Wile E. Coyote in ‘Coyote vs. Acme.’ Photo: Warner Bros. Discovery.
Preview:
Will Forte has commented on twitter about ‘Coyote Vs. Acme’s future.
Warner Bros. opted to use it as a tax write-off rather than a release.
The movie also stars John Cena and Lana Condor.
It was all going so well for ‘Coyote Vs. Acme’… Until it wasn’t.
The movie, a blend of live-action and animation had a fun concept, a great cast led by John Cena and Will Forte, and was on track for a prime summer 2023 release.
Until Warner Bros. got cold feet about the idea of the movie being a success (despite positive reviews from friends and family screenings), handed its date to ‘Barbie’ and then announced it was pulling a ‘Batgirl’ again, putting the movie on a shelf and taking a tax write-off instead of spending the money to market and release it.
A cavalcade of complaints from filmmakers who have seen the finished film led to a brief process of inviting bids from other companies, but now according to Forte, who hit twitter to share his feelings on the matter, it’s likely to never see the light of day.
(L to R) Wile E. Coyote and Will Forte in ‘Coyote vs. Acme.’ Photo: Warner Bros. Discovery.
‘Coyote Vs. Acme’ follows Wile E. Coyote, who after ACME products fail him one too many times in his dogged pursuit of the Roadrunner, decides to hire a billboard lawyer to sue the ACME Corporation.
The case pits Wile E. and his lawyer (Forte) against the latter’s intimidating former boss (Cena), but a growing friendship between man and cartoon stokes their determination to win.
“You would be so proud of it — a movie that should be seen but won’t. Please know that all the years and years of hard work, dedication and love that you put into this movie shows in every frame.”
It’s telling that the movie was greenlit by a previous Warner Bros. administration, and that the current one is on a huge cost-cutting run, slashing talent and producer deals and looking to stick to big potential successes such as ‘Dune: Part Two’.
The attitude has not won it many fans among filmmakers in particular, who have reacted much like Forte. But as the studio pushes ahead making deals with stars such as Tom Cruise, it may not worry too much about that.
Will Forte in ‘MacGruber.’ Photo: Universal Pictures.
(Left) John Cena in The Roku Channel’s ‘Die Hart 2: Die Harter.’ (Right) Wile E. Coyote. Photo: Warner Bros.
Preview:
Warner Bros. is no longer releasing ‘Coyote Vs. Acme’.
John Cena stars in the movie alongside some CG characters.
The studio was planning a tax write-down but may now shop the movie.
Warner Bros. is drawing plenty of criticism, particularly on social media, for its decision to shelve new John Cena live-action/CG comedy ‘Coyote Vs. Acme’.
The studio has decided that instead of putting the roughly $72 million-budgeted movie in theaters, it will instead take a tax write-down and stuff ‘Coyote Vs. Acme’ into a vault, never to see the light of day.
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What’s the story of ‘Coyote Vs. Acme’?
Wile E. Coyote. Photo: Warner Bros.
‘Coyote Vs. Acme’ follows Wile E. Coyote, who after ACME products fail him one too many times in his dogged pursuit of the Roadrunner, decides to hire a billboard lawyer to sue the ACME Corporation.
The case pits Wile E. and his lawyer against the latter’s intimidating former boss (Cena), but a growing friendship between man and cartoon stokes their determination to win.
Dave Green directed the movie, from a script by Samy Burch, itself derived from a story crafted by Jeremy Slater and James Gunn (yes, the current chief of DC Studios at Warner Bros.) The original idea came from a 1990 New Yorker humor piece written by Ian Frazier.
It was originally greenlit in December 2020, and was targeted for what was then called HBO Max. But then the announcement came it would get a July 2023 release. But come April 2022, it was pulled from the release calendar and replaced with a little movie called ‘Barbie’.
While that obviously worked out for Warner Bros., this latest move is proving to be a lot more controversial.
Unlike even ‘Batgirl’, which was shelved last year, ‘Coyote Vs. Acme’ was finished and had reportedly tested very well with recruited audiences.
And other filmmakers, who had seen the movie, have weighed in to criticize the decision. BenDavid Grabinski, a colleague of Green, tweeted the following:
COYOTE V ACME is a great movie. The best of its kind since ROGER RABBIT. It's commercial. It tested well. The leads are super likable. It's beautifully shot. The animation is great. The ending makes everyone fucking cry. I thought the goal of this business was to make hit movies?
“For three years, I was lucky enough to make a movie about Wile E. Coyote, the most persistent, passionate, and resilient character of all time. I was surrounded by a brilliant team, who poured their souls into this project. Along the ride, we were embraced by test audiences who rewarded us with fantastic scores. I am beyond proud of the final product, and beyond devastated by WB’s decision. But in the spirit of Wile E. Coyote, resilience and persistence win the day.”
Here’s the statement from a Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group spokesperson:
“With the re-launch of Warner Bros. Pictures Animation in June, the studio has shifted its global strategy to focus on theatrical releases. With this new direction, we have made the difficult decision not to move forward with ‘Coyote vs Acme’. We have tremendous respect for the filmmakers, casts, and crew, and are grateful for their contributions to the film.”
A new hope for ‘Coyote Vs. Acme’?
Yet there is hope for the movie! According to the Puck newsletter, Warners film chiefs Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy, along with Warner Animation boss Bill Damaschke have heard the outcry and also been in heated meetings with representatives for the director and stars. Though there had been plans to pay the top talent a streaming fee despite the shelving, the idea now is to let the producers shop the movie around.
The likes of Amazon had already reportedly been interested in picking up the movie, so perhaps it has a chance of seeing the light of day after all. Let’s just hope it’s not a train speeding down a tunnel, as it would be for Wile.
Opening in theaters on June 30th, ‘Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken’ has some interesting visuals and a catchy basic concept, but all of that is built on top of a very standard format and lessons that audiences will have heard a hundred times before. This doesn’t necessarily detract from its entertainment value too much, though.
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What’s the story of ‘Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken’?
After a quick prologue exploring the unexpected history of giant Krakens –– who in this universe are the staunch protectors of the oceans, doing battle with nasty mermaids –– we’re introduced to teenage Ruby Gillman (Lana Condor), who doing her best to fit in at Oceanside High School.
She’s got a group of loyal friends, a crush (Jaboukie Young-White’s Connor, who she tutors in math), and a desperate desire to attend the prom. But what she also has is a highly protective mother (Toni Collette’s Agatha) who is worried about Ruby going anywhere near the ocean… And the prom happens to be on a boat.
Turns out –– as the title suggests –– Ruby’s family are all krakens, and Agatha brought the family from the ocean to the town before Ruby was born because she’s terrified what might happen should her daughter go into the sea.
Ruby soon learns exactly why –– diving in to save a fellow pupil, she discovers that being under the waves activates her full Kraken self: she grows to kaiju proportions, sports three giant tentacles and has a host of other powers. She also meets her grandmother… sorry, “Grandmamah” (Jane Fonda), who just so happens to be queen of the krakens and encourages Ruby to embrace her destiny.
But our heroine really just wants to enjoy her life as a teenager, which is made even more complicated when she discovers that popular new girl Chelsea Van Der Zee (Annie Murphy) has her own secrets…
The movie showcases a fun visual style that, while it won’t challenge animated boundaries the way that the ‘Spider-Verse’ films do, it’s nevertheless an attractive and, at times, electric variant of DreamWorks’ usual style.
One or two sequences, such as Ruby’s impassioned plea to attend prom, delivered via presentation video that calls to mind ‘The Mitchells Vs. the Machines’ do break away from the overall look, and are fun to watch. And whenever the action heads under the sea, the vibrant tones of the krakens and some other ocean life, plus Fonda’s character’s royal palace are realized with impact.
Likewise, the vocal performances are all convincing and emotional, if sometimes leaning towards standard. Collette mostly gets to be the worried mom, though in a nice touch, there’s less of the usual teenager-mother stress than you might expect in a story such as this –– Agatha is given a few layers of her own, even before the movie explores her own parental issues with Fonda.
And credit to Condor (plus the writing team and directors Kirk DeMicco and Faryn Pearl) for making Ruby feel relatable and grounded despite her fantastical situation.
But the standout voice star here is Sam Richardson of ‘The Afterparty’ and ‘Veep’, as Uncle Brill, Agatha’s brother who Ruby and her younger brother Sam (Chapman) have never even met. He’s a bubbly, silly presence and Richardson totally fills the role. Brill is one of the best characters in the movie and the story is less entertaining when he’s off screen.
Finally, while it isn’t as loaded down with references as, say the ‘Shrek’ franchise, ‘Ruby Gillman’ does manage to offer a few winks. Forte’s Kraken-obsessed Captain Lighthouse has definite Captain Ahab overtones about him. And it’s no coincidence that one of the main mermaids in the film looks suspiciously like a certain Disney character who recently featured in a live-action reimagining of an animated adventure.
‘Ruby Gillman: Teenage Kraken’ is a fun enough film for families to enjoy, but there is a creeping feeling of familiarity. The whole Kraken storyline is inventive and has some new ideas on its mind, but at its core, it’s full of the sorts of themes about believing in yourself and letting your true light shine.
Don’t get us wrong: those are not bad ideas for a young audience in particular to ingest while enjoying the comedy antics and vocal performances. It’s just that this latest animated offering does very little new with the concepts. We suppose there are only so many ways someone can be advised to embrace who they truly are. Or that you shouldn’t abandon your friends when big things happen in your life. Or that parents and kids really need each other more than they realize. Or… you get the picture.
There are also a few other elements which will have regular viewers of such movies sighing and tutting in recognition as they sit through the 700th version of a character exploring a new world set to a pop hit. For all its story benefit, it’s mostly wasted time.
Naturally, DreamWorks is hoping this is the launching point for a new franchise, but fortunately there’s only some mild, subtle nods to the idea that the story could continue. For its flaws, ‘Ruby Gillman’ does feel like a full story on its own.
It’s good to report that this is not the 4th installment of a long-established series of movies, because there should always be room for original filmmaking.
‘Ruby Gillman: Teenage Kraken’ receives 6 out of 10 stars.
Netflix knows the way to our hearts: Not only is the “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” sequel coming in time for Valentine’s Day 2020, the third movie has already entered production.
The streaming service revealed the big news via Twitter on Thursday, making it official that “To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You” will be released on Wednesday, Feb. 12. The tweet added that the second movie will be followed by a third, “To All the Boys: Always and Forever Lara Jean.” All are based on the books by Jenny Han.
We don’t know many specifics about the third film yet, but we think it’s safe to assume that it, too, will follow Han’s series. Without giving away any spoilers, the third book, “Always and Forever, Lara Jean,” follows the teen as she navigates her senior year of high school and prepares for college. For now, though, we’ll be focusing our attention on “P.S. I Still Love You.”
#ToAllTheBoys: P.S. I Still Love You premieres February 12!
And a third film —To All The Boys: Always And Forever Lara Jean — is already in production!!! pic.twitter.com/EPfUYbOaKl
As production begins on the highly-anticipated sequel to last year’s beloved Netflix rom-com “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before,” the film is continuing to expand its cast. And the newest hire is adding a dash of bromance to the romance.
Netflix revealed on Monday that — no foolin’ — actor Ross Butler (“13 Reasons Why,” “Riverdale”) will be joining the flick, playing Trevor Pike, the best friend of Noah Centineo‘s main love interest character, Peter Kavinsky. Butler and Centineo are good pals off screen, too, and that was part of the appeal in casting Butler, according to filmmakers.
#13ReasonsWhy star @RossButler has joined the cast of our To All The Boys sequel and will play Trevor Pike, Peter Kavinsky’s best friend!
“His real-life friendship with Noah brings a natural chemistry and great rapport to the set and we can’t wait for fans to see this friendship play out onscreen,” said producer Matt Kaplan, in an interview with Entertainment Weekly.
Centineo and Butler showed off their excitement over Butler’s casting by doing some spontaneous silly dancing behind the scenes on set. Star Lana Condor (who plays the film’s protagonist, Lara Jean Covey) isn’t entirely impressed, though.
Lara Jean already has plenty on her mind in “To All the Boys 2,” since John Ambrose (the recently-cast Jordan Fisher) is now on the scene to stir things up. We can’t wait to see how this budding love triangle shapes up.
No release date has been announced yet. Stay tuned.
Earlier in December, Viacom CEO Bob Bakish confirmed the film to Deadline, but Netflix’s big reveal didn’t come until Wednesday, Dec. 19. The wait was worth it, though. The streamer dropped a video announcement featuring stars Lana Condor and Noah Centineo sharing their “little secret” and teasing a new character.
In the announcement, Condor and Centineo appear as themselves, and they video chat to establish a new contract — one that not-so-subtly plugs another Netflix film — before getting into the reveal. Then, there’s an interesting hint: Condor takes a call from an unnamed caller and tells him he’ll make “the perfect John Ambrose.”
Now, fans may remember that name from a post-credits scene. In it, John Ambrose McClaren (Jordan Burtchett) showed up at the Covey family’s door with a letter from Lara Jean (Condor). Between that scene and the latest hint, it seems the sequel will indeed at least loosely follow the trajectory of Jenny Han’s book series. In the second book, “P.S. I Still Love You,” John’s arrival causes problems for Lara Jean and Peter (Centineo).
Watch the announcement below.
The title and release date for the “To All the Boy I’ve Loved Before” sequel have not yet been announced.
Studio Paramount has just inked a huge new deal with Netflix to produce more original films for the streaming giant, and first on the list is a “To All the Boys” sequel. In an interview with Deadline, Viacom CEO Bob Bakish said that the first flick “is one of the most-viewed films of all time” on Netflix, making greenlighting a follow-up a slam dunk for the company (Viacom is the parent company of Paramount).
In spite of cries for a sequel to the hit summer rom-com, the project still reportedly hasn’t been confirmed. Star Lana Condor recently gave an update, and she said that “there is no news on the subject beyond a strong wish for the green light,” per Deadline. She was appearing at Vulture Festival in Los Angeles at the time.
Talking to ET, Condor said, “I think there’s a very high chance we’ll get a sequel,” Condor said. “But they better hop on it pretty soon because Noah and I — I’m on [new Syfy series “Deadly Class”]. I’m doing a movie in Romania. He’s doing ‘Charlie’s Angels.’ He’s doing another movie that he just booked. It comes down to availability and I hope they lock us in soon.”
“We all want a sequel,” Condor said, pointing out that Parrish is also busy with “Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists. “They really gotta lock it down, I’m telling ya!” Condor she laughed.
Director Susan Johnson told ET that the cast and key creatives were “all attached contractually” for potential sequels, but that that all depends on if “our schedules all key up.”
Johnson added that she loves that people want a sequel. “I love the fans being vocal about it; the more, the better.”
Condor has joined the cast of the sci-fi thriller “Warning,” Deadline reports. She and “Gotham” actor Benedict Samuel are the most recent additions to a cast that already includes James D’Arcy, Mena Massoud, Charlotte Le Bon, Laura Harrier, and Alex Pettyfer.
Details are limited at this point, but “Warning” sounds very different than “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before.” The film is said to take place in a near future and involve multiple stores that weave together. Some of the themes that it explores are loneliness, the meaning of life, and death, according to Deadline. “Warning” is based on a screenplay by Agata Alexander, who is directing, as well as Rob Michaelson and Jason Kaye.
So far, we don’t know when “Warning” will be released, but we look forward to learning more about Condor’s latest project.
