Warner Bros. has big ambitions for its animation division, and the studio has zeroed in on the talent to help steer the ship on two popular properties.

Sources tell Variety that Warners and Warner Animation Group are in negotiations with “Shaft” helmer Tim Story to direct the new “Tom and Jerry” hybrid live-action pic. The studio has also brought on Chris Columbus as creative producer on the new “Scooby-Doo” animated movie.

Warner Bros.' 'Tom and Jerry' Adds Ken Jeong and Rob Delaney
JULY 30, 2019 12:01PM by Aaron Couch
Jordan Bolger and Pallavi Sharda are also joining the cast, which already includes Colin Jost, Chloe Grace Moretz and Michael Pena.

Ken Jeong, Rob Delaney, Jordan Bolger and Pallavi Sharda have joined the live-action hybrid from Warner Bros. Animation Group. Director Tim Story is behind the project, which also stars Colin Jost, Chloe Grace Moretz and Michael Pena.

The new film sees Tom the cat and Jerry Mouse getting kicked out of their home and relocating to a fancy New York hotel. A scrappy hustler named Kayla has taken a job there, but she will lose her employment if she can't evict Jerry before a high class wedding at the hotel. Her solution? Hiring piano playing Tom to get rid of the pesky mouse.

Tom and Jerry began life as a series of long-running shorts created by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera in 1940. They centered on the exploits of house cat Tom and his never-ending battle with mouse Jerry. Seven of the shorts, released by MGM, won Oscars from 1943-53. The animated pair have remained in the pop culture consciousness over the years, first getting their own full-length theatrical film with 1993's Tom and Jerry: The Movie.

Story is executive producing the new Tom and Jerry with Adam Goodman. Chris DeFaria is producing.

Jeong, who broke out as an actor with NBC's Community and The Hangover films, released his Netflix special You Complete Me, Ho earlier this year. He will play a character named Jackie.

Delaney, who will play DuBros, had a small but memorable role as Peter in last year's Deadpool 2 and appears in Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, in theaters Friday.

Bolger's credits include Peaky Blinders and The 100, and will play Cameron. Sharda, who will play Preeta, appeared in Lion and is among the stars of the ITV historical drama Beecham House.

Jeong is repped by ICM and Aligned Entertainment. Delaney is repped by UTA and Avalon Management. Bogler is repped by Circle of Confusion and Waring and McKenna. Sharda is repped by Innovative Artists and Hamilton Hodell.

The new film sees Tom the cat and Jerry Mouse getting kicked out of their home and relocating to a fancy New York hotel. A scrappy hustler named Kayla has taken a job there, but she will lose her employment if she can't evict Jerry before a high class wedding at the hotel. Her solution? Hiring piano playing Tom to get rid of the pesky mouse.

One of the most beloved rivalries in history is reignited when Jerry moves into New York City’s finest hotel on the eve of “the wedding of the century,” forcing the event’s desperate planner to hire Tom to get rid of him, in director Tim Story’s “Tom & Jerry.” The ensuing cat and mouse battle threatens to destroy her career, the wedding and possibly the hotel itself. But soon, an even bigger problem arises: a diabolically ambitious staffer conspiring against all three of them.

An eye-popping blend of classic animation and live action, Tom and Jerry’s new big-screen adventure stakes new ground for the iconic characters and forces them to do the unthinkable… work together to save the day.

“Tom & Jerry” stars Chloë Grace Moretz (“Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising,” “The Addams Family”), Michael Peña (“Cesar Chavez,” “American Hustle,” “Ant-Man”), Rob Delaney (“Deadpool 2,” “Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw”), Colin Jost (“How to be Single,” “Saturday Night Live”), and Ken Jeong (“Crazy Rich Asians,” “The Hangover,” “Transformers: Dark of the Moon”).
The film is directed by Tim Story (“Fantastic Four,” “Think Like a Man,” “Barbershop”) and produced by Chris DeFaria (“The LEGO Movie 2,” “Ready Player One,” “Gravity”).

It is written by Kevin Costello, based on characters created by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera. Serving as executive producers are Tim Story, Adam Goodman, Steven Harding, Sam Register, Jesse Ehrman, and Allison Abbate. The creative filmmaking team includes director of photography Alan Stewart, production designer James Hambidge, editor Peter S. Elliot, and costume designer Alison McCosh. The music is composed by Christopher Lennertz.
A Warner Bros. Pictures and Warner Animation Group presentation, a Tim Story Film, “Tom & Jerry” will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures.

The film is rated PG for cartoon violence, rude humor and brief language.