A Garfield film about the famous fictional orange cat made headlines last year when it was announced actor Chris Pratt will be lending his voice to the project and it has once again made the news for bringing on Samuel L. Jackson as a brand-new character.
News of the casting choice is reported today in an article from Deadline Hollywood. The outlet’s report notes Jackson will play Garfield’s father Vic and the piece with no release date set yet will be directed by Chicken Little’s Mark Dindal. The Garfield comic has been around since 1978 and is created by Jim Davis. David Reynolds of Finding Nemo adapted the screenplay for the Alcon Entertainment project and Sony Pictures will be distributing the film in all the territories for the market aside from China. Others involved with the project include Despicable Me’s John Cohen, Steven P. Wegner, Alcon Entertainment co-founders and co-CEO’s Broderick Johnson, Andrew Kosove, DNEG CEO Namit Malhotra, and President Tom Jacomb.
The character and his world were previously brought to life by Bill Murray in 2004 and in a 2006 sequel. The current project has made critics of Pratt pine for Murray’s return.
Before Garfield hits theaters, Jackson will be seen next in Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, The Marvel,s and the spy film Argylle with Henry Cavill. Pratt has roles coming up in Jurassic World Dominion, Thor: Love and Thunder, and an untitled animated film about Mario too.