Garfield Release Date, Cast, Director, And More Details

The world's most iconic feline is returning to the big screen.

In 1978, comic artist Jim Davis took the world by storm by debuting "Garfield," a newspaper strip focusing on the misadventures of a dejected, lazy orange cat. Decades later, Garfield continues to be a recognizable pop culture icon, on par with characters like Winnie-the-Pooh and Optimus Prime. The character continues to endure, even in the social media age where he's become the subject of multiple memes. And though the comic strip business isn't the booming market it used to be, creatives are still finding ways to mine the "Garfield" IP.

While the character has had a home on television since 1982, he didn't make his theatrical debut until 2004. Simply titled "Garfield," the flick was a live-action/animation hybrid and featured everyone's favorite cynic Bill Murray as the voice of the chubby cat. A commercial success (but a critical misfire), the film spawned a 2006 sequel. But since then, Garfield and his beloved friends haven't stormed the multiplex. In 2016, work began on a brand-new film, and this time, both Garfield and his supporting cast would be animated.

Simply titled "The Garfield Movie," the project has been in production for several years. This time, Sony Pictures and Alcon Entertainment are at the helm, ready to deliver a brand-new take on the lasagna-loving feline. Here's everything you need to know about the upcoming animated pic.

Sony Pictures Releasing has officially announced that "The Garfield Movie" will debut on May 24, 2024, nearly two decades after the orange tabby was last seen on the big screen. Seeing as Sony and the film's animation team want this to be a box office juggernaut that should hopefully spawn sequels, this is an extremely sound release date. The late May through early June window is a prime time for studios to release animated films as summer kicks into high gear.

Originally, the animated flick was set to grace theaters on February 16, 2024. While it's unclear why Sony Pictures moved the film's release date, it's probably because families will be more inclined to take their children to the cinemas during the summer season. Taking a look at the 2024 release calendar shows that "Garfield" will have enough time to breathe at the box office. And with the film releasing in 3D, the higher ticket prices should help lead to some healthy profits.

"The Garfield Movie" opens against the R-rated "Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga," making it the perfect family-friendly counter-programming for that weekend. Until June 14, when Pixar's "Inside Out 2" debuts, "Garfield" faces little to no competition on the animated or family picture front, all but assuring that the feline cat will have time to rake in box office receipts. There is, however, John Krasinski's live-action/animated family flick "IF," which debuts a week before "Garfield." Hopefully, both child-friendly films can thrive together.

An official plot synopsis for "The Garfield Movie" confirms that the upcoming animated pic is going to take the famous orange feline on a rather contentious adventure, peeling back the cat's emotional layers. The "Garfield" franchise has almost always boasted low stakes while being more interested in the relationships the titular star fosters with his loved ones, but this upcoming picture seems to upend that. "The Garfield Movie" will serve as an origin story of sorts, showing the young kitten abandoned, searching for meaning and connection. He eventually stumbles upon Jon, the man who adopts him, while he's having dinner at an Italian restaurant. From there, Garfield lives a pleasant, indulgent, and lazy life alongside Jon and his dog, Odie. Things, however, do get a bit chaotic when a face from Garfield's past threatens his seemingly perfect life.

In "The Garfield Movie," the titular cat reunites with his father, Vic, a brand-new character created for the film. Vic is tall, street-smart, and always on the lookout for adventure — a far cry from his son's sloth-like tendencies. After a chance encounter with Vic, Garfield is taken under his father's wings and exposed to a world beyond his existence of gluttony and relaxation. His father ropes him and Odie in for a heist, leading them into the unknown.

"The Garfield Movie" is taking the character in an unexpected direction, and with a heist at the heart of the film, it looks like fans of the feline will see the iconic kitty wrestle with his conscience and his father's abandonment.

Sony Pictures has tapped several A-listers to bring Garfield and the gang to life. Perhaps the most inspired (and controversial) creative choice was tying down box office superstar Chris Pratt for the lead role of Garfield. Pratt has dominated over the last decade, lending his talents to franchises like "Guardians of the Galaxy" and "Jurassic World." In 2023, the actor jumped into the world of animation, stepping into Mario's shoes for "The Super Mario Bros. Movie." Immediately after Pratt was announced as the orange cat, fans were split on the casting, with many confused as to what Pratt could bring to the table.

Pratt will be joined by "Mad Max: Fury Road" star Nicholas Hoult, who is voicing Garfield's owner, Jon. "What We Do in the Shadows" breakout star Harvey Guillén, meanwhile, will voice his dog Odie. Maybe the best piece of casting is that of Samuel L. Jackson, who is set to play Garfield's father, Vic. Jackson is the perfect choice to play a tough, street-smart cat, and he should do absolute wonders with the role.

A string of other well-known actors have been cast in the picture as well. "Saturday Night Live" stars Cecily Strong and Bowen Yang will be voicing characters. There's a mini "Ted Lasso" reunion happening with the animated pic as well, with Brett Goldstein and Hannah Waddingham both playing unknown characters. Ving Rhames, known for playing the techie Luther in the "Mission: Impossible" franchise, has also been cast in an undisclosed part.

"The Garfield Movie" has landed a Disney alum to steer its directorial ship. In 2018, it was announced that Mark Dindal, a veteran in the world of animation, would direct the iconic cat's next big-screen adventure. Dindal boasts a long and storied career in the medium, making him a solid directing choice to bring "The Garfield Movie" to life. Dindal initially began his career as an animator at Disney, working on classics like "The Fox and the Hound" and "The Great Mouse Detective." He's worn many hats throughout his career, including that of Visual Effects Supervisor for the original "The Little Mermaid."

In 1997, Dindal jumped ship to Warner Bros., making his directorial debut with the musical "Cats Don't Dance." In 2000, he returned to Disney to direct the criminally underrated "Emperor's New Groove." He also created the animated series "The Emperor's New School," which ran on the Disney Channel for two seasons. His other directorial credits include 2005's "Chicken Little." Since then, Dindal has mostly remained under the radar, but he's aiming to have a box office hit with his upcoming lasagna-fueled adventure.

"The Garfield Movie" is written by Paul A. Kaplan, Mark Torgove, and David Reynolds. The three scribes have diverse CVs, which should hopefully lead to an emotional and hilarious Garfield story. Kaplan is a veteran television writer, having worked on sitcoms like "George Lopez" and "Outsourced" — two projects he also executive produced. Togrove has worked with Kaplan in the past, working on the aforementioned shows as well as the Ken Jeong sitcom "Dr. Ken" and the film "The Late Bloomer." They've been collaborating for decades, and "The Garfield Movie" is poised to be their biggest project to date.

Perhaps the most notable writer on board the Sony Pictures flick is Reynolds, who previously penned the script for Mark Dindal's "The Emperor's New Groove." Reynolds has worked on several other Disney projects in various capacities, helping bring classics like "Mulan," Pixar's "Finding Nemo," and "Chicken Little" to life.

On the production front, several creatives are responsible for ushering in the next generation of "Garfield" storytelling. Broderick Johnson, the co-founder and co-CEO of Alcon Entertainment, is one of the driving forces behind the picture. He's produced several notable features, including director Denis Villeneuve's "Blade Runner 2049" and "Prisoners." Johnson is producing "The Garfield Movie" alongside Andrew Kosove, who also serves as the co-founder and co-CEO of Alcon Entertainment. Other notable talent involved in the movie includes Namit Malhotra, who heads the visual effects company DNEG Animation, the studio responsible for the film's animation.

Sony Pictures released the first trailer for "The Garfield Movie" in November 2023, over six months before the film is slated to hit cinemas. The trailer, which is just under 3 minutes long, does a great job showing off the film's animation and aesthetic, humor, and, perhaps most importantly, Chris Pratt's voice as the titular cat. The first look at the animated picture starts with a sad baby Garfield, abandoned and scared of his dreary surroundings. The kitten is eventually drawn to a bustling Italian restaurant, where Nicholas Hoult's Jon is eating alone while observing how the joint is packed with families and couples. He eventually sees Garfield and eagerly hugs him, finally finding a comforting connection.

Garfield then demolishes the entire pizza that Jon had ordered for himself, setting up the cat's lifelong lust for Italian food. After the cat eats more food at the restaurant, the trailer cuts to an adult Garfield, who says that he adopted Jon. Odie then arrives, setting up his character. After several shots of Jon attempting to bathe Garfield and the trio having lasagna, the film's plot is revealed with the first look at Garfield's father, Vic, voiced by Samuel L. Jackson.

Garfield is unamused by his father's antics, which include forcing the young tabby to jump off a moving train. Vic and Garfield are clearly at odds with one another, with the footage setting up how their father-son relationship will develop. While it's light on plot, the trailer is an effective first look at pitching "The Garfield Movie" as safe, family-friendly fun.

"The Garfield Movie" hasn't been rated by the MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America) as of this writing, but it's all but certain that the family-friend pic will receive a PG (Parental Guidance) rating, meaning it's suitable for kids of most ages to watch. Historically, the "Garfield" franchise has catered to children, and seeing as this appears to be a relatively tame animated movie, it's hard to imagine "The Garfield Movie" pushing any boundaries. Cinematic precedence also suggests that the film will get a PG rating; 2004's "Garfield: The Movie" had a PG rating, as did its 2006 sequel.

Overall, parents should feel good knowing that "The Garfield Movie" won't rustle any feathers. And if there are any concerns, parents need to look no further than the film's first trailer, which teases the type of humor the feature will have. From the first look, we can gauge that the picture will be riddled with slapstick humor and mild, kid-friendly action sequences.