Warner Bros. Pictures has announced an August 9 release date in China for Tom and Jerry: Forbidden Compass, a new animated feature co-produced with Chinese partners. The film will make its world premiere at the Shanghai International Film Festival.

In this latest adventure, the iconic cat-and-mouse duo find themselves swept through time after a mishap in a museum. As they journey across eras, they team up with new characters and face off against mysterious forces in a climactic showdown.

Directed by Chinese filmmaker Zhang Gang, known for co-directing Kuiba 3 and contributing to the Venice-winning No. 7 Cherry Lane, the film marks a continued effort by Warner Bros. to tailor the Tom and Jerry brand for Asian audiences.

Forbidden Compass will be distributed in China by Wu Zhou Film Distribution Co. Ltd. and is the latest in a string of localised adaptations of the classic IP. In 2023, Warner Bros. Discovery debuted a Singapore-set short-form Tom and Jerry series on Cartoon Network and HBO Go across Asia, followed by a global release. A separate Japan-focused short series was also produced.

The film’s release comes as Tom and Jerry celebrates its 85th anniversary. First created in 1940 by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, the beloved duo remains one of animation’s most enduring icons.