What a Creep“Coyote V. Acme Controversy”
Season 24, Episode 4

In February 1980, The New Yorker magazine published a satire called "Coyote V. Acme" written by Ian Frazier. The story was about Wile E. Coyote suing Acme, the company that supplied him with the equipment he used to try and catch the Road Runner, for all his injuries over the years. 

In 1987, the success of "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" led to the combination of animation and live actors in this story. However, it wasn't until the 2020s that Warner Brothers hired writer Samy Burch and director Dave Green to bring the project to life. The film was completed in 2022, but now the parent company refuses to release it and instead writes it off for tax purposes. 

Despite considering other outlets, the $75 million price tag makes it unlikely that Warner Brothers will negotiate another deal. The film's controversy-causing release has caused a media storm. For once, we have no trigger warnings!
Sources for this episode

• Indie Wire: https://www.indiewire.com/news/analysis/coyote-vs-acme-write-off-anticompetitive-1234953523/
• The Ringer: https://www.theringer.com/movies/2024/2/12/24070471/coyote-vs-acme-movie-canceled-new-yorker-article-news-warner-wbd-zaslav
• Deadline: https://deadline.com/2023/11/coyote-vs-acme-shelved-warner-bros-discovery-writeoff-david-zaslav-1235598676/
• The Wrap: thewrap.com/coyote-vs-acme-update-offers-warner-bros/
• Lainey Gossip: https://www.laineygossip.com/warner-bros-discovery-controversial-business-practices-unveiled-as-coyote-vs-acme-faces-deletion/77662
• The Hollywood Reporter: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/patton-oswalt-david-zaslav-coyote-vs-acme-1235842255/
• Screen Rant: https://screenrant.com/coyote-vs-acme-movie-canceled-warner-bros-david-zaslav/
• AV Club: https://www.avclub.com/coyote-vs-acme-probably-getting-scrapped-wbd-zaslav-1851243078
• The Verge: https://www.theverge.com/2024/2/9/24067496/coyote-vs-acme-amazon-netflix-paramount-rejected-offers-theatrical
• List of Abandoned & Unfinished Movies (Wikipedia)  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_abandoned_and_unfinished_films

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