Tom and Jerry is an upcoming American live-action/animated comedy film produced by Warner Animation Group and based on the cartoon characters and animated theatrical short film series of the same name created by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera. The film is directed by Tim Story (who also serves as an executive producer for the film), written by Kevin Costello, and will star the famous cat and mouse duo of the film, Tom and Jerry. It will also star Chloë Grace Moretz, Michael Peña, Rob Delaney, Colin Jost, and Ken Jeong.
Originally intended as an Alvin and the Chipmunks-Esque live-action/computer-animated film in 2009, the film languished in development hell with plans going to an all-animated film promising to capture the same veins as the classic cartoons from the 1940s-1950s in 2015. In 2018, it was confirmed to keep these veins while officially being a Who Framed Roger Rabbit-Esque live-action/animated film which would begin filming in 2019.
Tom and Jerry are set to be released on March 5, 2021, by Warner Bros. Pictures. It will make it the first theatrically released film to feature Tom and Jerry characters in 29 years since the release of Tom and Jerry: The Movie in 1992.
Plans for a live-action Tom and Jerry film were announced in 2009 following the success of Alvin and the Chipmunks and was to follow Tom and Jerry's origins over a Chicago backdrop. The film was to be produced by Dan Lin, from a script written by Eric Gravning. On April 6, 2015, plans shifted from a live-action film to a full-on animated film, and was to stay "in the same vein as the source material".
In October 2018, it was announced that Tim Story would direct a live-action/animated film for Warner Bros., which would begin filming in 2019. It was reported that Story was in discussions with Warner Bros. executives about what he was interested in directing, even before directing the new Shaft film. When Tom and Jerry's film was brought up, Story immediately "mentioned his admiration for the characters and how he’d love tackling that property.
Animation services will be provided by Framestore, who hired 3D animators with a passion for 2D animation for the project. The strategy the animators used was to base the animation off a stylized 3D/CGI VFX modeling medium through a vintage 2D finish by creating innovative rigging, animation techniques used to create 2D animation, and custom tools such as lighting and rendering, resulting in the film's 3D/CGI animation maintaining the look, feel, and spirit of 2D animation, in the veins of the original classic shorts in the '1940s-'1950s.
Producer Christopher DeFaria has completed the live-action filming before the industry's shutdown amid the COVID-19 pandemic and is being set to conceiving animated scenes, doing creative exploration on certain shots, and finalizing material through production groups. Production was done remotely during the pandemic.
Principal photography began in July 2019 at Warner Bros. Studios, Leavesden in Hertfordshire, England. On July 22, 2020, it was announced that Tim Story's recurring collaborator and composer Christopher Lennertz is set to compose the score of the film. On September 1, 2020, it was announced that Australian toy company Moose Toys made a deal with Warner Bros. to make merchandise for the film along with the upcoming sequel to Space Jam
Tom and Jerry Cast
- William Hanna and Mel Blanc as Tom
- Hanna, Blanc, and June Foray as Jerry
- Chloë Grace Moretz as Kayla
- Michael Peña as Terrance
- Colin Jost as Dwayne
- Ken Jeong as Jackie
- Rob Delaney as DuBros
- Pallavi Sharda as Preeta
In March 2019, it was reported that Zoey Deutch and Olivia Cooke were frontrunners for the lead live-action role of Kayla, “who teams up with Tom to stop the pesky Jerry from ruining an important event for herself.” Additionally, Sofia Carson, Elle Fanning, Ariel Winter, Naomi Scott, Meg Donnelly, Hailee Steinfeld, Yara Shahidi, Kelly Marie Tran, Becky G, and Isabela Moner were all in consideration for the role.
Later that month, it was reported that Peter Dinklage was being considered for the role of Terrance, Kayla's boss, and the human antagonist of the film. In April, Chloë Grace Moretz was in final negotiations to star in the film. In May 2019, Michael Peña joined the cast in the role Dinklage was eyed for. Colin Jost, Ken Jeong, Rob Delaney, Jordan Bolger, and Pallavi Sharda were added to the cast in July. Patsy Ferran was revealed to be part of the cast in September 2019.
Tom and Jerry Release Date
Tom and Jerry were originally scheduled to be released on April 16, 2021, but was pushed up to December 23, 2020. The film was then pushed back due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this time to March 5, 2021, where it will be theatrically released in RealD 3D, Dolby Cinema, and IMAX.
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