Hide your lasagnes, because Garfield is on his way back to the big screen.
The Hollywood Reporter has announced that Chris Pratt — one of the holy alliance of Hollywood Chrises — has signed on to voice the iconic tabby cat in a new animated feature film.
The film has been written by Finding Nemo screenwriter, Oscar nominee David Reynolds, and is being directed by Mark Dindal, who directed Chicken Little. This is also the pair who brought us the criminally underrated Disney flick The Emporer’s New Groove.
The Jim Davis-created comic book classic, Garfield first appeared in comics back in 1978. He won fans across the globe with his relatable laziness, love for lasagne and hatred for Mondays. We get it, Garfield!
Currently, Garfield holds the record for being the most widely syndicated comic strip in the world. This will be his third foray onto the silver screen, following 2004’s live-action/animated hybrid, Garfield and it’s 2006 sequel, Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties.
Reacting to the announcement, Twitter user Daniel Kibblesmith pointed out the full-circle moment that this news brings Chris Pratt.
Back in 2014, Pratt’s Parks and Recreation co-star Aubrey Plaza voiced the late, great Grumpy Cat in the Lifetime film Grumpy Cat’s Worst Christmas Ever.
Garfield and Grumpy Cat had previously appeared together in a collaborative comic book, which connects Pratt back to his then-onscreen wife. We love it!
Another Twitter user joked that between Garfield and Pratt’s upcoming voice role as iconic Nintendo character Mario, “Chris Pratt is erasing every animated Italian”.
“Has this man ever eaten a lasagna?” they questioned.
“First Mario, now Garfield,” joked Twitter user @bourbonbun, along with an image of The Sopranos character Silvio saying “it’s anti-Italian discrimination”.
Chris Pratt is best known for his roles on Parks and Recreation and Guardians of the Galaxy, but has had plenty of experience doing voice work in the blockbuster Lego Movie films.
While there’s no set release date for Garfield just yet, you’ll be able to catch Pratt on the big screen in plenty of upcoming films in the meantime. He’s set to star in Jurassic Park: Dominion and Thor: Love and Thunder next year, as well as lending his voice to Mario for Super Mario Bros.: The Movie.
