EXCLUSIVE: Garfield is making a TV return. Paramount+ has picked up a brand new unique 2D-animated collection that includes the long-lasting lasagna-loving orange cat. Voicing Garfield is Emmy-winning actor-comedian Lamorne Morris (Fargo) in a casting that can make Morris’ New Girl feline co-star Ferguson proud.
Tentatively titled Garfield, the collection, from Nickelodeon Animation Studios, is impressed by Jim Davis’ unique sketch and options the chonky feline at his most interesting, most sarcastic and lackadaisical. Dave H. Johnson (Middlemost Post) and John Trabbic III (SpongeBob SquarePants, Middlemost Post) function government producers.
This pickup of Garfield, which is at present in manufacturing, brings to an finish the challenge’s prolonged highway to the display. It began again in 2019 — two Paramount mergers and regimes in the past — when Nickelodeon’s then-parent Viacom acquired the IP to the cartoon from homeowners Paws and introduced the event of a brand new Garfield animated collection.
Under the settlement, Paramount predecessor Viacom additionally took over managing the worldwide merchandising rights to the property. Since then, the Garfield character has been built-in into the Paramount Products & Experiences portfolio throughout classes spanning attire, toys, publishing, meals, pets and extra, together with such Nickelodeon sport franchises as All-Star Brawl and Kart Racers, during which the Mondays-loathing cat was voiced by Frank Welker.
Meanwhile, the animated collection has taken awhile to return collectively, spending seven years in improvement and manufacturing.
It is the primary Garfield animated collection since Paws’ 2009 The Garfield Show, which ran for 5 seasons on Cartoon Network/Boomerang within the U.S. with Welker voicing the title character.
Separately, there may be Alcon/Sony’s Garfield 3D CGI animation characteristic franchise with Chris Pratt because the voice of the tabby cat. The first movie, The Garfield Movie, was launched in 2024; plans for a sequel, with Pratt reprising his function had been announced last year. It is transferring ahead.
Since its launch in 1978, Davis’ syndicated sketch has chronicled the lifetime of the eponymous cat, his proprietor Jon Arbuckle and Odie the canine, in addition to varied associates. The model at present counts over 200 million day by day comedian readers and thousands and thousands of social media followers.
Garfield marks the most recent new collection pickup at Paramount+ by the streamer’s new publish Skydance-Paramount merger group led by Cindy Holland, Paramount’s Chair of Direct-to-Consumer, and Paramount+‘s Head of Originals Jane Wiseman.
In the youngsters and household area, it joins the recently ordered animated collection The Elephant & Piggie Show! and The Pigeon Show! Starring the Pigeon from Mo Willems’ Hidden Pigeon Company.
From Nickelodeon Animated Studios, Paramount+ has the upcoming movie The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender, initially focused for a theatrical launch, and the 2D collection Avatar: Seven Havens, ordered by Nickelodeon a year ago, each with Nick Animation banner Avatar Studios.
On the live-action facet, over the previous few months, Paramount+ has ordered authorized drama Discretion starring Nicole Kidman and Elle Fanning, in addition to restricted collection 9/12, headlined by Jeremy Strong, and Fear Not, starring Anne Hathaway. The streamer additionally formalized the pickup of Tulsa King spinoff Frisco King, toplined by Samuel L. Jackson, which had been within the works as NOLA King.
While unique drama collection is Paramount+’s give attention to the live-action facet, it plans to be opportunistic in unscripted, beginning with the pickup this week of dating show Making Love. The streamer additionally has the upcoming four-part docuseries Made for March designed to enhance CBS and Paramount+’s 2026 March Madness basketball protection.
Morris has a historical past sharing the display with a feline; his character on New Girl Winston Bishop was identified for his shut bond together with his beloved cat, Ferguson.
An Emmy for his function on Season 5 of FX’s Fargo, Morris will subsequent be seen starring reverse Nicolas Cage in Prime Video’s Spider-Noir and is at present in manufacturing on Jumanji 4. He additionally co-hosts The Lamorning After podcast with Kyle Shevrin and the New Girl rewatch podcast, The Mess Around, with former castmate Hannah Simone. Morris is repped by CAA, Entertainment 360 and Myman Greenspan.
