It’s Not Just David Zaslav: Media & Entertainment CEO Pay Surged 117% In 2025, Report Finds - Deadline

Three years after “Coyote vs. Acme” was shelved by Warner Bros. as a tax write-off and rescued by indie distributor Ketchup Entertainment, the Looney Tunes comedy has become a box-office bright spot with more than $100 million globally. Was Warner Bros. Discovery chief David Zaslav, who deemed it financially unworthy for release on the big screen, wrong to ax the film? That answer might depend on who is doing the accounting, analysts say. “Coyote vs. Acme” is a major win for Ketchup Entertainment, which paid $50 million for distribution rights and pre-sold foreign territories to offset its spend. Had Warner Bros. gone forward with the film’s release, those grosses might not have been as celebratory, considering the studio spent $70 million on production. (Theater owners get to keep half of ticket sales.) Instead, Warner Bros. dumped the live-action animation hybrid, which stars Will Forte and John Cena and was produced by DC Studios co-chief James Gunn, for a $30 million tax write-down.

SPOILER ALERT: This article contains major spoilers for the Oct. 18 episode of “The Simpsons,” “The Revengening,” which aired Sunday night on Fox. “The Simpsons” has pulled off its own October surprise: Apu Nahasapeemapetilon is back. The fan favorite character finally spoke again for the first time in nearly a decade on Sunday night’s episode, “The Revengening.” Variety has exclusively learned who is behind Apu’s new voice: actor and voice-over vet Sunil Malhotra (“Grey’s Anatomy,” “The Legend of Korra”).