Coyote VS WB

Coyote VS Acme’s a prime example of why WB Discovery’s in the tanks creatively and financially. Beginning production in 2018, it was supposed to come to theatres last Summer. The premise, involving Looney Toons character Wile E. Coyote, was about a court case surrounding defective Acme products. Unfortunately, the film, which was finishing post-production, was set to be written off as a cost-saving expense by David Zaslav in 2022. Like Batgirl, it became lost media. And like Batgirl, it was screened to test audiences.

I wish I could be surprised. Ignoring how the Looney Toons franchise has been abandoned for decades, Zaslav’s decision, tragic as it is, is perfectly consistent with how he operates. There’s a lot I can say, much of which would be libellous, but the one constant during his time as CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery has been pulling projects to recoup losses. Many of these projects were also seen as risks for the studio.

It'd be easy to make jokes about this, but it was later announced that Coyote VS Acme might have a second chance. However, there was a catch: the movie was shopped out to streaming services like Disney+, Hulu and Netflix. All that was required was a $75-80 million bid. On one hand, it makes sense, especially when it allows other streamers to expand their audience. This is how Netflix got the rights to The Sandman, which is currently in production for its second season. On the other hand, $75-80 million’s a big ask for a mid-budget production that cost less than half of that to make. Considering that fact, this was lip service to make Zaslav look benevolent.

Essentially, the project had a second and more expensive write-off. Which begs the question, “What was the point?”. It wasn’t like this was an expensive movie, especially since failures like The Flash were released anyway. It also wasn’t like it wasn’t based on a familiar property. Characters like Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck are as famous as Mickey Mouse and Winnie the Pooh, and Wile E. Coyote was one of the IP’s most noteworthy. Besides, this was a mid-budget comedy, the kind Hollywood’s accused of not making nowadays! Surely there was a market for this, right?

I don’t get tax write-offs in Hollywood. They’re a cheap way to recoup losses on the part of execs, true, but think of what gets ruined. Imagine spending years of your life on something you pour your heart and soul into, only to be alerted last-minute that it’s being shelved for tax-saving reasons. Even if it was trash, wouldn’t you be angry? I would!

Maybe it’s the small-time artist in me here, since I don’t get paid to write for The Whitly-Verse, but I can’t help wondering if tax write-offs are why creatives in Hollywood suffer from burnout. It’s defeating to spend years on something that’ll never see the light of day, especially when you can’t keep a copy of it. Still, while I’m sure there are plenty more write-offs that never make headlines, it doesn’t make that any less upsetting. If anything, that makes them worse, as they have less of a chance at a second life! It’s a double loss!

I’m also annoyed because, like Batgirl, everyone involved in Coyote VS Acme appeared to be enjoying it. There was a clip shared recently from recording one of the tracks, and it was amazing. Why anyone wouldn’t want to hear a choir chanting The Road Runner’s catchphrase alongside The 1812 Overture’s beyond me! But I’m getting ahead of myself…

I’m probably overreacting here. But it’s not unreasonable. The world’s a harsh and unfair place, and movies provide well-needed escapism. A courtroom comedy starring a predator in cartoon form is another example of that. So to have that be snuffed out forever? It burns deep.

And yes, the movie might’ve been terrible. We don’t know. But shouldn’t we, as audience members, be allowed to judge that ourselves? It’s only fair, especially considering the garbage that does get released. One need, again, only look at The Flash…

I think if movies do get written off, the least studios can do is make them public domain. Copyright law in The US is incredibly draconian, forcing people to wait almost a century for licenses to lapse on characters or works of fiction. If the studio doesn’t want it, then they shouldn’t be allowed to hold onto it like a regular copyright, that’s not fair. You can’t have your cake and eat it too.

But I guess I’m being too naïve if I expect life to be fair. Let’s be honest, it’s not. And tax write-offs are another example of that. Still, if it means that WB Discovery gets hurt by corporate greed, then I guess that the tragic tale of Coyote VS Acme will have some sort of silver lining, however small. It’s no wonder why Universal and WB Discovery are in talks to merge, especially if write-offs are indicative of poor management at the helm…