In 2007 Alvin and the Chipmunks made $217 million and this Christmas Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakuel will hit theaters undoubtedly earning Fox another bucket of cash and Warner Bros. isn’t so stupid as to not see a working formula: Old Cartoon + Families + CG = $$$$$$$$$$$
Warner Bros. is set to bring “Tom & Jerry,” the 1940s – 1960s Hanna-Barbera animated cartoon about a warring cat and mouse, to life as CG characters that run around in live-action settings. Eric Gravning is penning the script which is said to reveal how Tom and Jerry first meet and form their rivalry before getting lost in Chicago and reluctantly working together during an arduous journey home. The original MGM cartoon won seven Academy Awards and was nominated for six more. The toon won more Academy Awards than any other animated series.
The Variety article brings up other Hanna-Barbera cartoon adaptations still in development at WB including “The Jetsons” with Robert Rodriguez and producer Donald De Line’s “Yogi Bear.”
If you are unfamiliar with “Tom and Jerry” here’s a taste:
