Despite drawing winning critical reactions, Coyote vs. Acme may face an uphill battle at the box office when it debuts August 28th. The comedic live-action/animation hybrid was famously shelved by Warner Bros. (think Batgirl) but was rescued by Ketchup Entertainment. Shot in 2022 with an initial planned release in 2023, Dave Green directs with a cast including Will Forte, Lana Condor, Tone Bell, Luis Guzmán, Martha Kelly, P.J. Byrne, and John Cena.
In March 2025, Ketchup also tried to squeeze some money out of The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie. It premiered to just $3.2 million with a final domestic take under $10 million. Coyote has 96% on Rotten Tomatoes and a 75 Metacritic, but I’m skeptical family audiences will show up and awareness seems low in this back to shool time frame. While industry followers may be familiar with its struggles to reach the big screen, a large portion of its target audience is likely oblivious.
This still could double what Earth made though that’s hardly something to brag about.
Coyote vs. Acme opening weekend prediction: $6.5 million
Out August 28th, the live-action/animated hybrid Coyote vs. Acme has experienced an adventurous journey to the big screen. Featuring Wile E. Coyote and numerous other Looney Tunes characters, Warner Bros famously shelved the movie for tax write-off purposes in 2023. After allowing other entities to bid on its release after negative press, Ketchup Entertainment (who also put out the recent The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie) is putting it in multiplexes. Dave Green (Earth to Echo, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows) directs with a human cast including Will Forte, Lana Condor, Tone Bell, P.J. Byrne, Luis Guzmán, and John Cena.
After all the press about whether or not it will ever see the light of day, is it any good? 97% on Rotten Tomatoes would indicate so. The Metacritic score of 75 is a bit more representative of some of those positive reviews not being raves.
Coyote‘s only shot at running away with an Oscar nod is Best Animated Feature. That’s a little complicated. In order to qualify for inclusion, a picture must feature animation for 75% of its running time. I’ve yet to see any confirmation whether this fits the criteria. We might be waiting for the Academy to put out their list of contenders and that likely won’t occur until November (35 flicks met the standards last year).
If Coyote is among the hopefuls, I could see it making the shortlist and then who knows from there. I wouldn’t bet on it making the final five, but there was a time when no one thought it would make it out for public consumption. My Oscar Prediction posts will continue…
Hollywood hopes that Disney’s live-action remake of Snow White can wake up a sleepy box office this weekend while The Alto Knights with a double dose of Robert De Niro also debuts. You can peruse my detailed prediction posts on the newcomers here:
With Rachel Zegler in the title role and Gal Gadot as the Evil Queen, there’s no doubt Snow White will dwarf all competitors. The question is by how much. A best case scenario might be around $60 million though it could bottom out in the mid to high 30s. I’m giving it high 40s. While that’s nothing to sneeze at, it’s not that happy a result for the Mouse House considering most of their other live-action retellings far outpaced that figure.
Mr. De Niro portrays two real-life gangsters in the period piece Knights. Warner Bros hasn’t given it much of a marketing push. My lower to mid single digits forecast could put it anywhere from second to sixth.
Holdovers Novocaine (the current champ), Black Bag, Captain America: Brave New World, and Mickey 17 should all generate similar earnings. In fact, I have #2 and #6 separated by only half a million bucks. That’s with Novocaine dwindling just over 50% and Black Bag falling in the high 40s in its sophomore frame. Captain America is likely to experience the smallest decline.
Here’s how I have the top 6 playing out:
1. Snow White
Predicted Gross: $49.6 million
2. Novocaine
Predicted Gross: $4.1 million
3. Captain America: Brave New World
Predicted Gross: $4.1 million
4. Black Bag
Predicted Gross: $4 million
5. The Alto Knights
Predicted Gross: $3.7 million
6. Mickey 17
Predicted Gross: $3.6 million
Box Office Results (March 14-16)
It was a painful weekend in multiplexes as no feature topped $10 million. Novocaine with Jack Quaid had muted bragging rights in 1st with $8.8 million. Failing to match my $9.8 million prediction, look for this to fade quickly with a meh B Cinemascore.
Also sporting a B Cinemascore was Steven Soderbergh’s Black Bag with Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender. The spy thriller was second with $7.6 million, just over my $7.3 million projection.
Bong Joon-ho’s Mickey 17 suffered a considerable 61% drop and was third with $7.4 million. I was a tad more generous to the Robert Pattinson sci-fi satire at $8.1 million. The two-week tally is an unimpressive $33 million.
Captain America: Brave New World was fourth at $5.6 million (I said $5.7 million) for a five-week total of $185 million and $200 million domestic looking achievable.
The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie rounded out the top five with a mere $3.1 million compared to my $3.8 million estimate for the animated offering.
Jack Quaid is unconventional hero Novocaine, Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender carry the romantic thriller Black Bag from Steven Soderbergh, and Daffy Duck and Porky Pig headline The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie this weekend. You can peruse my detailed prediction posts on the new trio here:
It could be a battle for the #1 spot. I’m projecting no feature will top $10 million though I believe Novocaine has the best shot and that it manages first place with only mild bragging rights.
I foresee Mickey 17 suffering a significant drop in its sophomore frame after a so-so start (more on that below). A mid to high 50s plummet would put it in second or maybe even third.
Black Bag, generating impressive reviews, could outdo my third place number but the adult drama should face trouble bringing in a younger crowd.
Speaking of younger crowds, Looney Tunes hopes to cash in on its well-known animated stars. Yet this seems to be severely under marketed and I have it in fifth behind Captain America: Brave New World.
Here’s how I have the high five shaking out:
1. Novocaine
Predicted Gross: $9.8 million
2. Mickey 17
Predicted Gross: $8.1 million
3. Black Bag
Predicted Gross: $7.3 million
4. Captain America: Brave New World
Predicted Gross: $5.7 million
5. The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie
Predicted Gross: $3.8 million
Box Office Results (March 7-9)
Bong Joon-ho’s Mickey 17 ended Captain America‘s three-week #1 reign with $19 million. Given the reported price tag of around $120 million, that’s not a result to brag about. However, the sci-fi satire with Robert Pattinson did surpass my $17.9 million prediction.
Captain America: Brave New World fell to second with $8.3 million. I was on target at $8.4 million. The MCU adventure now stands at $176 million.
Last Breath was third with $4 million, a bit lower than my $4.6 million forecast for the survival flick. The two-week take is $14 million.
The Monkey was fourth with $3.9 million (I said $3.4 million) for $31 million after three weeks.
Paddington in Peru rounded out the top five at $3.7 million and I incorrectly had it outside the leading quintet. The sequel’s four-week gross is $36 million.
Finally, Rule Breakers from Angel Studios stumbled in ninth with a paltry $1.5 million. I was far more generous at $3.7 million.
Warner Bros brings some of their classic animated characters to the silver screen on March 14th when The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie opens. Marking the directorial debut of Pete Browngardt, the sci-fi comedic adventures features the voices of Eric Bauza as Daffy Duck and Porky Pig), Candi Milo, Peter MacNicol, Fred Tatasciore, Laraine Newman, and Wayne Knight.
Earth actually received a limited Los Angeles run in December to qualify for Best Animated Feature at the Oscars (it did not receive a nomination). The studio hasn’t done much work promoting its release. Despite solid word-of-mouth from the West Coast screenings, WB seems to be dumping this. I think anything over $5 million would be a surprise and lower single digits may be all, folks.
The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie opening weekend prediction: $3.8 million
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