John Cena’s Coyote vs. Acme somehow survived being shelved, and now he’s finally talking about the studio decision that nearly kept anyone from ever seeing it. Cena wanted his work released, but he also knows exactly who gets the final say.
Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Cena addressed Warner Bros. Discovery’s original plan to shelve the completed movie rather than release it.Cena didn’t pretend the situation changed the way he approaches Hollywood. As far as he’s concerned, his responsibility ends with showing up prepared and doing everything he can once the cameras start rolling.
“I am hired by an employer to do a task, and it’s my job to prepare as much as I can, be early, be coachable, be passionate, and be reliable.”
Once that job is finished, however, the Leader of Cenation knows plenty happens that he simply can’t control.
“I do that and hope for the best. Those expectations are beyond my control, so it doesn’t make me view the business any differently. Keep in mind, it is the movie business.”
That doesn’t mean Cena was thrilled about Coyote vs. Acme potentially disappearing forever. He admitted that he doesn’t always see those business decisions the same way the people making them do—and naturally wanted audiences to actually see the work he’d put into the movie.
“Sometimes, business decisions are things that we don’t see through the same lens. Of course, I want my work seen by an audience. That’s how I can accept both the positive and the negative and get better as a performer.”
But Cena also isn’t claiming ownership over a movie he was hired to perform in. Once his part was done, he understood the uncomfortable reality: the people who owned Coyote vs. Acme could decide whether anyone ever got to watch it.
“But I don’t own my performance. I’m contracted to do a job, and the person who owns it gets to decide what happens with it.”
That’s a pretty measured response considering just how close this movie came to vanishing. Warner Bros. originally shelved Coyote vs. Acme as part of a cost-cutting decision, despite the movie already being completed. Instead of becoming another finished project locked away indefinitely, however, it eventually found a lifeline when Ketchup Entertainment acquired it.
Cena then revealed the movie’s first trailer in April, showing himself as the slick Acme Corporation lawyer trying to defend the company after Wile E. Coyote finally decides he’s had enough of getting blown up by its products.
Now Coyote vs. Acme is headed to theaters on August 28. Cena may believe the owner ultimately gets to decide what happens to his performance, but this time the performance escaped the vault. After nearly becoming a movie nobody would ever see, Coyote vs. Acme is finally getting its audience.
Do you agree with John Cena’s view that actors simply have to accept these studio decisions, or should completed movies always get a chance to be seen? Let us know what you think in the comments.
