The trailer for The Garfield Movie has now made its online debut. Sony Pictures Animation is bringing to life one of the most famous lazy felines in the world. The last time Garfield had graced the silver screen was in 2006’s Garfield: A Tale of Two Kitties, the sequel to 2004’s Garfield, which featured Bill Murray as the titular voice that originated with Lorenzo Music, who poetically also voiced the Bill Murray role in The Real Ghostbusters. Famously, Murray had admitted to taking the role under the mistaken assumption that he was working with one of the Coen brothers (the movie was written by Joel Cohen – unrelated to the beloved duo).
This new incarnation brings us an origin story of sorts courtesy of the new trailer. We get a look at how Garfield had ended up with his owner, Jon Arbuckle. In the intro to the trailer, kitten Garfield works his way into Jon’s life while he is out dining one night. Garfield’s background is explored even further as the plot looks to deal with his estranged father, Vic, who is voiced by Samuel L. Jackson.
The official synopsis from Sony reads,
“Garfield (voiced by Chris Pratt), the world-famous, Monday-hating, lasagna-loving indoor cat, is about to have a wild outdoor adventure! After an unexpected reunion with his long-lost father – scruffy street cat Vic (voiced by Samuel L. Jackson) – Garfield and his canine friend Odie are forced from their perfectly pampered life into joining Vic in a hilarious, high-stakes heist.”
Pratt is not only joined by Samuel L. Jackson, but the cast also includes Nicholas Hoult, Hannah Waddingham, Cecily Strong, Ving Rhames, Brett Goldstein, and Bowen Yang. Mark Dindal, who helmed The Emperor’s New Groove and Chicken Little for Disney, takes up the directing duties for this film. The script was penned by Paul A. Kaplan, David Reynolds, and Mark Torgrove.
The Garfield Movie is slated to hit theaters in the summer of 2024.