The greatest cartoon cat and mouse duo come back to the big screen where they started, and this time they're the leads of a full-length feature. TOM & JERRY is a live-action/animation hybrid that puts Tom Cat and Jerry Mouse in a more or less real-world hotel, where their relationship is forged. Set in New York City, the story centers on the origins of the characters and explores how they first met before developing their epic rivalry.
We spoke with Chloë Grace Moretz, the human co-star of TOM & JERRY, and she explained how her character Kayla ends up in the middle of the scuffle between the iconic duo. Moretz said “Kayla is a young woman who just lost her job, and she ends up heading into this hotel, and a job pretty much falls in her lap.” She added, "She’s put to the test when they try to rid the hotel of their mouse problem. So, she hires Tom to get rid of Jerry, but she doesn’t know that they go way back, like, eighty-one years back, in their rivalry."
We also spoke with the film’s director, Tim Story, who echoed the excitement of placing Hanna-Barbera's dynamic duo in the Big Apple. "What better place than New York?" he asked. "Where chaos can ensue, and these guys just create havoc! We just gave them a platform where they can really go crazy, and you can see a lot of destruction."
Tim Story also discussed how Tom and Jerry have maintained their fanbase over the years. "Whether it’s a sibling, or it’s friends, or family, or any other family member. When we are young, we love fighting." He added, “there’s something about that family aspect, this love of being able to argue honestly and, kind of, openly and then know that person is always going to have your back and be there for you. I think there’s something in that, the fun of it that we all love."
Check out our full interview with Chloë Grace Moretz and Tim Story:
TOM & JERRY opens on February 26!
All images courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures.