‘I would have liked to seen it given a chance...' John Cena laments scrapped Coyote vs. Acme movie
John Cena wishes ‘Coyote vs. Acme’ was “given a chance” before Warner Bros. shelved it.
The 47-year-old actor starred in the live-action/ animated movie which would have seen the unlucky ‘Looney Tunes’ character sue the corporation for their unreliable products that hindered his chances of catching the Road Runner, but the studio chose to scrap the film in February for tax purposes.
Now, Cena has admitted he wished the flick got to see the light of day because he and director Dave Green believed they had made a very entertaining flick.
He told The Wrap: “There’s a lot there. And everyone’s perspective is different. 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 Dave Green and everybody involved, we made what we thought was a good movie.”
The WWE wrestler said that test audiences enjoyed the film, though understood “it is the movie business” and could respect “the business path” Warner Bros. took.
He lamented: “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.
“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.”
After the film - which was based on a story written by Samy Burch, Jeremy Slater and ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ mastermind James Gunn - was cancelled, Cena’s co-star Will Forte, who voiced Coyote, insisted the cast and crew should be “so proud” of their work.
In a post on Instagram, he wrote: “You would be so proud of it — a movie that should be seen, but won’t.
“Please know that all the years and years of hard work, dedication and love that you put into this movie shows in every frame."