This last week has seen the highest of highs, and lowest of lows, as a movie once thought to be lost to corporate greed performed well at the box office over the weekend in what can only be seen as a win for art and audience alike, but the world also lost some beloved stars, including Dolly Parton, Tim Curry, and a Canadian voice acting legend.
We’ll first focus on the good news though, as the Looney Tunes feature film Coyote vs. Acme just scored the second-highest domestic gross on its opening weekend with a $15.4 million haul that was second only to the box office behemoth that has been Spider-Man: Brand New Days, but it beat out major productions such as The Odyssey and Ridley Scott’s newly released The Dog Stars.
While such a box office draw would normally be considered modest by today’s standards, it’s a miracle that Coyote vs. Acme ever saw a wide release to begin with, as its production company, Warner Bros., opted to shelve the finished film in favour of a $30 million tax break, which they also did with the live action Batgirl, much to the disgust of the public. Since the film centers on Wile E. Coyote and his lawyer (played by Will Forte) taking on the greedy, corrupt mega corporation Acme, there was a cruel irony to this move by Warner Bros. that only added insult to injury.
However, after Forte made some impassioned public statements on his frustration with Warner Bros. and the situation as a whole – especially since he was so thoroughly impressed with the final product – I there was something of a grass roots push by the public to release Coyote vs. Acme that was loud enough that Warner eventually shopped it around a second time, eventually selling to Ketchup Entertainment for $50 million.
Forte has certainly been vindicated, as the actor admits that the stellar reviews “just make it feel like you’re not crazy,” before going on to say that “It’s so validating.” What’s more, we now get to witness the gloriously versatile voice acting of Toronto native Eric Bauza, who voices the majority of notable Looney Tunes in the film, including heavy hitters such as Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd, Porky Pig, Sylvester the Cat, and, of course, Bugs Bunny.
Suffice to say, it is hugely important that we support Coyote vs. Acme, not just to support the notable talents of our own Eric Bauza and his equally gifted cast that includes Forte, John Cena and Lana Condor, but also because if it fails to turn a profit for Ketchup Entertainment, Warner Bros. still, in a way, wins, as they would likely feel justified or even perhaps even emboldened by their frankly shitty initial decision, and you can be sure that the other major studios are watching too.
With an estimated global gross of $23.9 million, there is still a ways to go before Ketchup Entertainment at least recoups the $50 million they spent to acquire the film (and this is without even including the marketing costs), but Coyote vs. Acme has already overcome the odds in unexpected ways, and I am confident that audiences will support what has become a symbol of resilience in the face of corporate gluttony.
As uplifting this ongoing story is with Coyote vs. Acme, I must now turn to sadder news, as Canada lost a legend in a true legend with the death of Peter Cullen last week. Cullen was born and raised in Montreal and had been active in the industry since the 1960s. However, Cullen’s most iconic role would not arrive until 1984, where he would voice Optimus Prime (amongst others) in the animated series The Transformers, and he would continue to voice the character for the next four decades across multiple forms of media, including the live action movies, video games, further animated shows, and even a theme park ride.
While Cullen was best known for voicing Optimus Prime, he was also the voice for other iconic characters that might surprise you, such as Eeyore in the Winnie the Pooh franchise, the villainous KARR in the Knight Rider series, and he even did the unmistakable guttural vocalizations of the title character in the 1987 action classic Predator. More recently, he voiced Thaedus in the outstanding animated superhero series Invincible, which was his final role before passing.
Cullen passed away at 85 in his Los Angeles home and will be remembered as a unique talent in the realm of voice acting, and Optimus Prime will never be quite the same again without his distinctive baritone delivery that spoke to and inspired children and adults alike across multiple generations. Rest in peace, Mr. Cullen.