Wile E. Coyote may not have had a slam-dunk legal argument against the Acme corporation, but in the case of Coyote vs. Acme vs. the Box Office, the audience ruled in favor of the Road Runner-chasing plaintiff. The Looney Tunes-inspired comedy grossed $15 million in its opening weekend, enough for a second-place finish behind the spider-juggernaut that is Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
That’s an especially impressive finish when you consider that the $70 million live-action/animation hybrid was released by the indie distributor Ketchup Entertainment, which had limited resources for a high-profile advertising campaign. Ketchup ponied up $50 million to acquire the film after Warner Bros. head David Zaslav shelved it three years ago along with the still-unreleased DC Comics feature Batgirl. Zaslav’s decision actually created an ideal marketing hook for Coyote vs. Acme as social media-engaged audiences rallied around the film, making its belated theatrical release a full-on cultural event.
Now, though, the film faces a fresh battle: Coyote vs. Acme vs. the Academy. A source close to the film confirms to Gold Derby that Coyote vs. Acme isn’t eligible for Best Animated Feature consideration and thus can’t be submitted to go head-to-head with current front-runner, Toy Story 5. That’s because despite Coyote vs. Acme‘s extensive number of animated sequences and sizable cartoon cast — including Looney Tunes favorites like Daffy Duck, Foghorn Leghorn, and Tweety Bird — the film doesn’t meet one of the category’s key rules requiring that 75% of the film be animated.
But that’s not all folks, because Ketchup isn’t giving up on good ol’ Wile E.’s awards campaign just yet. Gold Derby’s source says that Coyote vs. Acme has already held DGA and WGA screenings on both coasts, and plans are afoot for official Academy screenings as Oscar-hunting season kicks into gear. Forget Duck Amuck — Ketchup is about to get Coyote Amuck.
While voters may not be able to nominate Coyote vs. Acme for Best Animated Feature, there are certainly categories where the Looney Tunes hit merits serious consideration. C’mon, Oscar voters… you don’t want to be stinkers.
Best Adapted Screenplay
With Animated Feature out of the mix, Adapted Screenplay seems like Coyote vs. Acme‘s best bet for Oscar recognition. It certainly boasts impressive literary pedigree, originating as a New Yorker article penned by Thurber Prize-winning humorist Ian Frazier that was retrofitted into a film story by the trio of James Gunn, Jeremy Slater, and Samy Burch, who receives sole screenplay credit. Burch is a previous Oscar nominee for penning Todd Hayne’s 2023 dark comedy May December, which received a slew of original screenplay nominations and wins from critics’ groups and precursor ceremonies like the Gothams and the WGA Awards in addition to its Oscar bid.
Here’s another thing to consider: screenwriters tend to be the most vocal critics of cutthroat studio shenanigans like, say, shelving a nearly finished movie for a tax write-off. So it’s easy to image the writer’s branch persuading a swath of Academy voters to rally behind a Coyote vs. Acme nomination as a way to send an anvil-sized message to Warner Bros. And in a year that’s otherwise light on comedy contenders, Wile E. Coyote has a serious case to make for his inclusion.
Best Adapted Screenplay
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The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth
Best Score
A previous Oscar winner for scoring Alfonso Cuarón out-of-this-world blockbuster Gravity, composer Steven Price deserves a nomination for no other reason than the seamless way he weaves the Road Runner’s beeps into the “1812 Overture.” But Price’s work on Coyote vs. Acme is more than just for laughs; his compositions are essential to the film’s ability to pull off its difficult tonal shifts from ribald comedy to legal drama to surprisingly emotional buddy movie. It’s not just standard film music — it’s opera, doc.
Best Supporting Actor
If you’ve seen Coyote vs. Acme, you’ll understand why the Road Runner would be our first pick to score a Best Supporting Actor nod. But since animated character’s aren’t eligible for acting awards — and the speed demon wouldn’t be able to sit still for the ceremony anyway — we’ll shine a spotlight on Forte, who is called upon to be the Bob Hoskins to Wile E.’s Roger Rabbit and proves himself up to the challenge. While Eddie Valiant remains in a class by himself, Forte ensures that his alter ego, lawyer Kevin Avery, is more than just a flesh-and-blood scene-filler, creating a dynamic with his animated costar that’s genuinely affecting. Already a two-time Emmy nominee for his late, great comedy series The Last Man on Earth, Forte’s Coyote vs. Acme performance shows that he’s got the big-screen goods.
