Tom & Jerry The Movie: Press Junket & Fun Facts About the Film
Tom & Jerry are back and they are looking good!
It is hard to believe that the cartoon Tom & Jerry is over 80 years old. Gasp! I know, right? Tom & Jerry have been entertaining people and families across generations. It is a cartoon that everyone can enjoy and spend time watching and laughing together. Well, this year we are going to get a new Tom & Jerry movie! Recently my daughter and I got a chance to screen the new Tom & Jerry movie as well as interview its Director Tim Story. I love attending press junkets because I love learning about movies. It is even better when my daughter gets to attend with me. I think she did a fantastic job during our interview, and we both cannot wait to tell you about the film soon. Tom & Jerry the Movie releases in theaters and on HBO Max on February 26, 2021. Until then here is our interview with director Tim Story and some fun facts about the film!
Interview with Director Tim Story
It was so much fun to interview Tim Story and all of the kids had such great questions. My daughter learned a lot about how animated movies are made and some movie magic tips/tricks. You can watch the whole interview below, but before you do here are some fun facts about the movie we learned during the press junket.
Fun Facts About The Film
- When making the film Tim Story said he, “Wanted every generation to enjoy it.” So they tried to stay true to the original characters. (This is my most favorite fun fact.)
- During our interview, Tim Story mentioned that the movies “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” and the original “Mary Poppins” were inspirations for the film, and of course most of all the original Tom & Jerry Cartoons.
- The Animal Tornado – This wasn’t necessarily in the script, but it came about when Tim wondered “How to destroy a room faster and bigger.”
- Tim Story voices the character Pigeon in the movie and that is him rapping and singing.
- They created and used puppets and CGI to create the animal characters and to help the actors to act against them. They would shoot the scenes where the actors would act against the puppets then the animal characters would be created in CGI and put in the film. Tim Story mentioned he knew he didn’t want the animals to be in 3D, but they did use CGI to create the 2D effect.
- To make objects move in the movie they used fishing line/string to pull objects out of the shot, but most objects touched or destroyed by the animated characters were actual CGI.
- The movie takes place in New York City, but the actual movie was not filmed there. It was filmed at the Warner Bros. Studios in Leavesden, London, and on soundstages. (Other locations used were Battersea Park in London and Fulmer Wood in Slough.) Then they put NYC photography in the background.
- Tim Story pays homage to the TV show Secret Squirrel in the movie. When you watch the new Tom and Jerry movie let me know if you can find it!
Tom & Jerry The Movie releases in theaters and HBO Max on February 26, 2021, and I really hope you watch it! My full review will be coming soon.
Movie Synopsis
One of the most beloved rivalries in history is reignited when Jerry moves into New York City’s finest hotel on the eve of “the wedding of the century,” forcing the event’s desperate planner to hire Tom to get rid of him, in director Tim Story’s “Tom and Jerry.” The ensuing cat and mouse battle threatens to destroy her career, the wedding and possibly the hotel itself. But soon, an even bigger problem arises: a diabolically ambitious staffer conspiring against all three of them. An eye-popping blend of classic animation and live action, Tom and Jerry’s new adventure stakes new ground for the iconic characters and forces them to do the unthinkable… work together to save the day.
