A Garfield Animated Movie is Coming to the Big Screen

A new animated adaptation of “Garfield” is in the works from Alcon Entertainment, which has secured its rights from the character’s creator Jim Davis.

The plan is to take Garfield into the world of CG-animation, and re-introduce the character to a new generation of fans who may be unfamiliar with his history or his group of friends, which includes Jon Arbuckle and Odie. Collected editions of the comic strip climbed the best-seller lists, leading to a huge merchandising push and an animated series that aired on Saturday mornings.

The comic strip centered on Garfield, an overweight, moody tabby cat. The comic strip appeared in 41 newspapers with an estimated readership of 260 million.

But according to Variety, this one will be entirely animated – unlike the two previous films, which blended live-action with cartoonish CG animals. Cohen and Wegner will produce along with Alcon principals Andrew Kosove and Broderick Johnson. Davis will serve as an executive producer.

John Cohen (“Despicable Me”, “The Angry Birds Movie”) and Steven P. Wegner (“Racing Stripes”, “The Book of Eli”) will produce. Garfield now holds the record for being the most widely syndicated comic strip in the world. Alcon has a long-standing output deal through Warner Bros. Actor Bill Murray voiced Garfield, and both films also featured Breckin Meyer and Jennifer Love Hewitt.

Garfield has always been considered an evergreen property because he has not only endured, but continues to be fresh and amusing after 38 years in the limelight. “I can’t wait to get into production with the terrific team Alcon has assembled”.