John Cena, who is fresh off of his starring role in the HBO Max streaming hit, Peacemaker, has now officially signed on to star in an upcoming Coyote vs Acme film from Warner Bros. The project is based on the Looney Tunes character Wile E. Coyote, which made its debut in 1949 with the theatrical cartoon short, Fast and Furry-ous. Wile E. is typically depicted as a cunning, devious and often hungry coyote whose repeated attempts at catching the Road Runner comically fail. To aid in his endeavors of catching the Road Runner, Wile E. is usually seen using a variety of mail-ordered items from companies that are all named the Acme Corporation.
The film is being directed by Dave Green, who is most known for his directorial work on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows. James Gunn, who recently collaborated with Cena on the Peacemaker TV series and is set to do so again for season 2, is producing Coyote vs Acme. Chris DeFaria is also producing, and the film is set to bow in exclusively in theaters on July 21, 2023, unlike past 2021 WB releases which saw a hybrid HBO Max release.
According to THR, Cena has now signed on to play an antagonist in the Coyote vs Acme film, which is reportedly a live-action/CG animation hybrid feature. Currently, writing the film is screenwriter Samy Burch, although Gunn also previously contributed to versions of the screenplay. The story is based on a New Yorker article titled “Coyote v. Acme” by Ian Frazier, first published in 1990.
The film will focus on the character of Wile E., and his human attorney, who is representing him in a product liability suit against the Acme Company. Wile E. decides to hire a billboard lawyer to sue the ACME Corporation over its defective products, such as unpredictable rocket sleds and faulty spring-powered shoes. The case pits Wile E. and his lawyer against the attorney's intimidating former boss of his old law firm, who is now representing Acme. Cena is set to play the former boss in the film, which is said to be part courtroom drama, and part family comedy.
Warner Bros.' decision to develop seems like an easy decision after the massive success of the contemporary recent hybrid live-action/CG film, Sonic the Hedgehog, which just two years ago grossed over $145 million domestically and over $300 million globally. That film's sequel is releasing this Spring, with another already in development, along with a TV series. This bodes well for the potential success of the Coyote vs Acme film with audiences, in addition to Cena's recent popularity on both the big screen with F9 and The Suicide Squad, and on the small screen with Peacemaker.
Source: THR