The new Tom and Jerry movie hits theathers and HBO Max today

They have been fighting each other for over 80 years, and now the cat and mouse duo Tom and Jerry are returning to theaters for a new full-length movie. Even better, you can watch Tom and Jerry on HBO Max and skip the theaters. 

Read also: The top 10 best HBO Max movies

Starting today you can watch Tom and Jerry on HBO Max at no additional cost, though it will only be around for a limited time. You can sign up for the service at the link below for $14.99 a month. There’s still time to save 20% for six months of service before that offer goes away on March 1.

Want to learn more about the movie? Keep reading. 

Who are Tom and Jerry, anyway?

Tom, a determined cat, and Jerry, his mouse opponent. were the creations of William Hanna and Joseph Barbera. They produced over 100 Tom and Jerry cartoon short subjects for MGM to be run in theaters starting in 1940. Through their run in the 1940s and 1950s, the shorts won a total of seven Academy Awards for best animated short subjects. Most of the shorts centered on Tom trying to kill Jerry in a variety of settings. Most of the time, the two characters were mute.

Since the original Hanna-Barbera shorts, the two characters have continued their long battle in additional short subjects, TV shows, direct-to-video movies, comic books, and more. The set up of the two characters in constant warfare has been parodied by other cartoons, most notably by The Itchy & Scratchy Show, the TV cartoon that Bart Simpson loves in The Simpsons.

What is the new movie about and who is in it?

This 2D animation-live action hybrid movie starts out with the two characters deciding to finally end their decades-long feud and go their separate ways. However, Jerry then decides to cause havoc at a 5-star hotel in New York City, just before a major wedding is to take place. Tom is recruited to stop Jerry once and for all. However, there’s something else going on in the hotel that may force this cat and mouse duo to put aside their differences.

Tim Story, who has directed films like Barbershop, Ride Along, and the 2005 movie version of Fantastic Four, is directing the movie. Live-action cast members include:

• Chloë Grace Moretz – Kayla, the young hotel employee who hires Tom to remove Jerry.
• Rob Delaney  – Mr. DuBros, the owner of the hotel.
• Michael Peña – Terrance, the hotel’s deputy manager.
• Ken Jeong – Jackie, the head chef at the hotel.
• Colin Jost and Pallavi Sharda  – Ben and Preeta, the couple that are getting married at the hotel.

Besides Tom and Jerry, other animated characters that have appeared in the original short subjects will appear in the movie. That includes Spike, a bulldog who likes to beat up Tom, who is voiced by Bobby Cannavale.

When to watch Tom and Jerry on HBO Max and in theaters

The movie will debut in theaters (the ones that are currently open in the US and elsewhere) on Friday, February 26. It will also be available to stream on HBO Max, at no additional cost, on the same day. The film will remain on the service for the next 31 days, meaning it will leave HBO Max after March 29.

Read more: What’s new on HBO Max

Tom and Jerry is being released as part of the plan to release all 17 2021 Warner Bros. movies in both theaters and on the streaming service simultaneously in the US. This is to the current coronavirus outbreak that has forced a large number of theaters to close, and the remaining open ones to restrict capacity.

Read more: All of the Warner Bros. 2021 movies coming to HBO Max