In case you’ve been somewhat out of the loop, Warner Bros. is planning to make a live-action hybrid adaptation of Tom & Jerry. For every would-be disaster like Sonic The Hedgehog or obvious hit like Detective Pikachu, there has to be a film occupying the middle ground. That would be this one. To make things more appealing to the average person though, they’re rounding out the cast with some rather capable actors. At least that’s the indication given, by adding eternal co-MVP of everything movie, Michael Peña, to the mix.
Deadline had the official scoop and it would appear that Pena will be serving as the film’s antagonist. The character, Terrance, works as the Deputy General Manager of a swanky Park Hotel. So how does that figure into the story? Well, something of a bully, he hires a temp, played by Chloë Grace Moretz’s Kayla, to lighten his workload. Desperate to keep her job, she ends up enlisting help of broke alley cat Tom, to get rid of mouse Jerry, who has taken up residence at the hotel. As Kayla starts to impress upper-management, Terrance’s Bully side comes out. In the process pitting him against Tom & Jerry. If any of that sounds either too tidy or more than a little weird, you aren’t alone. Hopefully there’s more than this brief synopsis to the film.
Were the role going to 90% of other actors, we’d choose to ignore it. With Peña in the role though, there’s an air of morbid curiosity to Tom & Jerry. In the last decade he’s proven himself a consummate actor, able to juggle both comedy and drama with relative ease. To the point where he can easily run away with the film. Should Peña steers the film into Mouse Hunt territory, then all for the better.
There’s no full word currently, on if the eponymous cat and mouse will be photo-realistic or some reflecting their cartoon beginnings. As we’re a bit of a ways off before this one gets released, they might as well tease a photo or two. Gauging public perception is wise in this case. Nothing’s worse than revealing your interpretation to the world and it inciting revolts. Tom & Jerry is set to release on April 16, 2021.
