Rescued from a Warner Bros. tax write-off, the hybrid feature Coyote vs. Acme debuted to $15.4 million over the weekend to claim second place at the North American box office, trailing only Sony’s continuing run of Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
A turbulent journey from corporate shelf to theatrical screen ended with a solid commercial landing for Coyote vs. Acme. Released on 3,575 North American screens by independent distributor Ketchup Entertainment, the hybrid of animation and live action collected $5.3 million on Friday alone on its way to a $15.4 million weekend debut. The film, which features Will Forte, Lana Condor, and John Cena in a story centering on Wile E. Coyote suing the Acme Corporation over faulty products, earned an A CinemaScore from audiences and glowing critical notices.
From Corporate Write-Off to Independent Rescue
The film’s path to theaters stands as one of the more unusual distribution stories in recent Hollywood history. Warner Bros. originally shelved the completed project in late 2023 as a $30 million tax write-off, sparking immediate online outrage over the fate of director Dave Green’s production, which carried a roughly $70 million budget. Ketchup Entertainment ultimately stepped in last year to acquire the rights for $50 million, outpacing other interested suitors.
Industry reporting indicates that Ketchup managed its financial exposure by selling foreign rights for $20 million, keeping its marketing footprint lean. Promotional efforts relied heavily on grass-roots digital momentum and targeted integrations. According to trade coverage, promotional spots were put around the World Cup semifinals and final, WWE’s SummerSlam weekend, the Little League World Series, EPL and MLB coverage, and the quarter-finals of America’s Got Talent, alongside panel appearances at San Diego Comic-Con.
Critical Acclaim and Box Office Comparisons
Reviewers embraced the rescued Looney Tunes satire, awarding it a 95 percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The Hollywood Reporter critic Frank Scheck deemed the movie a hilarious delight.
While its opening weekend fell short of the $23.2 million average set by the past 15 hybrid films tracked by FranchiseRe, the opening marks the highest debut in the history of Ketchup Entertainment, comfortably surpassing the distributor’s previous Looney Tunes save, The Day the Earth Blew Up, which opened to $3.5 million in March of last year.
The film’s performance also outpaced the theatrical bows of several recent Warner Bros. releases, standing well ahead of titles like Evil Dead Burn at $13.7 million, Lee Cronin’s The Mummy at $13.5 million, The Bride! at $7 million, and They Will Kill You at $4.9 million.
Spider-Man Dominates While The Dog Stars Struggles
At the top of the box office chart, Sony Pictures’ Spider-Man: Brand New Day claimed the number one position for its fifth consecutive weekend, adding $22.2 million domestically to bring its total to $891.5 million. Globally, the film reached $2.332 billion, overtaking Ne Zha 2 and Titanic in the all-time worldwide rankings.
While Spider-Man continued its historic run, 20th Century Studios and Disney experienced a misfire with The Dog Stars. Ridley Scott’s feature adaptation of Peter Heller’s 2012 novel about the survivors of a devastating virus opened in fifth place with just $8 million domestically across 3,300 locations. The sci-fi thriller stars Jacob Elordi, Josh Brolin, Margaret Qualley, and Guy Pearce, but managed only a 41 percent critics approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 70 audience score.
“minor-key to a fault.”
David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter chief film critic
For the prolific 88-year-old director, the debut marks his lowest box office start since 2021’s The Last Duel opened to $4.8 million.
Summer Box Office Nears Its Close
Elsewhere on the North American charts, Universal Pictures’ The Odyssey held steady in third place with $14.3 million, lifting Christopher Nolan’s mythological epic to a cumulative domestic sum of $563.8 million after seven weekends. Sony’s horror sequel Insidious: Out of the Further dropped 59 percent in its second weekend to take fourth place with $10.1 million, bringing its domestic total to $43.6 million.
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