Get the latest gossip

Warner Bros. shelved 'Coyote vs. Acme.' Here's why some finished films are mothballed

Warner Bros.' decision to cancel Coyote vs. Acme disappointed some cast, crew and fans — and had many wondering why a studio would shelve a project it had spent millions of dollars to make.

Stephen Glaeser, an accounting professor at UNC's Kenan-Flagler Business School, says film studios may predict that a movie won't perform well and cut their losses, rather than sell it for a low price or spend any more money to market it. Warner Bros. briefly relented and allowed filmmakers to shop around Coyote vs. Acme to streaming companies, but The Wrap reported in February that the studio had rejected offers from Netflix, Amazon and Paramount. Puck News reporter Matt Belloni told NPR in November that Warner Bros. had been under pressure to cut costs, and shelving the movie allowed executives to "get some financial benefits from being able to apply the losses" on their balance sheet.

Get the Android app