"Garfield' Animated Series in Development

Paramount+ has picked up a new original 2D-animated series featuring the iconic lasagna-loving orange cat, Garfield.

Emmy-winning actor-comedian Lamorne Morris (Fargo) has been tapped to voice Garfield.

Tentatively titled "Garfield," the series, from Nickelodeon Animation Studios, is inspired by Jim Davis’ original comic strip and features the chonky feline at his finest, most sarcastic and lackadaisical.

Dave H. Johnson (Middlemost Post) and John Trabbic III (SpongeBob SquarePants, Middlemost Post) serve as executive producers.

This pickup of "Garfield," which is currently in production, brings to an end the project’s lengthy road to the screen.

It started back in 2019 — two Paramount mergers and regimes ago — when Nickelodeon’s then-parent Viacom acquired the IP to the cartoon from owners Paws and announced the development of a new Garfield animated series.

Under the agreement, Paramount predecessor Viacom also took over managing the global merchandising rights to the property.

Since then, the Garfield character has been integrated into the Paramount Products & Experiences portfolio across categories spanning apparel, toys, publishing, food, pets and more, including such Nickelodeon game franchises as All-Star Brawl and Kart Racers, in which the Mondays-loathing cat was voiced by Frank Welker.

Meanwhile, the animated series has taken a while to come together, spending seven years in development and production.

It is the first Garfield animated series since Paws’ 2009 "The Garfield Show," which ran for five seasons on Cartoon Network/Boomerang in the U.S. with Welker voicing the title character.

Separately, there is Alcon/Sony’s Garfield 3D CGI animation feature franchise with Chris Pratt as the voice of the tabby cat.

The first film, "The Garfield Movie," was released in 2024; plans for a sequel, with Pratt reprising his role, were announced last year. It is moving forward.

Since its launch in 1978, Davis’ syndicated comic strip has chronicled the life of the eponymous cat, his owners, Jon Arbuckle and Odie, the dog, as well as various friends.

It currently has over 200 million daily comic readers and millions of social media followers.

Garfield marks the latest new series pickup at Paramount+ by the streamer’s new post Skydance-Paramount merger team led by Cindy Holland, Paramount’s Chair of Direct-to-Consumer, and Paramount+‘s Head of Originals Jane Wiseman.

In the kids and family space, it joins the recently ordered animated series "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 film "The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender," originally targeted for a theatrical release, and the 2D series "Avatar: Seven Havens," ordered by Nickelodeon a year ago, both with Nick Animation banner Avatar Studios.

Morris has a history of sharing the screen with a feline; his character on "New Girl Winston Bishop" was known for his close bond with his beloved cat, Ferguson.

An Emmy for his role on Season 5 of FX’s Fargo, Morris will next be seen starring opposite Nicolas Cage in Prime Video’s "Spider-Noir" and is currently in production on "Jumanji 4". He also co-hosts "The Lamorning After" podcast with Kyle Shevrin and the "New Girl" rewatch podcast, "The Mess Around," with former castmate Hannah Simone.