Chris Pratt's Garfield movie has found a few more cast members to round out its ensemble. Brett Goldstein and Bowen Yang have been cast in undisclosed roles for Garfield's next animated outing.
Garfield is the latest adaptation of Jim Davis' newspaper strip about the orange feline after Bill Murray's Garfield: The Movie and Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties. Those films were widely panned, however, and Murray himself has allegedly said he only signed onto the film because he thought writer Joel Cohen was actually Joel Coen, of Coen Brothers fame.
The Hollywood Reporter has now learned that Goldstein and Yang are the latest actors to lend their voices Pratt's Garfield movie, which is being developed by Alcon Entertainment. The film has been picked up for worldwide distribution by Sony, though it won't be releasing in China. David Reynolds, along with Paul Kaplan and Mark Torgove, penned the script, and Mark Dindal is signed on as director. Garfield recently added more cast members such as Cecily Strong and Ving Rhames.
Garfield currently holds the record for the most widely syndicated comic strip in the world. Published first in 1978, Garfield has now appeared in countless animated specials, television shows, and films, becoming a pop culture icon in his own right. His creator, Jim Davis, is attached to work on this new theatrical offering, which promises to go into the orange cat's origins as it explores his relationship with his father Vic (Samuel L. Jackson is signed on with Garfield to bring this character to life), as an executive producer.
Much like his casting in the Super Mario Bros. Movie, Pratt being chosen to voice Garfield has proven controversial. Pratt is not a traditional voice actor, and the professionals of that industry have frequently taken a backseat to celebrity castings in an attempt draw in the crowds for theatrical releases. Neither Goldstein nor Yang are traditional voice actors, either, but they do have some voice credits in their respective filmographies.
Yang is well-known for his role as himself on sketch comedy television show Saturday Night Live and was recently seen in Hulu's romcom Fire Island. Goldstein is also known for his comedic work. His most well known role is as Roy Kent on Apple TV Plus' Ted Lasso, but Goldstein also recently appeared in Thor: Love and Thunder as the MCU's Hercules.
Garfield is set to release in theaters on May 24, 2024.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter