That whooshing sound rushing through the halls of Warner Bros. Discovery is the sound of an anvil falling via Representative Joaquin Castro who cut the rope.
Castro is urging federal authorities to investigate the studio for its handling of the movie Coyote vs. Acme, which the studio initially planned to shelve for a tax break. Castro criticized Warner Bros.’ tactic, calling it “predatory and anti-competitive.” He likened it to burning down a building for insurance money.
Coyote vs. Acme is a live-action/animation hybrid that follows Wile E. Coyote teaming up with a lawyer to fight the ACME corporation. In the film, Coyote buys ACME devices to try and kill Road Runner, but they never work properly, and often abruptly explode. It stars John Cena, Will Forte and Lana Condor
Warner Bros. faced industry backlash and subsequently reversed its decision, opting to shop the film to other studios and streaming services. However, this isn’t the first time the studio has shelved movies for tax write-offs; Batgirl and Scoob! Holiday Haunt suffered a similar fate last year.
“Coyote vs. Acme is a great movie,” tweeted writer-director Ben David Grabinski, who worked with Green on Happily. “The best of its kind since [Who Framed] Roger Rabbit … The leads are super likable. It’s beautifully shot. The animation is great. The ending makes everyone fucking cry. I thought the goal of this business was to make hit movies?”
“I don’t know how you see the movie and then go, ‘That couldn’t happen to me,’” noted Brian Duffield, the director of No One Will Save You. Duffield is friends with Green and gave notes on the film. “I don’t know how you see the movie and then go, ‘That couldn’t happen to me.’”
REELated:
Castro has been a vocal advocate on antitrust issues in the media and entertainment industry. He previously called on competition enforcers to reassess Discovery’s merger with AT&T’s WarnerMedia, expressing concerns about potential anticompetitive practices and product cancellations.
The congressman highlighted the damage to content creators when projects are canceled in deep development, making them less appealing to other buyers. He referred to Warner Bros.’ conduct as a de facto ‘catch and kill’ practice, limiting consumer choice.
The call for an investigation adds another layer to the complex situation surrounding Coyote vs. Acme. Unlike previously shelved projects, Coyote vs. Acme is entirely finished and received positive test scores during an audience screening. Creatives protested the initial decision, leading to Warner Bros. allowing the director to shop the project. The studio’s pricing strategy for the title, considering its potential value as a tax write-off, remains unclear.
The movie, with a $70 million budget, faces uncertainty as it explores new distribution options.
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