Michael John Petty is a Senior Author for Collider who spends his days writing, in fellowship with his local church, and enjoying each new day with his wife and daughters. At Collider, he writes features, reviews, recaps, and conducts interviews. In addition to writing about stories, Michael has told a few of his own. His novella, The Beast of Bear-tooth Mountain,** **was released in 2023. His Western short story, The Devil’s Left Hand, received the Spur Award for “Best Western Short Fiction” from the Western Writers of America in 2025. Michael currently resides in North Idaho with his growing family.
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Although Warner Bros. tried to bury Coyote vs. Acme as a tax write-off, the Looney Tunes-centric feature finally hit theaters this past August. For longtime fans of the Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner cartoons, this was great news. Even better, the movie is loads of fun, combining 2D-animated characters with live-action stars to craft a legal drama like you’ve never quite seen before. If you’ve already hit the theater and are looking for more, don’t worry because we have some suggestions for you.
Whether you’re looking for something kid-friendly or a bit more adult, there are plenty of great cartoon/live-action mashups out there worth revisiting after Coyote vs. Acme. Some are Looney Tunes focused, while others deal with other cartoon characters who have made their way to the big screen. Either way, there are a host of animated antics out there for folks looking for more beyond the Coyote’s latest legal snafu. So, without further ado, give these movies a go if you adored Coyote vs. Acme as much as we did!
Space Jam is probably one of the first movies that comes to mind when you think about the Looney Tunes in live-action. Featuring some of the best Looney Tunes characters out there, this is a sports movie that goes above and beyond by infusing Michael Jordan’s basketball history (and brief baseball career) with the wild and wacky world of Warner Bros. animation. When the alien Monstars threaten to steal the Tunes away forever, Bugs Bunny (Billy West) and the rest of the Looneys bring Jordan in to save the day.
Space Jam is probably better than it should be and, as the introduction of Lola Bunny (Kath Soucie), is certainly an important installment in Looney lore. With fun appearances from Bill Murray and a “who’s who” of cartoon characters littering the background, this is the Looney Tunes film that really put these characters on the map for many who grew up in the ’90s and early 2000s. Just don’t waste your time with Space Jam: A New Legacy.
As the only movie on this list that doesn’t merge live-action and animation, The Day the Earth Blew Up deserves its place here as Ketchup Entertainment’s other Looney Tunes film, which hit theaters just last year. Another feature that would have been shelved by Warner Bros. forever, this sci-fi adventure echoes the era of 1950s B-movies by tossing Daffy Duck and Porky Pig (both voiced by Eric Bauza) into the fire in the wake of an alien invasion. It’s silly and outlandish, yes, but it’s loads of fun for Looney Tunes fans.
The Day the Earth Blew Up may not be one of the very best family movies of the 2020s, but it’s pretty close. Daffy and Porky are in rare form here as they, along with Petunia Pig (Candi Milo), have no choice but to do everything they can to save their home — literally, their house is falling apart around them because Daffy has no self-control. This comedic adventure is a perfect precursor to Coyote vs. Acme.
Undoubtedly one of the weirdest live-action/animation hybrids out there, Cool Worldhas been forgotten by most. From the strange mind of visionary director Ralph Bakshi, this noir-ish fantasy picture sends cartoonist Jack Deebs (Gabriel Byrne) into his own fictional world, only to be seduced by his own creation — the undeniable Holli Would (Kim Basinger), who desires above all else to become a real person. Brad Pitt stars as Detective Frank Harris, **a man who had been sucked into “Cool World” **years ago and now hopes to keep the worlds from merging.
Cool World is definitely not for younger audiences, so keep that in mind before turning this one on with the whole family. That said, though it was a major box-office disappointment, it’s a fascinating look at how human characters could interact with a cartoon world — almost like a darker side to many of the other movies on this list. Pitt is great, of course, and Basinger is a real knock-out.
You may not have known that James Gunn had a hand in writing Coyote vs. Acme, but most are aware that he also penned the live-action Scooby-Doo movie. A kids’ movie that is equally enjoyable for adults, the live-action take on Mystery Inc. — with an animated Scooby (Neil Fanning), of course — is probably one of the most perfectly cast adaptations out there. Freddie Prinze Jr. as Fred, Sarah Michelle Gellar as Daphne, Linda Cardellini as Velma, and Matthew Lillard as Shaggy… It’s just the best.
Part parody and part love-letter to the longtime supernatural mystery franchise, Scooby-Doo takes what made the original cartoons great and infuses it with some added character development and referential humor. While the film doesn’t take place in the animated world, it brings Scooby and the various demons involved to life in a way that looks and feels quite seamless. Looney Tunes fans will probably love it.
Your answers have pointed to one action hero above all others. This is the person built to have your back — for better or considerably, spectacularly worse.
Your partner doesn’t talk much, doesn’t need to, and will have assessed every threat in your immediate environment before you’ve finished your first sentence. John Rambo is not a man of plans or politics — he is a force of nature shaped by survival, loyalty, and a capacity for endurance that goes beyond anything training can produce. He will not leave you behind. He has never left anyone behind who deserved to come home. What you get with Rambo is the most capable, most quietly ferocious partner imaginable — one who has been through things that would have broken anyone else, and who chose to keep going anyway. You’ll never need to ask if he has your back. You’ll just know.
Your partner will arrive perfectly dressed, perfectly briefed, and with a cover story so convincing it’ll take you a moment to remember what’s actually true. James Bond is the most professionally dangerous person in any room he enters — and the most disarmingly charming, which is the point. He operates in a world of layers, where nothing is what it appears and every advantage is used without apology. You’ll never be bored. You’ll occasionally be furious. But when it matters — when the mission is genuinely on the line and the margin for error has collapsed to nothing — Bond is exactly the partner you want. He has survived things that have no business being survivable. He does it with style. That is not nothing.
Your partner will know the history, the language, the cultural context, and exactly why the thing everyone else is ignoring is actually the most important thing in the room. Indiana Jones is brilliant, reckless, and occasionally impossible — but he is also one of the most resourceful, most genuinely knowledgeable partners you could find yourself beside. He approaches every situation with a scholar’s eye and a brawler’s instinct, which is an unusual combination and a remarkably effective one. He hates snakes and gets personally attached to objects of historical significance, both of which will slow you down at least once. It doesn’t matter. What Indy brings is irreplaceable — and the adventures you’ll have together will be the kind people write books about. Assuming you survive them.
Your partner was not supposed to be here. He does not have the right equipment, the right information, or anything approaching the right odds. He has a sarcastic remark and an absolute refusal to accept that the situation is as bad as it looks. John McClane is the greatest accidental hero in the history of action cinema — a man whose superpower is stubbornness, whose contingency plan is improvisation, and whose capacity to absorb punishment and keep moving would be alarming if it weren’t so useful. He will complain the entire time. He will make it significantly more chaotic than it needed to be. And he will absolutely, unconditionally, without question come through when it counts. Yippee-ki-yay.
Your partner has already run seventeen scenarios by the time you’ve finished reading the briefing, and the plan he’s settled on involves at least two things that should be physically impossible. Ethan Hunt operates at the absolute edge of human capability — technically, physically, and intellectually — and he brings the same relentless precision to protecting his partners that he brings to dismantling organisations that shouldn’t exist. He is not easy to know and he will never fully tell you everything. But he will carry the weight of the mission so completely, so absolutely, that your job is simply to trust him — and the remarkable thing is that trusting him always turns out to be the right call. The mission will be impossible. He will complete it anyway.
Speaking of movies that Looney Tunes fans may enjoy, Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers pulls from the Disney side of the animation department by revealing that Chip (John Mulaney) and Dale (Andy Samberg) are washed-up cartoon actors looking for another break. However, the former Rescue Rangers stars are soon pulled into a criminal conspiracy that involves likewise washed-up old Disney cartoon stars. It’s meta on every level, and you won’t expect where it all goes next.
Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers may have been a disappointment to fans who actually wanted more Rescue Rangers cartoons, but for the rest of us,** it’s chalk-full of industry in-jokes, homages to classic Disney animation, and commentary on the state of modern animation** — the fact that there’s a 3D-conversion surgery for old 2D cartoons is both brilliant and kind of sad. With plenty of surprising cameos throughout, you’ll wish they made a sequel.
Okay, give us the benefit of the doubt here. Admittedly, ***The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle ***may not be a sell for everyone. As far as live-action/cartoon hybrid movies go, it leaves a bit to be desired. However, for longtime fans of classic cartoons and youngsters who are discovering them for the first time, this 21st century take on “Moose and Squirrel” is actually lots of fun. Especially if you’re already familiar with the original cartoon.
When a new film starring these two anthropomorphic forest dwellers is green-lit, Rocky (June Foray) and Bullwinkle (Keith Scott) find themselves thrust into the real-world just in time to stop Borris (Jason Alexander), Natasha (Rene Russo), and Fearless Leader (Robert De Niro) from taking over the world. With more celebrity cameos than you’ll know what to do with, The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle is a strange film to be sure, but one that certainly feels in-step with the likes of Coyote vs. Acme.
After Sonic the Hedgehog was sent back to the literal drawing board after an egregious first attempt to bring the blue hedgehog into live-action, the film hit theaters and stunned audiences everywhere. When Sonic (Ben Schwartz) finds himself on Earth, the alien speedster befriends Montana sheriff Tom Wachowski (James Marsden), who aids him in evading the villainous Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey). Parents and kids alike will love this goofball take on the popular video game/cartoon franchise.
Of course, the best part about Sonic and its sequels goes beyond the titular character. Jim Carrey is back in rare ’90s form here as he dives head-first back into the sorts of roles that made his career in the first place. Sonic the Hedgehog is a blast, following in Scooby-Doo’s footsteps by inserting a talking animated character into the real-world without anyone batting an eye. Well, they bat a few eyes since he’s technically an alien, but people are not nearly as freaked out as they should be.
When it comes to Looney Tunes interacting with the real world around them, there’s possibly no better take on the concept (meta or otherwise) thanLooney Tunes: Back in Action. The stunning collaboration between toons like Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck (both voiced by Joe Alaskey) and popular stars like Brendan Fraser and Jenna Elfman, Back in Action is a meta take on Hollywood and the Looney Tunes in general that doubles as a family-friendly adventure flick. It’s a great time.
Sure, it may not be counted among the greatest Brendan Fraser movies, but Looney Tunes: Back in Action is a blast that deserves to be remembered after Coyote vs. Acme. Fraser and Elfman are great, but it’s the emphasis on Bugs and Daffy that really makes this movie work. Sure, some of the gags are a bit dated, but you’ll laugh far more than you think when you revisit this gem after all these years.
Last but certainly not least, no list of movies like Coyote vs. Acme would be complete without Who Framed Roger Rabbit.** **Not only did it pioneer the animation/live-action hybrid concept by using photo-realistic interactions between characters, but it perfected the idea as a neo-noir murder mystery with comedic overtones and plenty of cartoon cameos — including the only ever on-screen pairing of Bugs Bunny (Mel Blanc) and Mickey Mouse (Wayne Allwine). Based partially on the book by Gary K. Wolf, director **Robert Zemeckis **reworked the material into something truly groundbreaking.
Who Framed Roger Rabbit follows depressed P.I. Eddie Valiant (Bob Hoskins) as he’s tossed into a new case that intersects Roger Rabbit (Charles Fleischer), his cartoon wife Jessica (Kathleen Turner), and the Acme Corporation. Of all the films on this list, this one is easily the most iconic for its innovations in the world of live-action and animation hybridization, making entire generations wonder how our world might look if cartoons really were real. This is Hollywood animation that has aged like fine wine.
Who Framed Roger Rabbit
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