Coyote Vs Acme

As pointed out in the WB thread: Two WBD board members resign after antitrust investigation.

Does that have anything to do with Coyote vs. Acme specifically?

It's in connection to them cancelling finished films for tax write-offs.

There is no connection to that.

They were specifically being investigated for violating Section 8 of the Clayton Antitrust Act. That's about ensuring a board member isn't serving on the board of a competitor.

Edited by M84 on Apr 2nd 2024 at 10:40:28 PM

So it probably won’t have much bearing on the movie.

No, it won't.

The reason the DOJ was investigating them was because those two idiots also served on the board of Charter Communications, and the DOJ claimed that Charter is a competitor to WBD. Charter through Spectrum cable service and WBD through Max streaming service both distribute video. So the DOJ considered them competitors. And Section 8 of the Clayton Antitrust Act says that you can't be a board member for two competing companies.

Even if this isn't directly related to CvsA, more eyes on WBD can only be a good thing. And the CvsA fiasco is partly responsible for this level of scrutiny of their corporate practices.

I doubt it. These kind of investigations take time, and this one probably started even before WBD decided to shelve Coyote vs. Acme.

The DOJ probably took a while to decide if a cable service and a streaming service are technically competitors despite being quite different. In the end they decided they were.

Edited by M84 on Apr 2nd 2024 at 11:09:34 PM

Sending again since I believe nobody saw it.

Given how significantly different the leaked plot of the film is compared to Ian Frazier's article, in what scale do you think Coyote vs. Acme falls in? In Name Only, or Adaptation Expansion?

Joaquin Castro's tweet was in direct response to the CvsA shelving, so yes, it is making an observable difference.

Adaptation Expansion for sure. I'm just surprised they changed the names of the judge and lawyer characters. They were named in the Frazier piece (not that I'd ever complain about a Tex Avery Shout-Out).

Also, last month, I've filed reports to the US DOJ and FTC about Warner Bros.' treatment of Coyote vs. Acme. And before you ask, yes, I am aware that conversations about the film are ongoing and that Warner Bros. is still screening it for other buyers despite the earlier reports of them rejecting offers that couldn't match their price. This tweet gave me the idea to do so.

Interestingly, my reports did not call for David Zaslav to be dismissed from the company, but rather simply forced to undo everything he's ever done there and stop doing them for good.

Edited by aldrinejoseph25 on Apr 2nd 2024 at 5:37:42 AM

No it didn't. The DOJ investigation was over an entirely different issue than tax write off loopholes.

This is just a case that clarified whether or not cable service and streaming service are competitors.

If this actually leads to the tax write-off rules being changed, then it will have made a difference.

Edited by M84 on Apr 2nd 2024 at 9:32:41 PM

I know another way we can make noise. You can go with my idea to write reports to the US DOJ and FTC about the film's situation. That aforementioned Twitter user's aunt just gave me an idea that all of you should follow. I believe that the more reports we file to them, the quicker they'll look into it. It's worth a shot.

https://www.justice.gov/contact-us

https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/#/

Edited by aldrinejoseph25 on Apr 2nd 2024 at 6:54:45 AM

Ooh, good thinking! That's being proactive. I may just do it myself, make a little more noise.

Yes, it undeniably is. I said the massive, ongoing outcry over this one movie's cancellation put such a spotlight on WBD's shady business practices (and David Zaslav specifically) that elected officials are taking notice, whether or not this new thing is also related.

Zaslav wanted people to forget about CvsA like they (largely) forgot about Batgirl and Scoob and they fucking didn't. In fact, it seems to have reignited interest in those other shelved projects! That makes me happy. Whatever Zaslav wants out of this, I hope he doesn't get it.

Edited by ThriceCharming on Apr 2nd 2024 at 9:57:00 AM

Also, Movieweb has mistaken my fanmade Coyote vs. Acme screenshot for an actual one.

And believe me, this is far from the first time my fanmade screenshot has received such treatment...

Edited by aldrinejoseph25 on Apr 2nd 2024 at 7:35:56 AM

You have zero proof that the outcry over Coyote vs. Acme has anything to do with this specific DOJ investigation.

It just feels like you want WBD to suffer for the treatment of Coyote vs. Acme. Not everything wrong with WBD is related to that.

I think a lot of us want WBD (the leaders, not the creative people) to suffer regardless.

Yes, but we shouldn't assume that bad things are happening at WBD because of our outrage.

My guess is that internal office politics at both WBD and Charter are responsible. People who may have wanted those two off the boards at one or both of those companies might have tipped off the DOJ.

Company boards aren't one big happy family. They're places rife with bitter rivalry and one-upmanship and petty politics. Just look at the shitshow with Disney now.

TBH, if you want WBD or other studios to stop this kind of practice, you'd have more luck calling or writing a letter to your Congressional representative if you're a USA citizen. Unless you're a shareholder or major creative, WBD's leadership isn't going to pay much attention to you. The Congressperson has to take you a little seriously since you actually have some power over whether they stay in office or not via the ballot.

Edited by M84 on Apr 3rd 2024 at 2:19:30 AM

This is the fanmade screenshot I've created that's been mistaken for the real deal by many on the internet, Movieweb included.

Edited by aldrinejoseph25 on Apr 2nd 2024 at 11:34:59 AM

I feel like this is metaphorical for something, but I dunno

Could be the situation the film is being put through at the moment.

The Wile E. in that fake screenshot looks better than the real one. I can see why some outlets think it's real.

For the fake screenshot I made, Wile E. was traced from a scene from the 2003 short "The Whizzard of Ow", while I used the second screenshot of the film that has surfaced last year as reference for coloring and shading him. The background was taken near the end of the 2010 YouTube video Wiley vs. Rhodes, which was a live-action rendition of the original cartoons with human versions of Wile E. and the Road Runner.

Edited by aldrinejoseph25 on Apr 3rd 2024 at 8:07:33 AM

You'd be surprised how often fan art is mistaken for real official images.

Or worse, the company just outright steals them.

I'm especially looking forward to Coyote vs. Acme to see how the ever-classic Plummet Perspective gag looks in it.

Also, Warner Bros.' licensing plans for 2024 and 2025 include a 4D Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner experience at the Gardaland theme park in Italy, consisting of the four CGI shorts produced by Reel FX in the 2010s, including "Flash in the Pain", which was not officially released in theaters but rather merely posted online.

Edited by aldrinejoseph25 on Apr 6th 2024 at 3:45:30 AM