I always thought of Wile E. Coyote and Roadrunner as New Mexican. After all, we have the vast desertscapes and endless roads depicted in the cartoons, and the roadrunner is our state bird. But “Coyote vs. Acme” made it official. Coyote gets his day in court, and it’s a New Mexico courthouse.
Filmed in Albuquerque and on Jemez and Zia Pueblo lands in spring 2022, the production employed about 180 New Mexico crew members, 49 New Mexico principal actors and some 2,120 New Mexicans as background talent, according to the state Film Office. Thanks to the insistence of those crew members, Albuquerque could play itself instead of standing in for Phoenix as initially planned. As they pointed out, Bugs Bunny had joked for years, “I shoulda taken that left turn at Albuquerque.”
In this zany movie’s marriage of animation and live action, those of us who grew up with Looney Tunes characters get to see many of them on full display and with some new personas. For the most part, we’re treated to sheer entertainment from the cartoon and human cast, but the film does dip into a few serious themes: Coyote as the dissatisfied consumer, Acme as the untouchable corporate giant, Coyote and his billboard lawyer (Will Forte) as underdogs.
And there’s resentment of the rich and powerful. In one scene, Coyote deploys a Rube Goldberg device that imprisons Acme CEO Foghorn Leghorn and his slick corporate lawyer (John Cena). The lawyer shouts, “Do you know how much I’m worth?”
In a twist that could have been part of the movie, “Coyote vs. Acme” almost didn’t reach the big screen because of a foolish corporate decision.
The movie was scheduled for release in July 2023. Its makers had invested much love in the project and worked hard, said the director, “to honor the legacies of these historic characters and actually get them right.” Despite praise during test screenings and interest from buyers, Warner Bros. released “Barbie” instead and shelved “Coyote” to claim a tax loss during some cost-cutting after its merger with Discovery.
The decision blindsided crew members, according to multiple media and trade reports, and sparked a storm of criticism within the industry. But in November 2023 Warner reversed its decision and allowed filmmakers to shop “Coyote” to other distributors. There was interest from Paramount, Netflix and Amazon, but Warner rejected their bids; nobody was willing to meet Warner’s price, and the company again threatened to shelve the film. The hashtags #ReleaseCoyoteVsAcme and #SaveCoyoteVsAcme and others were trending for weeks in early 2024.
Will Forte released a public statement addressed to the cast and crew: “Please know that all the years and years of hard work, dedication and love that you put into this movie shows in every frame.” Not until March 2025 did Ketchup Entertainment acquire the film and announce its release this year.
That’s why this statement appears at the end of the film’s credits: “Dedicated to everyone who posted, shared, held up signs and spoke out when it counted. This film made it to the big screen because of you.”
”Coyote vs. Acme” is getting its revenge at the box office. In the first two weeks after its release, it had earned $39.9 million at the domestic box office and $50.89 million worldwide. Compare this with the $30 million Warner thought it was worth as a tax write-off. As many a reviewer has written, it also demonstrates the power of fan support.
The comeback of “Coyote” is also a bright note to New Mexico’s film industry, which has suffered a long dry spell that began with the writer’s strike in 2023. The downturn continued as the United States lose productions to places like Bulgaria that can offer lower costs, cheaper labor and competitive incentives. In addition, streaming platforms have changed.
At a recent conference sponsored by the New Mexico Film Office, one expert said production spending between 2022 and 2025 was down 60% in New Mexico, reported the Albuquerque Journal. On the other hand, Netflix brass revealed that “something big is coming, and we’re thrilled about it.” The union rep promised, “Work is coming. Shows are starting up.”
Speakers were also cheered by a post from President Trump supporting a national film production incentive.
Film industry professionals have shown they’re a tenacious bunch, staying the course even if they have to take side gigs to pay the bills. It’s not unlike our hero Wile E. Coyote who never gives up no matter how many falling anvils, ill-timed explosives and dislodged boulders come his way.
Sherry Robinson is a longtime New Mexico reporter and editor. She has worked in Grants, Gallup, the Albuquerque Journal, New Mexico Business Weekly and Albuquerque Tribune. She is the author of four books. Her columns won first place in 2024 from New Mexico Press Women.
