Coyote vs ACME Ending, Explained
Wile. E Coyote and Road Runner’s relationship is one for the ages. Throughout Looney Tunes’ history, Coyote’s determination to make the speedrunning bird his lunch has never faultered — even if pretty much everything else around him did.
In the popular cartoon shorts, Coyote would often come across ACME products which, one way or another, would malfunction on him during his pursuit of Road Runner: leading to humorous slapstick results. However, in Coyote vs ACME, this comedic relationship is turned on its head as Coyote decides to sue ACME. What results is a tongue-in-cheek legal drama with a lot of comedy and a surprising amount of heart.
As we know, Coyote vs ACME was never actually meant to be seen. In 2023, it was shelved by Warner Bros in order to get a tax write-off, but the internet in effect forced the production company to reverse this decision. With that in mind, there’s an extra ironic layer to a film which, fundamentally, focuses on the plucky little guy trying to fight back against a soulless corporation.
But how did Coyote and co. fare against ACME in court? To find out, keep reading — but bear in mind that there are spoilers ahead.
Does Coyote Win In Court?
When Coyote hoodwinks Kevin Avery, a settlement-loving personal injury lawyer, into suing ACME (and in turn, his old law school rival Buddy Crane), he isn’t keen at first. However, as the film progresses, Kevin starts to take the trial more seriously. As the case progresses to a congressional hearing, there are a few more bumps in the road: namely the revelation that this is all an elaborate plan by Coyote to catch Road Runner, along with ACME literally trying to bump Kevin and Coyote off the night before.
Still, after Kevin gives an impassioned speech about Coyote’s persistence in court, the pair make up and decide to go ahead with their attempt to take down ACME along with Kevin’s niece and intern Paige. This leads to another emotional moment, when Road Runner actually shows up and doesn’t just defend Coyote, but also calls him a friend.
Surely that, along with CEO Foghorn Leghorn’s straight-up confirmation that they had been testing deliberately-faulty ACME products on toons would surely be enough to win the case, right? Wrong. Once again, the corporation squashes the little guy and gets off scot-free.
What Happens After the Trial?
Coyote may have lost, but it isn’t all doom and gloom. After humorously trapping Buddy and Foghorn in the contraption Coyote designed for Road Runner, Kevin, Paige, and Coyote return to the firm and discover that, after their case, they’ve inspired the toons. With the toons all wanting to sue ACME, the corporation finally faces some consequences, with Buddy and Foghorn both being arrested.
So, while Coyote technically loses, things ultimately turn out even better than expected. It just serves to show how, sometimes, rejection can be redirection. If things don’t work out the way you want them to, that may well be because the universe is paving the way for something even better for you. All in all, it’s a happy ending for everyone involved, and before you ask, the answer is yes — Coyote is still chasing that damn bird.
