Tom and Jerry: Forbidden Compass Sends the Iconic Rivals to an Ancient Lost Metropolis—Hitting Theaters September 9

Here’s an animated adventure that proves the ultimate frenemies never run out of trouble to find: Viva Kids announced during CinemaCon that Tom and Jerry: Forbidden Compass arrives in theaters September 9, 2026. Based on the iconic Hanna-Barbera characters now part of the Warner Bros. legacy, the film sends the legendary rivals tumbling through time after a high-speed chase through New York’s Metropolitan Museum unleashes a mythical compass that opens a vortex, hurling them into an ancient, dazzling metropolis lost in time. When Jerry falls into the orbit of a cunning crime lord while Tom is mistaken for a divine messenger, the cat and mouse who’ve spent decades chasing each other must finally work together to survive and make it home. Written and directed by Gang Zhang, the PG-rated film runs 94 minutes and promises to bring Tom and Jerry’s eternal rivalry to territory they’ve never explored.

The Premise#

Tom and Jerry: Forbidden Compass takes the familiar chase dynamic and drops it into genuinely unfamiliar setting.

The collision happens in New York’s Metropolitan Museum, already a location rich with artifacts and history that sets up the mythical compass discovery. When that compass unleashes its vortex, Tom and Jerry find themselves somewhere entirely outside their usual domestic battleground: an ancient metropolis lost in time, dazzling and dangerous in equal measure.

The separation creates parallel storylines. Jerry, the scrappy survivor, gets pulled into the orbit of a cunning crime lord, his street smarts presumably tested against organized ancient villainy. Tom, the perpetual aspirant, gets mistaken for a divine messenger, a case of mistaken identity that could go very right or very wrong depending on how long he can maintain the illusion.

The necessity of cooperation provides the film’s emotional arc. To outsmart their enemies and find their way home, Tom and Jerry must set aside their legendary rivalry and actually work together. The premise mines comedy from characters whose entire existence has been defined by conflict suddenly needing to collaborate.

The Tom and Jerry Legacy#

Few animated properties carry the cultural weight of Tom and Jerry.

Created by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera in 1940, the cat and mouse have appeared in theatrical shorts, television series, and feature films across more than eight decades. The slapstick violence, the wordless comedy, the eternal chase that never quite concludes have made them recognizable worldwide.

The Warner Bros. legacy positioning acknowledges the characters’ current home while honoring their Hanna-Barbera origins. Forbidden Compass joins previous theatrical releases including the 2021 hybrid live-action/animated Tom and Jerry in continuing to find new contexts for the timeless rivalry.

The ancient metropolis setting allows the film to play with the characters in ways domestic settings don’t permit. Tom and Jerry have chased each other through houses, hotels, and cities, but a lost civilization provides visual and narrative possibilities that contemporary locations can’t match.

The Creative Team#

Gang Zhang writes and directs Tom and Jerry: Forbidden Compass, bringing the project from development through Beijing-based Blossoms Entertainment, which Warner Bros. China appointed to oversee the film.

The international production pathway, from Warner Bros. China through Blossoms Entertainment to Viva Kids acquisition for U.S. distribution, reflects contemporary animation’s global production landscape. The Tom and Jerry brand’s worldwide recognition makes it natural fit for international collaboration.

Viva Kids’ acquisition earlier this year positions the film within their growing theatrical animation slate, joining other family releases in their distribution pipeline.

Also From Viva Kids: The Last Whale Singer#

Viva Kids also announced The Last Whale Singer for theaters June 5, 2026.

The coming-of-age story follows a young whale who must overcome self-doubt and find his voice to protect the ocean he calls home. Written and directed by Reza Memari with co-direction by Steven Majaury and Pavel Hrubos, the PG-rated film runs 90 minutes.

The whale protagonist’s journey, from self-doubt through voice discovery to ocean protection, suggests environmental themes wrapped in personal growth narrative. The “whale singer” concept presumably builds on real cetacean communication, the songs whales use across vast oceanic distances, transforming scientific wonder into animated adventure.

The Viva Kids Track Record#

Viva Pictures has established theatrical animation presence through recent releases that demonstrate market viability.

The Amazing Maurice debuted at Sundance Film Festival before wide theatrical release, bringing Terry Pratchett’s Discworld to family audiences. HITPIG played on over 2,000 screens nationwide. The Pout-Pout Fish, starring Nick Offerman and based on the New York Times bestselling series, opened in the Top 10 at the box office and becomes available for streaming April 29.

The company’s equity interest in 3D animation studio 3Doubles Producciones and continued development of new productions indicates ongoing investment in theatrical animation at a time when many studios have retreated to streaming-first strategies.

Who Should Mark September 9#

If Tom and Jerry nostalgia runs deep: The iconic rivals in new setting, forced into cooperation, provides fresh take on characters you’ve known for decades.

If animated adventure appeals to your family: The PG rating, the 94-minute runtime, the accessible premise of beloved characters in unfamiliar territory suit family theatrical outings.

If time-travel adventure stories work for you: The ancient metropolis setting promises visual spectacle and fish-out-of-water comedy that contemporary settings wouldn’t allow.

If you appreciate animation’s theatrical viability: Viva Kids’ continued commitment to big-screen family animation demonstrates the format’s ongoing audience.

If the cooperation-between-rivals premise intrigues: Watching Tom and Jerry actually work together after 85+ years of conflict provides novelty the franchise rarely explores.

Summer and Fall Bring the Adventures#

The Last Whale Singer arrives in theaters June 5, 2026. Tom and Jerry: Forbidden Compass follows September 9, 2026.

A young whale finding his voice to protect the ocean. The ultimate frenemies finding their way home from an ancient lost metropolis. Viva Kids bringing animated adventure to theatrical audiences.

Tom and Jerry have chased each other since 1940. September 9 sends them somewhere they’ve never been, facing enemies that require them to finally work together.

The compass is forbidden. The metropolis is lost in time. And the cat and mouse games continue on the biggest screen possible.