons, and Michael Keaton, which was set for an upcoming HBO Max release. On August 2, Warner Bros. Discovery confirmed the 90 million superhero movie was given the axe for tax purposes.
“I had written about an hour and a half of music,” Holt explained. “I’ve been working on it for a year. So yeah, pretty sad what’s happened to it.”
Holt previously scored Disney+ series “Loki,” for which she is Emmy-nominated. “Ms. Marvel” directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, who helmed “Batgirl,” connected with Holt after her Marvel work.
“It’s a shame that [‘Batgirl’] is not...
Emmy nominee Holt revealed to Discussing Film that she had spent over a year crafting the original score for the DC film starring Leslie Grace, Brendan Fraser, Jk Simmons, and Michael Keaton, which was set for an upcoming HBO Max release. On August 2, Warner Bros. Discovery confirmed the 90 million superhero movie was given the axe for tax purposes.
“I had written about an hour and a half of music,” Holt explained. “I’ve been working on it for a year. So yeah, pretty sad what’s happened to it.”
Holt previously scored Disney+ series “Loki,” for which she is Emmy-nominated. “Ms. Marvel” directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, who helmed “Batgirl,” connected with Holt after her Marvel work.
“It’s a shame that [‘Batgirl’] is not...
- 8/16/2022
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
The recent decision by Warner Bros. Discovery to shelve the nearly finished DC superhero movie “Batgirl” left fans confused and outraged. But it has also yielded a trove of fantastic memes.
The 90 million Warner Bros. production, starring Leslie Grace as Barbara Gordon/Batgirl, won’t be released theatrically or on HBO Max, or anywhere else. Why? The media conglomerate determined that taking a tax write-off for “Batgirl” (and the animated “Scoob!: Holiday Haunt”) made more financial sense than releasing it commercially, Variety reported.
“We’re not going to launch a movie to make a quarter and we’re not going to put a movie out unless we believe in it,” Wbd chief David Zaslav said on the company’s earnings call last week, responding to a question about the “Batgirl” cancellation. It’s a cost-cutting move under the company, formed earlier this year by Discovery’s acquisition of WarnerMedia, at...
The 90 million Warner Bros. production, starring Leslie Grace as Barbara Gordon/Batgirl, won’t be released theatrically or on HBO Max, or anywhere else. Why? The media conglomerate determined that taking a tax write-off for “Batgirl” (and the animated “Scoob!: Holiday Haunt”) made more financial sense than releasing it commercially, Variety reported.
“We’re not going to launch a movie to make a quarter and we’re not going to put a movie out unless we believe in it,” Wbd chief David Zaslav said on the company’s earnings call last week, responding to a question about the “Batgirl” cancellation. It’s a cost-cutting move under the company, formed earlier this year by Discovery’s acquisition of WarnerMedia, at...
- 8/12/2022
- by Todd Spangler
- Variety Film + TV
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.