We chase down the makers of the big-screen adap.

The old rivals take their fight to New York…

Igrew up with the cartoons, so we wanted to stay as true as we possibly could,” says director Tim Story (Taxi, Ride Along) on the set of Leavesden Studios in Hertfordshire. “There’s an awful lot of violence! But the violence is from a slapstick, physical comedy kind of thing. We do not pull any punches in terms of impact, and the fact that Tom and Jerry really do try to kill one another.”

Created by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera in 1940, cat and mouse rivals Tom and Jerry are best known for smacking the shit out of each other over 161 theatrical short films by MGM, though there have also been several spin-off TV series, a derided 1992 feature film and 13 DTV movies produced since 2002. In this big-screen iteration, the clashing ’toon titans will occupy a liveaction world, just as they did when they cameoed with Gene Kelly in Anchors Aweigh (1945) and Esther Williams in Dangerous When Wet (1953). And what a world: a glitzy hotel in Manhattan where Jerry takes up unofficial residence, causing event planner Kayla (Chloë Grace Moretz), who’s hosting the wedding of the year, to enlist the services of Tom. Chaos, naturally, ensues.

“This movie is not ‘in your face’ for 90 minutes,” says Story as he walks TF around the enormous hotel lobby set, all the while explaining that the cartoons’ kamikaze carnage alone would not sustain a feature. “What’s really been great is having the human characters, and their story. And once we put Tom and Jerry in, it goes to the next level.”

Talking of next level, there has not yet been an animation/live-action mashup to equal Who Framed Roger Rabbit, so it’s that film that Story and his team keep returning to. “At this point, there have been things that are technically better, but it just hits the tone right. You have really great actors who live in the same space as a cartoon, but are never cartoonish.” He grins. “My biggest hope is to make people laugh.” And violently so, no doubt. JG

ETA | 19 MARCH / TOM AND JERRY: THE MOVIE OPENS IN CINEMAS IN TWO MONTHS.

MOUSE GUEST Chloë Grace Moretz looks stern as event planner Kayla, but says that acting opposite stand-in props was thoroughly odd and unnerving.