There are a lot of exciting new animated projects coming in the near future. One of the more interesting ones is Alcon Entertainment’s new Garfield film with Chris Pratt voicing the titular character. Now the film has just found its next cast member. Alcon co-founders and co-CEOs Broderick Johnson and Andrew Kosove announced that Samuel L. Jackson has joined Garfield. Jackson will be playing Garfield’s father, Vic, who is a new character created specifically for this film.
Jackson’s casting is all we really know about the plot at this time, but the film is being directed by Mark Dindal from a script by David Reynolds. Dindal is best known for directing Emperor's New Groove and Chicken Little while Reynolds is best known for co-writing the Pixar classic Finding Nemo. Garfield will be globally distributed by Sony Pictures with John Cohen and Steven P. Wegner producing the project alongside Kosove and Johnson. DNEG Animation will animate the project with DNEG CEO Namit Malhotra and DNEG President Tom Jacomb serving as producers as well. Jim Davis, the creator of Garfield, will executive produce the film with Craig Sost and Amuse’s Bridget McMeel.
Jackson is one of the most recognizable names in all of Hollywood. The actor has appeared in over 150 films that span from gigantic blockbusters, animated hits, and Oscar-winning films. The Avengers, Jurassic Park, the Star Wars prequel trilogy, Pulp Fiction, Goodfellas, and Django Unchained are some of his most iconic credits. However, his roles in animated films include The Incredibles movies, Turbo, and the upcoming Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank. Jackson is always a great addition to any film, and it is going to be really fun to see how Jackson plays off Pratt given that he will be playing his father in the film.
Garfield, since his introduction in 1978, has been one of the most popular comic strips of all time. It currently holds the record for the most widely syndicated comic strip in the world. Garfield is one of the rare comic characters that break the language barrier. This lazy orange, lasagna-loving cat, his owner Jon, and pal Odie have been in the pop culture zeitgeist for over 40 years. They have appeared in countless video games, TV shows, and even a few less than stellar live-action movies starring Bill Murray. For those reasons, it is kind of surprising that it took this long for someone to make an animated film out of the property. There is a lot of talent behind this project and, with Davis involved, this is sure to be an animated film to keep your eye out for.
Garfield does not have a release date yet, but the film will have a theatrical release. As we wait to learn more, you can watch Garfield’s first two big-screen outings on Disney+ right now.