Warner Bros. Revives TOM AND JERRY with Fresh Take from Oscar-Winning Writers
By Movieguide® Contributor
A new TOM AND JERRY movie is officially in the works.
“Rashida Jones, Will McCormack and Michael Govier have been set to write Tom and Jerry, a feature that will be made under Bill Damaschke’s Warner Bros Pictures Animation,” Deadline reported Dec. 12.
“They will be starting fresh on the new iteration of the misadventures of the cat Tom and mouse Jerry, hatched in 1940 by William Hanna & Joseph Barbera at MGM. Until MGM shuttered its animation division, they made 114 shorts that won 7 Oscars,” Deadline reported. “Later versions came from Gene Deitch and Chuck Jones, and then others. The characters most recently toplined the 2021 hybrid film TOM & JERRY. While through the years it has been criticized for the sometimes violent ways the cat tries to trap the mouse and pays dearly for it, the venerable franchise has been an influence on many cartoon series including THE SIMPSONS.”
READ MORE: WHY TOM & JERRY IS ‘THE PERFECT MOVIE TO BE COMING OUT’ RIGHT NOW
Jones and McCormack, who’ve worked together under their Le Train Train studio, have helped steer TOY STORY 4, CELESTE, JESSE FOREVER and the upcoming movie, THE INVITE.
McCormick and Govier wrote and directed IF ANYTHING HAPPENS I LOVE YOU, an Oscar-winning short film.
Screen Rant said Tom and Jerry have a “cross-generational appeal that few other characters hold. With this level of recognition, a Tom & Jerry movie developed by the right hands could find its audience easily. However, with neither a director nor a tentative release date, it may be some time until audiences get to see this potentially thrilling project.”
The last TOM AND JERRY movie received a +1 review from Movieguide®. It had some good elements with mixed worldviews, making it appropriate for families with older children.
The movie had a good opening despite launching during the pandemic. It made $13.7 million, which may seem small compared to most box office pics. But it was one of only two movies to make over $10 million during that period, coming in second to WONDER WOMAN 1984.
READ MORE: TOM AND JERRY (2021) REVIEW
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