Tom and Jerry have spent more than 80 years chasing each other around kitchens, living rooms, backyards, hotels, and just about every other place you can imagine.Now, the world’s most famous cat-and-mouse duo are getting a much bigger playground.

Tom and Jerry: Forbidden Compass takes the classic pair out of their familiar surroundings and sends them on a time-traveling adventure involving a mysterious magical compass and ancient China. The movie is a China-U.S. animated production from China Film Co., Ltd., Origin Animation, and Warner Bros. Pictures, with Gang Zhang serving as director.

But this time, their usual chase turns into something much bigger.Here’s everything you need to know about Tom and Jerry: Forbidden Compass, including the story, release information, animation, characters, trailers, and what makes this new adventure different from the classic cartoons.

What Is Tom and Jerry Forbidden Compass About?

At its heart, Forbidden Compass is still a Tom and Jerry story.Tom is chasing Jerry, Jerry is trying to escape Tom, and their latest encounter leads them into a situation neither of them expected.The trouble begins around a mysterious compass. After the magical artifact is activated, Tom and Jerry are swept through time and transported to an unfamiliar world connected to ancient China.From there, the simple cat-and-mouse chase becomes a full-scale adventure.

The film takes the pair to a spectacular Golden City filled with new characters, strange dangers, villains, magical elements, and plenty of opportunities for the kind of physical comedy that has always been central to Tom and Jerry.The interesting part is that Tom and Jerry don’t suddenly become a perfect team.Their rivalry is still there.They just have much bigger problems to deal with.Instead of worrying only about catching each other, they now have to survive an unfamiliar world and get involved in a conflict surrounding a valuable artifact.

The British Board of Film Classification describes the story as an animated adventure in which Tom and Jerry are transported to ancient China and become involved in a battle for a precious artifact.That gives the movie a much larger adventure feel than a typical Tom and Jerry episode.

Tom and Jerry Forbidden Compass Release Date

The movie has already begun arriving in some international markets under different localized titles.

In Japan, for example, the movie was released on May 29, 2026, under the title Tom and Jerry: The Magic Compass. The Japanese distributor lists it as a 99-minute Chinese-American production.

For the U.S., the film is scheduled for a September 9, 2026 theatrical release. The second trailer also promotes the September 9 date.

Release dates can vary by country, so viewers should check their local listings rather than assuming the U.S. date applies everywhere.

Who Directed Tom and Jerry Forbidden Compass?

The movie is directed by Gang Zhang.

The Australian Classification Board lists Zhang Gang as the director/creator, while the BBFC also credits Gang Zhang as director.

The movie is also notable because it represents a different visual direction for the franchise.

The Japanese distributor describes it as the series’ first fully CG-animated feature, giving Tom and Jerry a much more detailed digital world to run around in.

That change is immediately noticeable in the trailers.

The characters still look recognizable, but the environments around them are much larger and more cinematic than the simple backgrounds associated with many classic shorts.

The Story Takes Tom and Jerry to Ancient China

Probably the biggest selling point of Forbidden Compass is its setting.Tom and Jerry have been everywhere over the years, but this adventure takes them into a fantastical version of ancient China.

The movie’s promotional material describes a Golden City filled with fireworks and a new world that the pair must navigate.This gives the filmmakers plenty of room to introduce things that wouldn’t normally appear in a traditional Tom and Jerry story.

Instead of chasing each other around a house, Tom and Jerry can now run through ancient streets, encounter unusual creatures, deal with magical objects, and get caught up in a much larger conflict.

Of course, the basic formula hasn’t been abandoned.Tom still wants to catch Jerry.Jerry still has plenty of ways to make Tom regret trying.And when the two are together, trouble is almost guaranteed.

The Magical Compass

The mysterious compass is the key object in the story.

According to the film’s official Japanese promotional material, Tom and Jerry activate a star compass in a museum before being transported into another world.

That single moment changes the direction of their adventure.

The compass isn’t simply a random object placed into the movie to give the characters somewhere to go. It is what connects their ordinary world with the fantastical setting that follows.

It also explains why the movie can move from a familiar Tom and Jerry setup into a much bigger fantasy adventure.

And, naturally, the characters don’t exactly handle the situation calmly.

Is Tom and Jerry Forbidden Compass Family-Friendly?

For the most part, yes, although parents may want to know what kind of content to expect.The BBFC similarly classified it for mild threat and violence.

Its description notes that the violence is fantastical and comedic, including cartoon-style punches, kicks, electrocution, and attacks with weapons.There are also some mild rude-humor moments.So this is not a completely quiet, gentle animated movie. It has the energetic action and exaggerated physical comedy you’d expect from Tom and Jerry.But the violence is presented in the familiar cartoon tradition rather than as realistic injury.

The Animation Style

One of the most noticeable differences between Forbidden Compass and older Tom and Jerry material is the animation.The movie uses full CG animation, creating a much larger world for the characters to explore.That matters because the story isn’t confined to one location.

The characters move through elaborate environments, fantasy settings, action sequences, and large-scale set pieces.The trailers show colorful scenery, dramatic action, magical effects, and a more cinematic presentation than a traditional television short.At the same time, the filmmakers have kept the recognizable designs of Tom and Jerry.

That’s important.You don’t want Tom and Jerry to look so different that they stop feeling like Tom and Jerry.The challenge is to modernize the presentation without losing the personalities that made the characters famous in the first place.

What Do the Trailers Show?

The trailers give a pretty good idea of the movie’s overall tone.

The basic setup involves Tom and Jerry getting caught up with the magical compass and being transported through time. From there, they encounter new companions and become involved in a much larger conflict.The second trailer emphasizes the movie’s adventure side, showing the pair moving through an unfamiliar world and facing mysterious forces.But there is still plenty of classic Tom and Jerry behavior.

Tom gets himself into trouble.Jerry finds ways to outsmart him.And the two somehow manage to turn almost every situation into another chase.That balance is probably the most important thing for longtime fans.

Will Tom and Jerry Work Together?

This is one of the fun parts of the premise.Tom and Jerry have always had a complicated relationship.They spend most of their time trying to defeat each other, but when a bigger problem appears, they sometimes end up cooperating.Forbidden Compass takes that familiar idea and puts it into a much larger adventure.

They may not suddenly become best friends, but being trapped in an unfamiliar world gives them reasons to work together.Of course, knowing Tom and Jerry, any teamwork is probably going to last only until one of them gets annoyed with the other.That’s part of the charm.

The New Characters

The movie doesn’t rely only on Tom and Jerry.The pair encounter new companions and characters during their journey through the mysterious world. The trailers suggest that these characters help expand the story beyond the usual cat-and-mouse formula.

The BBFC cast listing includes performers such as Li Baixin, Mino Eek, Zhang Gang, Todd Haberkorn, Jiang Wen Jin, Hanlin Li, Kyle McCarley, Brent Mukai, Yifei Ruan, and John Shang.Because the movie is built around an adventure involving a valuable artifact, the supporting characters are naturally tied to the larger conflict.

Is This Movie Connected to the Classic Tom and Jerry Cartoons?

The movie uses the same iconic characters, but it is best viewed as a new standalone adventure rather than a continuation of a specific classic episode.The basic personalities remain familiar.Tom is still the determined cat.Jerry is still the clever mouse.Their rivalry is still the engine behind much of the comedy.But the setting, story, animation, and scale are all new.

That makes the film accessible to people who grew up with Tom and Jerry as well as younger viewers who may know the characters from newer shows and movies.

Why the Movie Could Appeal to Longtime Fans

Nostalgia is obviously a big part of Tom and Jerry’s appeal.For many viewers, seeing Tom chase Jerry is enough to bring back memories of childhood.But Forbidden Compass is not simply trying to recreate an old cartoon.Instead, it takes the familiar characters and puts them somewhere completely different.That’s a smart approach.If the movie simply copied the classic formula for 100 minutes, it could become repetitive.

The fantasy setting gives Tom and Jerry new situations to react to.They can encounter magical objects, strange characters, villains, monsters, and large-scale action sequences while still doing what they have always done best—getting into trouble with each other.

Tom and Jerry

Tom and Jerry: Forbidden Compass takes a very familiar idea and gives it a surprisingly large makeover.Instead of another ordinary chase between a cat and a mouse, Tom and Jerry are pulled into a magical time-travel adventure involving a mysterious compass, ancient China, valuable artifacts, new companions, villains, and a whole lot of chaos.The movie is directed by Gang Zhang and runs for around 100 minutes. It uses full CG animation and combines comedy, fantasy, and adventure.

For younger audiences, meanwhile, the movie offers something much more straightforward: a colorful animated adventure starring one of the most recognizable cartoon duos ever created.And honestly, that combination is hard to ignore.Tom and Jerry have spent decades chasing each other.

Now they’re chasing something much bigger.A magical compass, a mysterious new world, and an adventure that takes them far beyond anything they’ve seen before.If you’re a fan of the classic cat-and-mouse duo—or simply looking for a family-friendly animated adventure—Tom and Jerry: Forbidden Compass is certainly one to keep on your movie watchlist in 2026.

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