Warner Bros.’ Disgusting Accounting Trick May Find an Opponent in the U.S. Government
First Batgirl, then Scoob!: Holiday Haunt, and now Coyote vs. Acme, assuming the trajectory of this development continues. At this point, allowing Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav to be anywhere near the entertainment business should be written in as a violation of the Geneva Conventions.
That’s hyperbolic, of course, but Warner Bros.’ latest trend of tossing finished films into the wood chipper for the sake of tax write-offs has still drawn the rightful ire of just about everybody, and it seems that “everybody” could also encapsulate the government of the United States sooner or later.
District of Texas Representative Joaquin Castro recently tweeted out a reply to the news of Coyote vs. Acme’s imminent shelving, revealing that he’s been urging both the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission to start coming down hard on studios who engage in these shifty antics, calling them “anti-competitive, anti-worker, and predatory.”
In a turn of rather stunning originality (which, let’s be honest, probably played a role in Zaslav’s decision to axe the film), Coyote vs. Acme follows Looney Tunes fan favorite Wile E. Coyote as he initiates a legal battle with Acme Corporation after all of their products backfired quite hazardously on him during his pursuits of the Road Runner. He teams up with Will Forte’s unnamed billboard attorney against the boss of his former law firm, who represents Acme in the case, and who, appropriately enough, is played by John Cena.
It’s true that not all hope is lost for the film just yet, as the decision to shelve Coyote vs. Acme hasn’t officially been made, but given Warner Bros.’ apparent refusal to sell the film, to say nothing of all the signs and history that suggest they’re desperate to spit on whatever remaining shred of integrity the industry has, crossing one’s fingers for Coyote vs. Acme’s resurgence is looking more and more like setting oneself up for a letdown.
(featured image: Warner Bros. Pictures)
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