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Zaslav and Warner Discovery blink, uncancel "Coyote Vs. ACME" after filmmaker (and fan) outrage. [1]
['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']
Date: 2023-11-14
Via Deadline
deadline.com/…
EXCLUSIVE: Article updated at 2:54PM Screenings are being set up this week for streamers Amazon Prime Video, Apple and Netflix to check out and potentially acquire Warner Bros‘ axed Looney Tunes movie Coyote vs. Acme after the studio’s phone ran off the hook the entire weekend from angry filmmakers and talent reps over their third feature film kill after Batgirl and Scoob Holiday Haunt! The more egregious Hollywood sin with Coyote vs. Acme is that it’s a finished film was intended for a theatrical release, while the other two movies were still in the works. Of those kicking the tires, even though no deals have been drafted, I hear Amazon is a leading contender given the fact that Courtenay Valenti, the Head of Film, Streaming and Theatrical for Amazon Studios and MGM, was a big champion and linchpin for the movie while she was President of Production and Development at Warner Bros. All of this boils down to Head of Amazon Studios Jen Salke’s signoff, I understand. During the pandemic, Prime Video acquired Sony’s family titles Hotel Transylvania 4 and Cinderella, among other movies. Amazon has been known to take finished films off the table for $100M and turn them into events for Prime Video.
Great news, right? Sort of. I have to say, releasing this on Prime streaming strikes me as almost as braindead as canceling it. The movie has legit BUZZ now and could have potentially become the cultural touchstone Barbie and Oppenheimer were. If Amazon releases it directly to streaming they are leaving hundred of millions of dollars on the table. I thought Disney was crazy to release the Hamilton concert film direct to Disney+ (it would have been the highest grossing theatrical film of the year if they had waited for the pandemic to cool), and I see Warner and Amazon losing similar bank if that happens here.
Amazon has released stuff to theaters before (see “Air”) and hopefully that’s what happens here too. But “The Looney Tunes film Warner Bros didn’t want you to see!” could be the most brilliant theatrical marketing strategy in ages.
This is probably the real reason they reversed course:
x Warner Bros. shelving ‘COYOTE VS. ACME’ led several filmmakers to cancel Warner Bros meetings after hearing the news.
(Via: @THR) pic.twitter.com/EefoGjnZqK — ToonHive (@ToonHive) November 13, 2023
Imagine that.
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