Joe Hernandez reports on NPR: Here’s why some finished films are mothballed.

He begins, “Back in November [2023,] Warner Bros. Discovery announced it was not planning to release “Coyote vs. Acme,” a hybrid animated and live-action comedy starring John Cena and Will Forte that had wrapped filming a year earlier.”

And then adds that the studio shelved both “Batgirl” and “Scoob!: Holiday Haunt” in 2022.

He explores the reasons behind spending $70M, $90M and $40M and then shelving movies rather than releasing them to the public:

• Money: “Hollywood financial experts say that when studios scrap finished projects the decision usually comes down to money.”
• New Directions: “Abandoning a project may also reflect the shifting priorities of a studio.”

He concludes, “Though it may make financial sense for a studio to abandon a film, that argument may prove little comfort to the movie’s cast and crew or the fans eagerly awaiting its release.”

My take: Here’s his description of the cancelled movie: “Based on a satirical New Yorker piece, the movie followed Wile E. Coyote as he sued the Acme company after its products again and again fail to help him catch the elusive Road Runner.” That sounds hilarious! I’d watch that. And it seems cruel to green light a movie, get folks to spend years of time and effort working on it and then pull the rug out from under everything. Beep! Beep!