Texas Congressman Calls for Investigation of Warner Bros. Over Shelved Film
Texas Congressman Joaquin Castro is calling for a federal investigation of Warner Bros. for its handling of the film “Coyote vs. Acme.” The studio initially planned to shelve the movie in order to receive a tax break, prompting backlash from industry professionals and creators.
Castro criticized Warner Bros. for its decision to shelve fully made films for tax breaks, calling the practice predatory and anti-competitive. The congressman has been vocal on antitrust issues in media and entertainment, previously calling for competition enforcers to reassess Discovery’s merger with AT&T’s WarnerMedia.
The planned shelving of “Coyote vs. Acme” was initially met with criticism from supporters of the project, as the movie is entirely finished and had a successful audience screening with test scores in the 90s. Warner Bros. has since reversed its decision and allowed the director to shop the project to other studios and streamers, but the congressman is still calling for a federal investigation into the studio’s conduct.
Warner Bros. previously went through with shelving movies for tax write-offs last year with the movies “Batgirl” and “Scoob! Holiday Haunt,” prompting concerns about the impact on content creators and the availability of diverse programming.
The call for an investigation is the latest development in the ongoing saga of “Coyote vs. Acme,” and the studio’s handling of the film has brought attention to issues of competition and consumer choice in Hollywood. Despite the initial decision to shelve the film, the studio will now allow the director to shop the project, with the potential for the title to be used as a tax write off to offset the movie’s budget.
The film “Coyote vs. Acme” follows the speechless and hapless Wile E. Coyote as he teams up with a lawyer to fight the ACME corporation. The movie is a live-action/animation hybrid that promises a new take on the classic cartoon characters. As the investigation unfolds, the future of the film remains uncertain, but Warner Bros. is facing increasing scrutiny for its handling of the project.