Meep, meep. ‘Coyote vs. Acme’ opens with $15.5 million, 'Spider-Man'
stays No. 1 for fifth weekend
[August 31, 2026]
By JAKE COYLE
NEW YORK (AP) — Three years after Warner Bros. abruptly canned “Coyote
vs. Acme,” the Looney Tunes feature film that was given a new lease on
life by Ketchup Entertainment debuted with an estimated $15.5 million in
ticket sales over the weekend.
For the fifth weekend in a row, “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” topped the
North American box office. It grossed $22.2 million in U.S. and Canadian
theaters, according to studio estimates Sunday, bringing its worldwide
total to $2.33 billion and making it the fourth highest-grossing film of
all time.
“Coyote vs. Acme,” which had been relegated to the dust heap, fared best
of the newcomers, debuting in second place.
The Ridley Scott action drama “The Dog Stars,” starring Jacob Elordi,
flopped. The film, about a pilot and German Shepherd who survive a
global pandemic, opened in fifth place with $8 million for 20th Century
Studios. It added $11.3 million overseas, a poor result for a film that
cost between $70 million and $100 million to make.
“Coyote vs. Acme,” however, scored a decent, hard-earned opening. In
2023, Warner Bros. canceled any release of the completed film,
preferring to take a tax write off on a movie originally produced for
its streaming service, HBO Max. Warner also shelved “Batgirl” and
“Scoob! Holiday Haunt,” both of which remain unreleased.
“Coyote vs. Acme,” based on an Ian Frazier “Shouts and Murmurs” New
Yorker column, is about Wile E. Coyote suing the Acme Corporation for
its faulty products. It stars Will Forte, John Cena, Lana Condor and
Eric Bauza.
The film, a hybrid of live-action and animation directed by Dave Green,
cost $70 million to make. But despite good test screening scores, Warner
Bros. opted to ax the completed film. After an outcry, the studio put
the film up for sale. Early last year, Ketchup Entertainment acquired
worldwide distribution rights for about $50 million.
For the makers of the film, just getting released was a victory.
"'Coyote vs. Acme' is finally, gloriously, in theaters now,” Green said
on social media Friday. “Which means one thing. WE WON.”
Reviews and audience scores were also good. Moviegoers gave it an “A”
CinemaScore. Critics were just as enthusiastic. On Rotten Tomatoes, it
rated 95% fresh.
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This image released by Ketchup Entertainment shows the character
Wile E. Coyote, voiced by Eric Bauza, in a scene from "Coyote vs
Acme." (Ketchup Entertainment via AP)
 While the result might have counted
as a disappointment for some $70 million movies, the opening weekend
for “Coyote vs. Acme” was the best ever for Ketchup. The indie
distributor’s previous high was 2024’s “The Day the Earth Blew Up”
(a $3.1 million opening), another Warner-made Looney Tunes castoff.
“The box office numbers are fair, but the reception
is excellent and the release should set up good ancillary business
for kids’ viewing, where the film should recoup its investment,”
said David A. Gross, who publishes the box office newsletter
FranchiseRe.
“The Odyssey,” in its seventh weekend, slid to third place with
$14.3 million. It remains unusually strong overseas, where the
Christopher Nolan movie grossed $48.6 million over the weekend.
Altogether, the Universal Pictures release has collected $1.55
billion in global sales.
Top 10 movies by domestic box office
With final domestic figures being released Monday, this list factors
in the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and
Canadian theaters, according to Rentrak:
1. “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” $22.2 million.
2. “Coyote vs. Acme,” $15.5 million.
3. “The Odyssey,” $14.3 million.
4. “Insidious: Out of the Further,” $10.1 million.
5. “The Dog Stars,” $8 million.
6. “Buddy,” $5.4 million.
7. “The End of Oak Street,” $5 million.
8. “PAW Patrol: The Dino Movie,” $4.9 million.
9. “Mutiny,” $2.8 million.
10. “Tony,” $2.2 million.
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