Upon my return to town this August, I wanted to visit my beloved AMC Classic Bloomington 12. I was keen on watching “Tony,” Anthony Bourdain’s biopic, or “Buddy,” a quirky horror film featuring a tyrannical orange unicorn.
I wasn’t aware that “Coyote vs. Acme” existed then. I learned it was in theaters while making dinner plans with a friend, fawning over WingsXtreme. In our text conversation, I reminded him about our movie theater plans, and he mentioned the film.
I’m glad he did. The film was a profound lesson on perseverance, and surprisingly, it worked as a “Looney Tunes” legal dramedy. More importantly, though, it made me realize that we have an important cultural stake as moviegoers.
When we buy a movie ticket, we cast a vote in the cinematic ballot box. We’re letting the people upstairs know the kinds of films we want to see in theaters.
Based on Ian Frazier’s 1990 humor piece in The New Yorker, “Coyote vs. Acme” follows a chronically hungry Wile E. Coyote in pursuit of the Road Runner as he hires a lawyer and takes the ACME mega-corporation to court. He’s reached his boiling point over Acme’s faulty products — giant rubber bands, steel armor plates, and spring-loaded boxing gloves he uses to try and catch the Road Runner.
Ironically, the plot acts as self-referential commentary for the film’s situation.
Warner Bros. finalized its merger with Discovery in April 2022. Media executive David Zaslav became the company’s chief executive soon after. By then, “Coyote vs. Acme” was a finished product, but the studio decided the distribution and marketing costs weren’t worth it.
The costs could’ve been minimized by releasing the film on HBO Max, but the studio “shifted its global strategy to focus on theatrical releases.” So, it was shelved as a tax write-off.
Public outcry followed, and Warner Bros. Discovery eventually caved, allowing the creators to shop the movie to other buyers. It was then acquired by Ketchup Entertainment and released Aug. 28.
I’ve already ripped into media mergers and explained why they’re unhealthy for film culture, but now I’m here to bear some good news.
We may feel like corporate giants are repeatedly dropping the anvil on us for the sake of consolidation and efficiency — streaming is becoming increasingly popular, and movie theaters increasingly neglected.
However, the way we choose to interact with films is still valuable. If movie tickets are votes, then showing up to the polls can mean scheduling a fun movie night with friends.
Supporting films like "Coyote vs. Acme” means sticking it to the man, but it’s not the only way.
Even just talking about a film can help promote it. In a 2025 study, McKinsey & Company found that consumers in the United States and Europe are influenced most by family and friends. Social media was ranked as one of the least influential sources.
If this holds true for entertainment, our cultural stake in the film industry is notably defined by our willingness to talk about films we love. I, for one, really enjoy giving and receiving movie recommendations. I mean, the first thing out of my mouth when I met my girlfriend at a Little 500 barbecue was “What’s your favorite movie?”
I almost didn’t see “Coyote vs. Acme” until my friend mentioned it. Learning about its bizarre history made me realize it’s a poignant victory for original film projects, and its “scrappy underdog takes on big corporation” plot reflects the efforts of its fans and creators to have it released.
The film’s victory went beyond defusing the stick of dynamite in its face. It demonstrated that audiences aren’t entirely powerless.
We can’t force studio executives to greenlight projects, but we can decide which films we want to show up for and text our friends about. So go ahead, hop on your rocket-powered roller skates, and don’t let the movie magic escape you.
Joaquin Baerga (he/him) is a senior studying journalism.
