Wile E. Coyote vs. Road Runner (2007 film)

Wile E. Coyote vs. Road Runner is a 2007 American traditionally-animated action-adventure comedy film based on the characters of the same name created by Chuck Jones and Michael Maltese, and the Looney Tunes franchise created by Leon Schlesinger, Hugh Harman, and Rudolf Ising. Produced by Warner Bros. Family Entertainment, Warner Bros. Animation and Amblin Entertainment, and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, it is directed by Matthew O'Callaghan and Eric Goldberg and written by Larry Doyle based on a screenplay by Cinco Paul & Ken Daurio and Steven Spielberg.
It is the third theatrically-released Looney Tunes film following the 2003 film Back in Action, as well as the first Looney Tunes film to be focused on Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner. The film features Dee Bradley Baker and Joe Alaskey as the respective voices of Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner, who are joined by Dakota Fanning, James Marsden, John Goodman, and Natalie Portman. In the film, Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner get led into a fictionalized version of San Francisco, while on a high speed chase. Production on a feature-length Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner adaptation began in 2004. Matthew O'Callaghan and Eric Goldberg was signed to direct, with Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio writing the screenplay. The animation was produced at Primal Screen, Yowza! Animation, Philippine Animation Studio Inc., Toon City Animation, and Mercury Filmworks.
Wile E. Coyote vs. Road Runner premiered at the Leicester Square on June 2, 2007 before it was theatrically released on June 15, 2007 in the United States. It received positive reviews upon release, with praise for its animation, voice performances, music, faithfulness to the source material, and the depiction of the title characters, though criticized the plot. It was a financial success, grossing $290 million worldwide on its budget of $40 million, becoming the fourth highest-grossing animated film of 2007 and the highest-grossing film in the Looney Tunes series, making more than Space Jam, released in 1996. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, but lost to Ratatouille.
==Plot==
Coming soon!
==Voice cast==
Main article: List of Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies characters
*Dee Bradley Baker as Wile E. Coyote
*Joe Alaskey as the Road Runner
**Paul Julian provides the vocals for the Road Runner via archival recordings.
*Jeff Bergman as:
**Bugs Bunny
**Daffy Duck
**Sylvester Cat
**Tweety Bird
*Tom Kenny as Porky Pig
*Billy West as Elmer Fudd
*Jeff Bennett as:
**Yosemite Sam
**Foghorn Leghorn
*Jim Cummings as Taz the Tasmanian Devil
*Carlos Alazraqui as Speedy Gonzales
*Rob Paulsen as:
**Marvin the Martian
**Barnyard Dawg
*Tress MacNeille as Penelope Pussycat
*Maurice LaMarche as Pepé Le Pew
*June Foray as Granny
*Kath Soucie as Lola Bunny
*Dakota Fanning
*James Marsden
*John Goodman
*Natalie Portman
==Production==
===Development===
Coming soon!
===Writing and Casting===
Coming soon!
===Animation===
Coming soon!
==Music==
The music for Wile E. Coyote vs. Road Runner was composed by American composer Christopher Lennertz, who would later go on to produce the music for the Reel FX Animation Looney Tunes shorts Rabid Rider, Fur of Flying, Coyote Falls, Flash in the Pain, I Tawt I Taw a Puddy Tat, and Daffy's Rhapsody. The score was released through Atlantic Records on June 18, 2007.
==Release==
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===Home media===
Wile E. Coyote vs. Road Runner was released on Blu-ray and DVD on September 1, 2007 by Warner Home Video.
==Reception==
===Critical response===
Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of 84% based on 129 critics, with an average rating of 7.35/10. The site's consensus states, "Full of comedic exposition, wit, and spirit, Wile E. Coyote vs. Road Runner tells the story of Jones and Maltese's iconic duo going Hollywood in an unforgettable piece of Looney Tunes media." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 79 out of 100 based on 24 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore assigned the film an average grade "A" on its A+ to F scale.
===Box office===
Wile E. Coyote vs. Road Runner opened on June 15, 2007 alongside DOA: Dead or Alive and Nancy Drew with $17 million at the box office with an additional $4.3 million in Thursday night previews, ranking in first place. The film grossed $48 million in its opening weekend, maintaining its first place ranking. Throughout its opening week, its projections dropped by 8% with $37 million, dropping to second place. In its second opening weekend, the film made $31 million, not breaking even with its $35-45 million expectations, dropping by 5%. In its second week, it dropped by a further 6% with $26 million.
The film's projections concluded on December 28, 2007. The film grossed $128 million in the United States and Canada and $162 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $290 million against its production budget of $40 million, becoming the fourth highest-grossing animated film of 2007. The film also became the highest-grossing film in the Looney Tunes franchise, beating Space Jam's final gross of $250.2 million.
===Accolades===
Wile E. Coyote vs. Road Runner was nominated for Best Animated Feature at the 80th Academy Awards, but lost to Ratatouille.
More coming soon!