The new film was written by Kevin Costello, based on the characters created by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera. Costello who felt responsible to live up to the legends, said, "There's a reason these characters are still so popular, 81 years later, all over the world, and I wanted to be extremely careful to honor that. Tom and Jerry had to be themselves -- look like themselves, not talk like themselves and, obviously, engage in absurd, gleeful, over-the-top cartoon violence. I had so much fun going through the old shorts, trying to break everything down on a character level, and finding ways to recontextualize classic elements in a way that felt nostalgic but new."

Altogether, a huge number of drawings were created throughout the process, with approximately 15,000 in the pre-shoot phase, and 900 per week in the post-shoot phase over 26 weeks, amounting to an additional 25,000. Principal photography of the film wrapped in September 2019, just a few months before the COVID-19 pandemic. 

To help the human stars of Tom and Jerry interact with their still-to-be-animated co-stars, puppeteers were hired to act out their performances. To capture the mix of family-friendly themes and the classic chaos of the characters, Story turned to composer Christopher Lennertz to create the score. He also worked with music supervisor Kier Lehman to put together an exciting mix of classic and modern songs, including artists such as T-Pain and Flo Rida.

"Tom and Jerry stand the test of time because we can all relate," Story summed up. "Anyone who's ever been in a family -- which is everyone -- immediately recognizes the relationship between the two of them as that love and hate of a sibling rivalry. But even though Tom and Jerry are at war with each other every day, when the chips are down, there's no one you'd rather have in your corner."

He continued, "That dynamic, played out with their incredible and timeless brand of physical comedy, is universal. That's why they are iconic characters and beloved by audiences around the world. We hope today's moviegoers, no matter their age, will feel the sense of nostalgia but also enjoy these guys in a new, cool, and contemporary way designed for today's generation."

Chinese audiences will also feel strong nostalgia, as the cartoon was introduced into China in 1989 to air on several local TV channels, and was officially imported and broadcast on China Central Television in August 1991. Generations of Chinese people grew up watching the show, and there's huge fanbase, Ah Fu, a film critic and animation historian, told China.org.cn.  

Actors Chloe Grace Moretz, Michael Pena, Colin Jost, Rob Delaney and Ken Jeong star in the film. It releases into Chinese theaters on Feb. 26, 2021. It will be available to HBO Max subscribers the same day as the North American theatrical release.

Related

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)