Coyote vs. Acme has earned $15.4 million in the United States during its opening weekend, setting a box office record for distributor Ketchup Entertainment.
The film took third place on domestic charts, finishing behind the superhero movie Spider-Man: Brand New Day and director Christopher Nolan's historical epic The Odyssey. Nolan is an Oscar-winning filmmaker celebrated for large-scale cinematic productions.
The launch represents the highest-grossing opening weekend in the history of Ketchup Entertainment, an independent American film distribution company. The figure comfortably surpassed the studio's previous Looney Tunes project, Looney Tunes: Cosmic Invasion, which collected $3.1 million.
Industry analysts said they are confident that the hybrid live-action and animated movie will recoup its costs and become profitable by the end of its theatrical run.
Legal battle against Acme
The film combines live-action actors with animated characters to tell a new story about the classic Looney Tunes universe. Looney Tunes is an American animated media franchise created by Warner Bros. that dates back to the golden age of animation.
In the new movie, Wile E. Coyote launches a lawsuit against the Acme Corporation. He alleges that the company supplied him with defective tools and malfunctioning gadgets during his repeated attempts to catch the Road Runner.
The Acme Corporation is a well-known fictional conglomerate in cartoon history, famous for manufacturing dangerous products that routinely fail when used by animated villains.
Actor John Cena, who starred in the television series Peacemaker, plays a lead role in the film. Cena first gained global fame as a professional wrestler before transitioning to Hollywood acting. The cast also features Lana Condor, known for Alita: Battle Angel, and former Saturday Night Live comedian Will Forte, who starred in Nebraska.
Production delays and international release
Principal photography on the project was completed back in 2023. However, the finished movie was held back from release for several years after facing repeated delays over distribution rights disputes.
Following its debut performance in North America, Coyote vs. Acme is scheduled to open officially in Russian movie theaters on September 10.
