John Cena has opened up about his work on the movie Coyote vs. Acme, which was infamously shelved by Warner Bros. Discovery.
Speaking to TheWrap, Cena was asked about his perspective on the film, and acknowledged that while everyone may feel differently, he thinks the folks involved in the film made a “good movie.”
“There’s a lot there. And everyone’s perspective is different,” said Cena. “We don’t own the film. That’s the tough part about this business, you do have a sense of ownership because you invest heart and soul. And [director] Dave Green and everybody involved, we made what we thought was a good movie.”
Cena went on to say that he would’ve liked to see the film given a chance, but has to tell himself that the move to scrap the film was the right one in order to come to grips with the move.
“I would have liked to seen it given a chance. But I’m just one person. And if it was shelved, I would have to think that it was shelved for the right reasons and it was a good business decision,” said Cena. “I think I would have tremendous regret and shame if I look back on the legacy of the movie and it was shelved for reasons other than that.
“So I have to believe in the process. And I love the movie, my heart and soul is in there, but it’s somebody else’s project to do what they want with and they’ve chosen accordingly.”
What happened to Coyote vs. Acme?
Directed by Dave Green and written by Samy Burch (with the story coming from Burch, James Gunn, and Jeremy Slater), Coyote vs. Acme was filmed in February 2022 and was originally going to be released theatrically on July 21, 2023; however, Warner Bros. Discovery removed the film’s release date in April 2022.
In November 2023, Warner Bros. Discovery announced it was shelving the movie for a $30 million tax write-down, a controversial movie the studio previously utilized for films such as Batgirl and Scoob! Holiday Haunt.
Following much public backlash, Warner Bros. Discovery opted to let Coyote vs. Acme’s filmmakers shop the movie around at other studios. However, Warner Bros. Discovery ultimately rejected offers for the film, and it never came out.
(Source: TheWrap)