Tom and Jerry: Forbidden Compass Budget

What Is the Budget of Tom and Jerry: Forbidden Compass?

Tom and Jerry: Forbidden Compass is a 2025 animated adventure produced by China Film Co., Ltd., in partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery. The film's production budget has not been publicly disclosed, which is consistent with Chinese studio productions that are not required to report financials to Western trade publications. Based on the film's production values and limited international distribution, a budget in the range of $10 to $20 million is a reasonable estimate, positioning it as a low-to-mid-budget animated feature intended primarily for Asian markets.

The film earned approximately $2.57 million at the international box office, with all revenue coming from markets in Spain, Turkey, Vietnam, and other territories. It did not receive a US theatrical release and was distributed internationally by Viva Pictures. For context, the 2021 Tom and Jerry theatrical feature produced by Warner Bros. in the US cost approximately $50 million and earned $133 million worldwide, establishing a very different scale of production.

Key Budget Allocation Categories

• Animation Production in China: The film was produced by China Film Co., Ltd., one of China's largest state-owned film studios, using Chinese animation facilities and a predominantly Chinese production team. This significantly reduces the per-minute cost of animation compared to US or European studios, enabling feature-length production at lower budget levels than Warner Bros.'s own animated productions.
• IP Licensing from Warner Bros. Discovery: Using the Tom and Jerry characters required a licensing arrangement with Warner Bros. Discovery, who provided the IP in exchange for a co-production credit and a share of international revenues. IP licensing fees for major characters from legacy Hollywood studios typically represent 5 to 10% of the production budget.
• International Distribution and Dubbing: The film was released across multiple international markets requiring localized dubbing and subtitling. Viva Pictures handled distribution in Spain and other markets, and voice cast including Li Baixin, Mino Eek, Zhang Gang, and Todd Haberkorn (who provided English-language dubbing) required separate recording sessions for each territory.
• Limited Marketing Spend: The film's limited theatrical gross of $2.57 million internationally suggests a conservative marketing investment relative to a standard studio animated release. The absence of a US release eliminated the largest single marketing market and the costs associated with it.

How Does Tom and Jerry: Forbidden Compass's Budget Compare to Similar Films?

Tom and Jerry: Forbidden Compass sits in the category of international co-productions using Western IP for primarily Asian theatrical markets, a business model distinct from mainstream Hollywood animated features.

• Tom and Jerry (2021): Budget $50M | Worldwide $133M -- The primary Warner Bros. produced Tom and Jerry feature cost more than three times the estimated budget of Forbidden Compass and earned substantially more, reflecting the difference between a full US studio animated release and an international co-production with limited Western distribution.
• The Angry Birds Movie 2 (2019): Budget $65M | Worldwide $153M -- Another animated sequel using established IP, demonstrating that even well-known characters require substantial marketing investment and wide distribution to achieve meaningful theatrical returns.
• Boonie Bears: The Wild Life (2023): A comparable Chinese animated franchise film that achieved substantial domestic Chinese box office while remaining largely unknown in Western markets, illustrating the parallel ecosystem in which Tom and Jerry: Forbidden Compass operates.

Tom and Jerry: Forbidden Compass (2025) Box Office Performance

Tom and Jerry: Forbidden Compass received a limited international theatrical release beginning October 24, 2025, in Spain, followed by additional releases in Turkey, Vietnam, and other international markets through December 2025 and January 2026. The film did not receive a US domestic release. Distributed internationally by Viva Pictures, the film earned a worldwide total of approximately $2.57 million, all from international markets.

The film's top markets by opening weekend gross included Spain ($182,659), Turkey ($169,243), and Vietnam ($178,792). Given the absence of a US release and the relatively limited international marketing push, these figures are consistent with a film targeting specific regional family audiences rather than seeking broad global theatrical competition.

Industry analysts typically estimate that a film needs to earn roughly twice its production budget to break even, once prints and advertising (P&A) costs, distribution fees, and exhibitor shares are factored in.

• Production Budget: Not publicly disclosed
• Estimated Prints & Advertising (P&A): Unknown
• Total Estimated Investment: Unknown
• Domestic Gross: Not available
• International Gross: Not available
• Worldwide Gross: $2,574,445
• Net Return: Not available
• ROI: Not available

With $2,574,445 in worldwide theatrical revenue, Tom and Jerry: Forbidden Compass (2025)'s commercial performance must be evaluated against its undisclosed production and marketing costs. Ancillary revenue streams including home entertainment and streaming licensing contribute additional returns beyond the theatrical window.

Tom and Jerry: Forbidden Compass Production History

Tom and Jerry: Forbidden Compass represents Warner Bros. Discovery's ongoing strategy of licensing the Tom and Jerry IP to international production partners for co-productions targeted at regional markets. China Film Co., Ltd., one of China's premier state-backed film studios, took the lead creative role, with Gang Zhang serving as writer, director, and the primary creative voice on the project.

The film follows a format that international audiences have seen with other classic Western animated characters: a new adventure story using the familiar characters but conceived and executed primarily for the tastes of the international market rather than the US family audience that originally built the Tom and Jerry brand. At 1 hour 44 minutes, the film runs significantly longer than typical Hollywood animated features aimed at young children, suggesting a slightly older target audience.

The voice cast included Li Baixin and Mino Eek in Chinese-language leads, with Zhang Gang and Todd Haberkorn providing additional character voices. Haberkorn, an American voice actor with extensive anime dubbing credits, handled English-language dubbing for Western markets. The film received its earliest theatrical release in Spain on October 24, 2025, followed by Turkey, Vietnam, and other international markets through the end of 2025 and into 2026.

Awards and Recognition

Tom and Jerry: Forbidden Compass did not receive notable awards recognition in major international or Western film awards circuits. The film received only a single critical review on Rotten Tomatoes, making formal critical consensus impossible to establish. Its limited theatrical release in Western markets and primary positioning for Asian audiences kept it outside the consideration set for most major animation awards, which tend to favor wide-release studio productions with significant critical attention.

Critical Reception

Tom and Jerry: Forbidden Compass received extremely limited critical coverage given its restricted international release and absence from the US market. The single review catalogued on Rotten Tomatoes gave the film a poor rating, with the critic observing that "it's a film that could have done without Tom and Jerry entirely, and the result would have been the same," suggesting the IP was used more as a licensing vehicle than as a genuine creative driver. With fewer than 50 audience ratings recorded on the Popcornmeter, the film's audience footprint in Western markets was minimal. Its reception within Chinese and broader Asian markets, where the film's primary audience was concentrated, was not captured in major English-language critical outlets.