Category: Entertainment

The time has finally come: Coyote vs. Acme is now playing in theaters.

To celebrate the film’s official release day, director Dave Green shared a thank-you letter on social media, writing in part, “COYOTE VS. ACME IS FINALLY, GLORIOUSLY, IN THEATERS NOW. Which means one thing. WE WON. You can go see this movie. In a theater. In your favorite seat. With your favorite snacks. With your favorite people. You can head into a dark room and laugh with strangers. Together. Congratulations to everyone who made this happen.”

Coyote vs. Acme, a hybrid live-action and animated movie set in the Looney Tunes universe, follows Wile E. Coyote as he sues the Acme Corporation after its products repeatedly fail him in his pursuit of the Road Runner. The film stars Will Forte, John Cena, Lana Condor, Eric Bauza and Martha Kelly.

The film’s journey to theaters has been anything but typical. The Hollywood Reporter exclusively reported in November 2023 that Warner Bros. had shelved Coyote vs. Acme after the movie was completed. The project had been in development at the studio for years and was originally intended as an HBO Max streaming original before Warner Bros. ultimately decided not to release it.

At the time, Warner Bros. said the decision came as the studio shifted its global strategy to focus on theatrical releases following the relaunch of Warner Bros. Pictures Animation. The studio also planned to take an estimated $30 million tax write-off by shelving the approximately $70 million movie, according to reports.

The decision sparked widespread backlash from fans, filmmakers and the film’s stars, who continued to publicly advocate for the movie’s release.

In March 2025, Ketchup Entertainment acquired the worldwide distribution rights to Coyote vs. Acme from Warner Bros., giving the film a path to a theatrical release. The deal was reportedly valued at around $50 million.

Green went on to explain why the film’s theatrical release is a “victory.”

“It’s a record of the cast and crew, post, prep and animation teams who poured so much love and passion into it over years and years,” he wrote. “It’s shared, permanently, with the audience who fought so hard for its survival. Your fight is the reason this film finally made it to the big screen. Thank you @ketchupentertainment for hearing the audience. We’re so grateful that you did.”

“This is a celebration, it’s proof that movies don’t just go away. We make work so it can be seen and shared — that’s the whole reason we do what we do. Persistence and resilience have truly won the day. Enjoy Coyote vs. Acme on the big screen. Where it was always meant to be seen!” Green concluded his letter.

Forte took to X on Friday to reply to Green’s letter, writing, “Beautifully put, Dave.” He also shared a video thanking people for their efforts to push for the movie’s release and explaining how its messages correlate with the film’s journey.

“It’s about hope and determination. It’s about fighting injustice, and it’s about the importance of friendship and the importance of community. And that last one really strikes a chord because we went through some weird times with this movie, and it is only because of the support of the community that we’re here today, seeing this movie,” Forte said. “You guys lifted us up on your shoulders and just fought and fought for this movie. Most of you, without even having seen it. So I am forever thankful, and just want you to know that I’m so excited for you to see this because I think you’re going to see that it was worth the fight.”

In THR‘s profile of Green, published earlier this month, DC Studios co-head James Gunn, who produced the feature and worked on the story, also reflected on Coyote vs. Acme‘s journey.

“Dave was a great guy throughout the ups and downs. He was never overly bitter and negative, although a little bit of bitterness and negativity was understandable in the given circumstances,” he said. “However, I think you see, when people show true character in the face of adversity, the world rises up to meet them. And in this case, it did — Coyote vs. Acme being saved is because of Dave’s character and because he made a great movie too powerful to be buried. And gosh, perseverance is kind of what Wile E. and the movie are all about.”

If you’re an emerging director, chances are you’ll hear a word of encouragement from Dave Franco. 

Jeremy Saulnier certainly did after the actor saw the filmmaker’s breakout self- and crowd-funded revenge thriller, Blue Ruin (2013), starring his childhood best friend Macon Blair. When Blair himself took a crack at the director’s chair a few years later, Franco also reached out to compliment his Sundance-winning I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore. The Palo Alto native admits his generosity is partly motivated by a desire to get on talented directors’ radars for future roles, but it’s mainly about softening the industry’s competitiveness.

“We don’t tell each other enough how much we enjoy each other’s work. There’s such a competitive spirit within the industry that I just want to put out some good vibes, especially if it’s someone’s first time putting out a movie,” Franco tells The Hollywood Reporter in support of Idiots’ Aug. 28 theatrical release. “So I guess I play the long game sometimes, but it doesn’t normally lead to collaboration. More often than not, it has led to friendship.”

In Blair’s case, Franco’s overture in 2017 led to both friendship and eventual collaboration. The writer-director quickly returned the favor by sending Franco his road comedy script called The Shitheads. Franco soon realized, however, that he was too young to play the then-40-something Mark Southard, an aging slacker who, along with another underachiever named Davis Hench, winds up transporting a reprehensible trust-fund teen named Sheridan to rehab.

The film would nearly go in 2017 and 2018 with a couple different combinations of actors, particularly Luke Wilson and Tracy Morgan, but then its financing came crashing down, shelving the picture until Franco wrote another one of his patented emails around 2024. At this point, he’d not only aged into the role of Mark, but he’d also directed and/or produced a number of projects to where he could be equally beneficial behind the camera. 

“I said, ‘No pressure, but I’m here. If I can help in any way as a producer, I’d love to come in and help find the money,’” Franco recalls. “So I’ve basically been stalking Macon for the past ten years in trying to collaborate with him.”

The Shitheads did indeed find funding in 2025 en route to a fall shoot in Georgia. Franco even proved instrumental on the casting side of things by recommending O’Shea Jackson Jr. as Davis. The two actors had previously worked together on a series for the short-lived short-form platform, Quibi. And when it came time to find the despicable teenage influencer named Sheridan, Franco suggested Mason Thames from their 2025 film Regretting You. 

Before being retitled to Idiots, the film’s original title of The Shitheads wasn’t just a reference to Mark and Davis’ gross incompetence at life. It also had to do with the film’s signature scene in which Sheridan spikes his handlers’ generic colas, causing Mark to produce a geyser of diarrhea in their motel room.

“It’s a top-three poo scene in cinematic history. It’s up there with Jeff Daniels in Dumb and Dumber,” Franco states. “I remember calling my wife [Alison Brie] after that day and telling her I just did the craziest thing I’ve ever done on camera, which is saying a lot because I’ve done so many fucked-up things on camera. But I hold to that statement, and I’m pretty confident that it’s a violent moment people will talk about afterward.”

The pic premiered at 2026’s Sundance Film Festival before securing theatrical distribution from IFC the following month. The deal was not contingent on a title change, but Team Shitheads, once they learned about the realities of promotion, realized that they’d only be making it harder for their small throwback comedy to gain traction. Thus, they landed on Idiots to keep the tontal spirit of the original intact. 

All in all, Franco hopes Idiots can do its part to bring back a brand of comedy that has largely disappeared from multiplexes. 

“Idiots hearkens back to comedies from the early 2000s: The Hangover, Superbad, Pineapple Express, Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle,” Franco says. “There are other moments besides the diarrhea scene that’ll shock audiences. I have personally missed these types of comedies. So I hope people check it out because, for us to be able to make more comedies again, people need to see the rare ones that do get made.”

Below, during a recent conversation with THR, Franco also discusses his future as a director, before updating his status on 24 Jump Street and Now You See Me 4.

***

You don’t look like Alison Brie. (Franco is using his wife’s Zoom account.)

I like to get people’s hopes up and then slash them when I finally appear on screen.

You look more like the French Dip-hating Dave Franco.

(Laughs.) Wow, you’ve done your research.

I keep tabs on the situation. So a script called The Shitheads shows up in your inbox one day. It’s from Macon Blair of Blue Ruin fame. Were you already familiar with the work he and Jeremy Saulnier have done together? 

Big time. I re-watch Blue Ruin every single year. It’s probably the movie I recommend to people more than any other. It was made for less than half a million dollars, and it’s a perfect, taut thriller. So that was my introduction to Macon as an actor. 

Then I saw the first movie he wrote and directed, I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore, and that’s when I reached out to Macon to say, “I love your shit. I will do anything with you.” This was nearly 10 years ago now [in 2017], and at the time, he sent me the script for The Shitheads. But I was too young to play the Mark role that I ultimately played. So it wasn’t meant to be, and we amicably parted ways 

Eight years then passed, and I reached out to him again to say, “Hey man, I’m old now. Let’s go! Whatever happened to that project?” Then he told me that it almost went, but it fell apart. So I said, “No pressure, but I’m here. If I can help in any way as a producer, I’d love to come in and help find the money.” And he said, “Alright, let’s give it a shot.” So I’ve basically been stalking Macon for the past ten years in trying to collaborate with him.

Do you often play the long game?

If I see a movie that I love, especially by a first-time director, I will reach out to them and let them know how much I love their work. Part of that is obviously wanting to work with them myself, but another part is that we don’t tell each other enough how much we enjoy each other’s work. There’s such a competitive spirit within the industry that I just want to put out some good vibes, especially if it’s someone’s first time putting out a movie. I just want to send them some love. So I guess I play the long game sometimes, but it doesn’t normally lead to collaboration. More often than not, it has led to friendship. I’ll meet up with people every once in a while to talk film, and one of those people is Jeremy Saulnier. I reached out to him about Blue Ruin.

As you mentioned, the Shitheads script has had quite a history the last 13 years. It once had Luke Wilson and Tracy Morgan attached to it in 2017. Macon did tell me that he aged the piece down a little bit because you and O’Shea Jackson Jr. are still younger than that combo would’ve been at the time. But how noticeable were those changes from your perspective?

If I’m being honest, not a ton changed. It was more just practicalities like, “Hey, we don’t have enough time or money to do some set piece, so we had to cut it.” But for the most part, the script has remained untouched, which speaks to just how timeless this story is and how iconic these characters are. It stood the test of time, and there weren’t a bunch of rewrites just to make it more modern.

You’ve always been able to play younger, and I still think you can play younger. Has that been a blessing for the most part? Or has it worked against you like it originally did with The Shitheads in 2017? 

It’s a tough question to answer. I’m sure it’s gone both ways where it’s benefited me in certain circumstances and then been detrimental in others. But for this film, I did want to look slightly older than I typically do. I did my absolute best to grow out my facial hair, and it came in nice and scraggly. I learned that I can grow a pretty strong goatee, but the sides are nasty and patchy. So it worked beautifully for this character who’s a full-on shithead.

6 Balloons (2018) was the more dramatic portrayal, but coming out of The Studio season one’s penultimate drug episode, were you hesitant at all to play another character who’s drugged out of his mind? 

You’re the first person to ever connect 6 Balloons to The Studio, and I appreciate that. I played a heroin addict in 6 Balloons, and it’s a hardcore drama. Leading up to filming, I lost 20 pounds in a month. I’m not a very big guy as is, so that was a significant portion of my body weight. I was not a happy person, as you can imagine. But I wanted to take myself out of my comfort zone in order to try something new. And even though it’s a very small movie that not a ton of people have seen, it’s interesting how much it still comes up. It usually happens when directors are reaching out to me about slightly more serious projects that they’re working on, and then they’ll point to my performance in that. So it means a lot just because we put a lot into that one. 

But when I’m playing “Dave Franco” on The Studio — and I’m inebriated on alcohol, weed, cocaine and mushrooms at the same time — I can push the boundaries a little bit more. I can be a little sillier and a little more over the top. It’s a more manic version of being drugged out. 

In Idiots, my character partakes in drugs as well, but it’s a different kind of drug trip. This is more of a sink-into-the-couch type of trip. If someone says the wrong trigger word, it sends Mark spiraling into hell. So I like to believe that I have a lot of range when it comes to playing drug addicts.

The funniest part of Idiots to me is how Mark is constantly trying to relate to people that he has absolutely nothing in common with, such as the scene in the bathroom with Sheridan (Mason Thames) or the scene coming out of the bathroom with the motel clerk: “You’re a man who takes pride in what he does; I am too.” Like you said, he truly is full of shit.

Yeah, he really likes to believe he’s a hero, and he has a strong lack of self-awareness. He means well, but he just doesn’t know how he’s coming across to others. He says to Sheridan, “Guys like you and me, we’re used to being up in the high steel.” So there’s nothing more fun to play than a cocky fucking idiot — someone so convinced he’s a great person, and the smartest guy in the room, when in reality, he’s just a shithead.

Macon explained the title saga to me, but did you fully expect the Shitheads title to change at some point?

If I’m being totally honest, once we got through Sundance with that title, I had hopes that we could somehow take it to the finish line. But we had a very open, honest conversation with our distributor, IFC. And to their credit, they said, “Hey, we’re willing to ride this title. If you guys want to go punk rock, we are right there with you. But we have to let you know that it limits us in terms of where we can market this film. You can’t just have the word shit on a giant billboard in Hollywood.” 

Ultimately, we put so much work into this film, and because we want as many people to see it as possible, that’s why we pivoted. There’s a Lars von Trier movie called The Idiots, but no one had taken the cleaner version of Idiots, so we jumped on it.

Yeah, it’s now the movie’s second Lars von Trier reference.

You gotta love the double Lars von Trier reference.

I’m glad they kept Sheridan’s “shitheads” line in the movie as a nod to the former title and the explosive motel scene. I know they changed the line to “idiots” in the trailer, but if you were forced to do so in the movie, would you have protested that choice to ADR the new title?

Yeah, there’s no reason to change that line just because that’s how it’s represented in the trailer. Just let it play out the way we intended when we shot it.

O’Shea’s character goes off on Mason’s character after that “shitheads” line, and Mark quietly laughs as this mostly measured guy finally loses his cool. But I did wonder if you actually broke ever so slightly there given how sudden and strong the outburst is.

That was definitely intentional. That was my character being so giddy and pleased by the fact that Sheridan is finally being put in his place. He’s also entertained by the idea of this man of God stepping outside of his comfort zone and swearing in a way that he probably never has before. So there’s a lot for Mark to be titillated by in that moment.

I have to tell you a story about the time I saw Together. I was standing behind a critic as he was giving his comment to the studio rep. And he remarked, “I liked the movie, but the two leads had absolutely no chemistry.” And then the rep and I both responded in unison: “Dude, they’re married.” Hilarity then ensued once he realized his oversight, and I still tease him about it to this day.

I appreciate you standing up for me, but to be fair, there are married couples that don’t have chemistry together on screen. We actually feared that that might be the case. And while I’m never one to pat myself on the back, that is not an issue with that film. The chemistry is fucking there. (Laughs.) I think some people mistake chemistry for characters just not liking each other. So our characters are definitely at odds for most of that film, but we’re flowing off each other in an objectively smooth and electric way.

You’ve probably been told that you’ve got good chemistry with other actors throughout your career. But I always hesitate to make that assumption because only the scene partners truly know whether they have good chemistry or not. What percentage of the time is it actually good chemistry versus good acting and good editing? 

There’s been situations where it’s known that certain people hated each other on set, and then they have “great chemistry” when you see the final product. So there are cases like that, but more often than not, if they have good chemistry on set, you’re going to feel it when you see them on the big screen. 

For me, I’ve made a conscious effort, especially in the last decade, to surround myself with people that I know and love, whether that’s my best friends or my wife. When I’m surrounded by people that I feel comfortable with, that allows me to be free and open and take risks. I know I’m going to fall on my face sometimes, but I also know that no one is going to judge me. They’ll keep encouraging me to try weird shit, and that’s when the best stuff comes.

I last spoke to you for The Rental, so what’s up with writer-director Dave Franco? Have Obsession and Backrooms motivated you to make another horror movie? 

I definitely will direct again, and I really believe that the next movie I direct will be a horror film. That said, when you’re directing something, you’re focused on that project for years at a time, and it takes everything out of you. So I’m just not currently in the state of mind to dedicate myself to one project like that.

But I’ve been able to scratch that itch by being a producer on films like Idiots that I’m also acting in. I can still be a part of all the conversations from the ground up and through the release of the film. So that’s been really fun and satisfying for me, and it still allows me to bounce around to many different projects.

Do you know yet if you’re going to be in 24 Jump Street? 

The truth is I don’t know yet. I have let them know how much I adore the franchise and that I’m here if they need me — but if Eric Molson doesn’t naturally fit into the story, I understand.

Do you think Now You 4 Me is going to happen? 

I think it’s going under the name of 4 Now You See Me: 4 Now You Don’t. (Laughs.)

You’ve clearly workshopped this title.

(Laughs.) I’ve heard that there’s a script in the works, but I haven’t seen anything. That’s as much as I know at this point.

For the sake of inspiration, The Studio welcomed any and all industry stories from the cast and crew. Did you ever offer up your experience on the 2019 motion picture 6 Underground?

(Laughs and responds sarcastically.) Why do you assume that movie spawned production stories? 

Well, I asked you about it during The Rental, and while you said it was 50 times crazier than I could possibly imagine, you also said it was better suited for an off-the-record dinner conversation.

(Laughs.) With The Studio, the truth is I wasn’t on that set long enough for them to be mining stories from me. I wasn’t around during pre-production or the whole writing process. 

But 6 Underground was a whirlwind. I played a [getaway] driver who drives around the streets of Florence, Italy, but I didn’t expect to actually do a lot of the driving with Ryan Reynolds in the passenger seat — plus Mélanie Laurent and Adria Arjona in the backseat. There was a moment when I was doing donuts next to a world-famous museum in Florence, and if I hit something, I could have literally destroyed a piece of history. Looking back, it was a slightly idiotic thing to do, and I blame myself. I should have just handed the wheel over to my stunt double.

Decades from now, when you and your wife are swapping set stories like the one you just shared, what day on Idiots will you likely bring up first? 

You know it has to be the day of the diarrhea scene. It’s a top-three poo scene in cinematic history. It’s up there with Jeff Daniels in Dumb and Dumber. I remember calling my wife after that day and telling her I just did the craziest thing I’ve ever done on camera, which is saying a lot because I’ve done so many fucked-up things on camera. But I hold to that statement, and I’m pretty confident that it’s a violent moment people will talk about afterward.

The cast and crew experienced it for the first time together. We never tested the rig before cameras rolled on the day, and it was so volcanic that everyone on set immediately started cracking up. But the camera was still on me as I was losing my faculties in this delirious state, so I had to stay in character and pretend like nothing was happening. We did two takes, and on the second take, we decided to add a little texture with some mashed-up Cocoa Krispies.

Raunchy comedies like this used to be common.

Yeah, Idiots is meant to be a throwback comedy. It hearkens back to comedies from the early 2000s: The Hangover, Superbad, Pineapple Express, Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle. It’s a movie that goes hard. There are other moments besides the diarrhea scene that’ll shock audiences. They won’t believe how far we push things in this. I have personally missed these types of comedies, and I have heard from many other people who feel the same way. So I hope people check it out because, for us to be able to make more comedies again, people need to see the rare ones that do get made.

Did the MPA force Macon to cut the diarrhea scene down at all? 

There was no conversation about that. They were like, “Get rid of the title Shitheads, but show the gnarliest shit scene possible.” Respect.

***
Idiots is now playing in movie theaters nationwide.

Gladys Knight has announced she’s cutting down on performances as she enters a “new era.”

“After much soul searching I’ve decided that I will be easing into fewer performances while focusing on transitioning into the next stage of my career and life moving forward,” the seven-time Grammy winner said in an Instagram post. “I’ll be spending more time on projects with my husband and visiting with my grandbabies and am looking forward to this new era.”

She continued, “I’d like to take a moment, in advance, to thank all my fans over this last three quarters of a century for making a little girl’s dream come true and supporting her every step of the way. I am immensely grateful to all of you and send my eternal love back to you.”

Knight is currently on a solo tour and recently wrapped her time on the road for The Queens Tour alongside Chaka Khan, Patti LaBelle and Stephanie Mills. However, in her statement, Knight did not rule out all future live performances, writing, “I hope to see your smiling faces out and about on the road. God bless all of you and hope to see you soon.”

The announcement follows her July performance at the Hollywood Bowl with Smokey Robinson, which sparked some concern for the singer. In a recap of the performance, Billboard wrote that Knight “barely got through this show, and only by leaning heavily on her backup singers.”

Knight’s son, Shanga Hankerson, has shared his apprehensions about his mother’s busy life on tour. He previously told People in 2025 that her touring schedule was “detrimental” to her health, alleging that her husband, William McDowell, has been “mental[ly] and financial[ly]” abusive to Knight.

“I did my best to give [McDowell] the space to play the role of husband and do what was in my mom’s best interest, and he has not done that,” Hankerson said. “Why is she working? Why is she in this situation where she’s being made to believe that she has to work like this? That’s really my issue with it.”

Knight refuted her son’s claims in a statement with People.

“I’m sorry that my health and performances have been misrepresented. I want my fans and those concerned to rest assured I am doing very well for someone who has been on stage for three quarters of a century, hard to believe, right?” she said. “I’m healthy and happy and visiting friends and family these last few months. I’m excited to get back on the road with my sisters and on stage with The Queens Tour. See you soon.”

After the August 2026 death of legendary country singer, businesswoman and philanthropist Dolly Parton, people began sharing various stories about her life on social media. Among them were posts claiming she once lost a Dolly Parton look-alike contest to a drag queen.

Snopes readers searched our website to verify the claim. 

Parton herself had shared the story many times throughout her life. Although there was no evidence suggesting she made it up, we couldn’t verify the tale with a second source. As such, we were unable to rate the claim.

According to the CBC, Parton mentioned that she had lost a Dolly look-alike contest in her 2012 memoir, “Dream More.” Snopes confirmed that the detail was present in the book.

In interviews with Ellen DeGeneres, Robin Roberts and ABC’s Nightline, she recalled that the contest was held at a gay bar on Santa Monica Boulevard in Los Angeles and said she decided to enter on a whim because she lived up the street. 

Those details checked out. According to SF Gate, Parton had either rented or owned property in the West Hollywood area since the 1980s. West Hollywood has long been home to a vibrant LGBTQ+ community and, as of this writing, Google Maps showed several gay bars in the area on Santa Monica Boulevard.

Parton decided that she would over-exaggerate her most famous features for the contest. But she didn’t tell anyone who she was. 

“All these beautiful drag queens had worked for weeks and months getting their clothes. So I just got in the line and I just walked across, and they just thought I was some little short gay guy,” she told Nightline. “I got the least applause.”

While that version of the story suggests Parton lost to a drag queen, the detail is sometimes omitted, meaning it can’t be categorically proven either way. 

For further reading, we compiled 20 stories about Dolly Parton from our archives.

Sources

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