Coyote vs. Acme's actual opening weekend came in at $15.5 million, AP reported Sunday — above Saturday's $14 million tracking estimate this paper covered in its account of the film's opening-weekend referendum on Warner Bros., and the best opening in distributor Ketchup Entertainment's history, more than quadrupling its previous record. [1] The film landed second behind holdover Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which crossed $2.33 billion worldwide during the same weekend to become the fourth-highest-grossing film ever made. [1]

The confirmed number closes out the box-office question this paper first raised when Coyote vs. Acme opened in theaters nearly three years after Warner Bros. Discovery shelved the finished film for a tax writeoff: reviews and audiences agreed with each other, at least. The film earned a 95 percent Rotten Tomatoes score and an "A" CinemaScore, matching critical and audience enthusiasm rarely seen together in a wide theatrical release. [1]

AP quoted director Dave Green's release-day social media post — "'Coyote vs. Acme' is finally, gloriously, in theaters now. Which means one thing. WE WON" — without specifying a platform or link, so this paper is not citing it as a verified X post despite its wide circulation elsewhere. [1]

-- CAMILLE BEAUMONT, Los Angeles