The Garfield Movie

The Garfield Movie is an upcoming American computer-animated comedy film based on the Jim Davis comic strip of the same name, produced by Columbia Pictures and Alcon Entertainment (in the latter's first animated film), animated by DNEG Animation, and distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing. Directed by Mark Dindal from a screenplay written by David Reynolds, the film stars Chris Pratt as the voice of the titular character, alongside the voices of Samuel L. Jackson, Nicholas Hoult, Cecily Strong, Hannah Waddingham, Brett Goldstein, Bowen Yang, and Ving Rhames.
Development on a new animated Garfield film began in May 2016, with producers and writers already attached to the project. Dindal was announced as the film's director in November 2018, with production beginning in the following month. Despite Viacom acquiring the rights to Garfield in August 2019, the project was still in production, according to Dindal in December 2020. In November 2021, Sony purchased the distribution rights for the film, outside of China, and Pratt was cast as Garfield, while the animation would be provided by DNEG. The rest of the cast joined in 2022, followed by its official title in September 2023.
The Garfield Movie will be theatrically released in the United States on May 24, 2024.
Voice cast
Chris Pratt as Garfield, a cynical and lazy orange tabby cat who loves lasagna and hates Mondays.
Samuel L. Jackson as Vic, Garfield's father
Nicholas Hoult
Ving Rhames
Cecily Strong
Hannah Waddingham
Brett Goldstein
Bowen Yang
Production
On May 24, 2016, seven years after 20th Century Fox's license with Paws, Inc. expired, it was announced that Alcon Entertainment would develop a new CG animated Garfield film, with John Cohen and Steven P. Wegner producing, from a script by Mark Torgove and Paul A. Kaplan. Mark Dindal was announced as director on November 12, 2018, with pre-production beginning the following month. In August 2019, Viacom acquired the rights to Garfield, leaving the status of the movie at the time uncertain. However, in December 2020, Dindal confirmed that the film was still in production.
On November 1, 2021, Chris Pratt was announced as the voice of Garfield, with animation provided by DNEG Animation, who will produce with Alcon and Amuse Entertainment, while Sony Pictures will maintain global distribution rights for the film, except for China. It was also announced that David Reynolds, who previously worked with Dindal on Disney's The Emperor's New Groove (2000), will instead write the script. Voice actor Frank Welker, who has been voicing Garfield since 2007, expressed his disappointment on not being contacted to voice the character.
In May 2022, Samuel L. Jackson joined the film as Garfield's father, Vic. In August 2022, Ving Rhames, Nicholas Hoult, Hannah Waddingham and Cecily Strong were added to the cast. In November 2022, Brett Goldstein and Bowen Yang were added to the cast. By September 2023, it was revealed that the film would be entitled The Garfield Movie.
Release
The Garfield Movie is scheduled for theatrical release in the United States on May 24, 2024. It was previously scheduled for release on February 16, 2024.
In April 2021, Sony signed deals with Netflix and Disney for the rights to their 2022 to 2026 film slate, following the films' theatrical and home media windows. Netflix signed for exclusive "pay 1 window" streaming rights, which is typically an 18-month window and included The Garfield Movie. Disney signed for "pay 2 window" rights for the films, which would be streamed on Disney+ and Hulu as well as broadcast on Disney's linear television networks.
References
External links
2024 computer-animated films
2024 comedy films
American children's animated comedy films
American computer-animated films
Columbia Pictures animated films
Columbia Pictures films
Alcon Entertainment films
Upcoming English-language films
Animated films about cats
Films directed by Mark Dindal
Garfield films
Animated films based on animated series
Animated films based on American comics
Reboot films
2020s American films