Coyote vs. Acme Matches Zootopia Previews as the Once Shelved Film Finally Opens
Coyote vs. Acme reached theaters with $1.7 million in previews, matching Zootopia's start after Warner Bros. once shelved the film.
Disney fans got an unexpected box office comparison this weekend. Coyote vs. Acme opened with $1.7 million in Thursday domestic previews, the same preview figure posted by Zootopia, after Warner Bros. had once planned not to release the finished movie at all.
Coyote vs. Acme is now in theaters, a notable turnaround for a film Warner Bros. had completed and then set aside while planning to take a tax write-off instead of releasing it. Public criticism from filmmakers, critics, and audiences followed, and the studio ultimately opted to shop the movie rather than keep it buried.
Its first reported number is $1.7 million from Thursday domestic previews. That matches Zootopia's preview total, though it does not guarantee a similar overall run. Preview-to-weekend conversion can vary widely by genre and audience. Still, the opening gives the movie a clear sign of interest after it had previously been treated as commercially worthless.
The wider 2026 box office has been unusually strong, with five films crossing $1 billion worldwide, compared with three in all of 2025, and analysts projecting a $10 billion domestic year. That makes the bar higher for any new release. It also makes this result more meaningful for Warner Bros., which has not had a 2026 release top $250 million worldwide. The End of Oak Street, for example, opened to roughly $21 million against an $80 million budget earlier this month.
Why Disney fans noticed
For Disney followers, the Zootopia comparison is the immediate hook. Zootopia went on to become one of Disney Animation's biggest successes, so sharing its Thursday preview figure instantly puts Coyote vs. Acme into a Disney-adjacent conversation, even if the two movies may play very differently over the rest of the weekend.
The film's setup leans into classic Looney Tunes logic. Wile E. Coyote sues the Acme Corporation over its defective products and hires a down-on-his-luck attorney to take on a company with unlimited legal resources. The movie blends live action and animation in the tradition of Who Framed Roger Rabbit and Space Jam.
The premiere also overlapped with separate Disney animation news. Jim Cummings, the original voice of Darkwing Duck, confirmed on the Coyote vs. Acme red carpet that Disney is recasting the character. Cummings has also voiced Looney Tunes characters, including the Tasmanian Devil.
Full weekend actuals are expected Sunday, with revised figures on Monday. The bigger test may come in the second weekend. A sharp drop would suggest curiosity about the film's backstory, while a stronger hold would point to audiences genuinely liking what they saw.
