Coyote vs. Acme has officially become the third highest-grossing domestic film in the Looney Tunes franchise.. Released on August 28, 2026, the movie reached this milestone after being rescued from a corporate shelf by Ketchup Entertainment.
Surpassing the $20.9 millin mark of Back in Action
The domestic performance of Coyote vs. Acme has seen it leapfrog several predecessors in the Looney Tunes library. According to The Numbers, the film earned $2.6 million on a single Friday during the Labor Day weekend, pushing its cumulative domestic gross to $25.1 million. This total allows it to surpass the $20.9 million domestic haul of the 2003 Joe Dante film, Looney Tunes: Back in Action.
While Looney Tunes: Back in Action is now viewed as a cult classic, it was a financial disappointment upon its initial release, earning $68.5 million worldwide against an $80 million budget. By comparison, Coyote vs. Acme enters the rankings with significant momentum and critical approval, though it still trails the massive totals of the Space Jam entries.
From a Warner Bros. tax write-off to a Ketchup Entertainment debut
The journey of Coyote vs. Acme to the big screen is as unusual as its plot,which involves Wile E. Coyote suing the Acme Corporation. As reported by ScreenRant, the movie was fully completed in 2023 but was subsequently cancelled and shellved by Warner Bros. to be used as a tax write-off.. This move reflects a broader, controversial trend in the streaming and studio era where completed projects are discarded for accounting benefits rather than artistic or commercial viability.
The film's survival was secured in 2025 when Ketchup Entertainment acquired the rights. This rescue operation gave the film a second life,resulting in the biggest domestic debut in the history of Ketchup Entertainment by a wide margin. The move highlights a growing appetite for "lost media" and a public backlash against the practice of shelving finished creative works.
The $120 million break-even hurdle
Despite its ranking, Coyote vs. Acme faces a steep climb to achieve true profitability. Ketchup Entertainment reportedly spent $50 million to acquire the film from Warner Bros., adding another $10 million for marketing. Because theaters typically retain half of ticket sales, the film's estimated break-even point is approximately $120 million.
Reaching this target is far from guaranteed. The only Looney Tunes films to ever clear the $120 million worldwide mark are Space Jam ($250.2 million) and Space Jam: A New Legacy ($163.7 million). Both of those films had stronger starts than the $15.9 million debut of Coyote vs. Acme. If the current trajectory holds, some analysts suggest the film might only earn $84 million by the end of its run, leaving it short of the break-even point.
A 96% Rotten Tomatoes score vs. box office reality
The financial risk is balanced by overwhelming critical and audience praise. Coyote vs. Acme currently holds a 96% score from critics and a 95% score from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes.. This acclaim is bolstered by a strong cast, featuring Eric Bauza voicing iconic characters like Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, alongside live-action performances from John Cena, Lana Condor, and Will Forte.
One remaining uncertainty is whether the "resurrection narrative"—the story of the film being saved from a tax write-off—will continue to drive ticket sales. While Space Jam: A New Legacy was hampered by a simultaneous release on HBO Max during the pandemic, Coyote vs. Acme has a clean theatrical window. Whether this advantage is enough to push the film past the $120 million mark remains the central question for Ketchup Entertainment.
Comments 0