The fate of “Coyote vs. Acme” is unclear amid a $115 million writedown at Warners

Everett

Those who follow the epic Coyote vs. Peak On Friday, I eagerly awaited Warner Bros.’ earnings report. Discovery to hint at any signs of the animated film’s fate.

The feature became the most talked about film in town on November 10, when Hollywood Reporter It was announced that Warners intended to cancel the film. The filmmakers’ social media outcry was swift, and Warner quickly reversed course, deciding to allow director Dave Green to market the film to other buyers — something Green was preparing to do when Warner surprised him by canceling the film. Greene eventually pitched the film to several buyers, with at least one bid reaching around $40 million, according to one source.

On Friday, he did not provide any final news Coyote vs. Peakfuture, but there are worrying signs for those encouraging its launch. As part of the earnings call, Warner Bros. said: Discovery said it wrote down $115 million worth of content due to movie abandonments in the third quarter of 2023 as part of a “strategic reorganization plan associated with the Warner Bros. Pictures Animation Group.”

Notably, Warners relaunched its theatrical animation division last year under Bill Damaszky, and the plan is for the unit to have two features per year on its slate starting in 2026, WBD CEO David Zaslav added Friday on a call with analysts.

It is possible that a portion of the newly disclosed $115 million write-down costs belong to those companies Coyote vs. Peak, a $70 million film whose fate has been hanging in the balance for months. Will Forte, John Cena, and Lana Condor star in the film, which is a CGI-animation hybrid, alongside classic Looney Tunes character Wile E. Coyote. Warner Bros. didn’t have it. Any comment one way or another.

The move comes 18 months after Zaslav surprised Hollywood with its cancellation Bat girl And scoop! Holiday Hunt To write off taxes. This strategy has made him a controversial figure among creatives, although his film division has managed to build relationships with top talent such as Tom Cruise, George Clooney, Paul Thomas Anderson, Margot Robbie, and Ryan Coogler, all of whom have signed deals with Warner in recent times. Last. Months. (“Our partnership with Tom is off and running,” Zaslav said Friday, noting that film directors Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdi “spent a few days hard at work with Tom in London earlier this month.”)

Since last fall, there has been a grassroots campaign to save it American wolf – Coyote Opposite of climax, with voice actor Eric Bauza among those championing the hashtag #ReleaseCoyoteVsACME. Observers were aware that Friday might be the day of judgment for the project, as the earnings disclosure was supposed to reveal its fate. Bauza wrote Friday Morning on

Alex Weprin and Boris Kate contributed to this story.