The Lowdown
This is a fan-campaign victory lap. A film that Warner Bros. was ready to write off opened above a Ridley Scott movie on a fraction of the marketing budget. It won’t erase the original decision, but it should make studios think twice before burying a finished movie.
Key Takeaways
- Coyote vs. Acme opened at No. 2 for August 28–30 with $15.9 million from 3,575 theaters (Box Office Mojo).
- It’s Ketchup Entertainment’s biggest opening, well ahead of The Day the Earth Blew Up’s $3.1 million (Deadline).
- Ketchup paid $50 million for the $70 million film after Warner Bros. wrote it off for $30 million (Deadline).
- Ridley Scott’s The Dog Stars opened fifth with about $8 million (Deadline).
The Story
Coyote vs. Acme finally reached theaters and opened to $15.9 million over August 28–30, finishing second behind Spider-Man: Brand New Day (Box Office Mojo).
Deadline called it the biggest opening ever for indie distributor Ketchup Entertainment, well ahead of its previous Warner Bros. Animation rescue, The Day the Earth Blew Up, which opened to $3.1 million. Ketchup spent about $10 million on marketing (Deadline).
The road here was long. Warner Bros. wrote off the $70 million Looney Tunes production for $30 million, and Ketchup paid $50 million to acquire it, beating other suitors. Dave Green directed the live-action and animation hybrid starring Will Forte, Lana Condor and John Cena (Deadline).
The family film earned an A CinemaScore and outgrossed 20th Century Studios’ The Dog Stars, Ridley Scott’s dystopian drama starring Jacob Elordi and Josh Brolin, which opened to about $8 million on a $70 million production cost (Deadline).
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More Context
- Box Office Mojo — Domestic 2026 Weekend 35 ↗
- Deadline — ‘Coyote Vs. Acme’ Prevails At No. 2 With $15M+, ‘Dog Stars’ Tanks ↗