Samuel L. Jackson Joins Chris Pratt-Led Garfield Animated Movie Cast: Report

Samuel L. Jackson has joined the voice cast of the yet-to-be-titled upcoming animated feature film based on the cult comic strip Garfield, as per a report. The veteran actor is said to voice the titular feline's father Vic — a character that doesn't appear in the comic — in the Mark Dindal-directed movie. While not a lot is not known about this character's arc, he might have scenes with his son, voiced by Chris Pratt, as the film is expected to offer a different take on Garfield's backstory. Jackson, who has been an integral part of the entertainment fraternity for nearly five decades, is best known to many for playing Nick Fury in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

The Hollywood Reporter brings word of Jackson joining the Garfield animated feature cast. No details, however, are available about how long we'll get to see this character on screen.

This is not the first time Jackson and Pratt have been part of the same movie. Jackson previously appeared in the post-credits scene attached to the 2018 superhero movie Avengers: Infinity War, which featured Pratt as the Guardians of the Galaxy character Peter Quill/Star Lord. The two reprised their respective roles in its sequel Avengers: Endgame. The thing to note here, however, is that they didn't share screen space on these titles.

For Jackson, the Garfield movie continues his tryst with animated features. He previously voiced characters in movies such as the superhero film The Incredibles, its sequel Incredibles 2, and the sports-comedy Turbo. Jackson was last seen in the 2021 action-thriller The Protégé.

The untitled Garfield movie is not the first time that the Lasagna-loving feline comes alive on the big screen. Bill Murray voiced the titular character in the 2004 animated/live-action film Garfield: The Movie, which received negative reviews from critics. He reprised his role in its sequel Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties, also a critical failure. Will the new Garfield movie, with Pratt and Jackson, fare better?

We will find out when the as-yet untitled Garfield animated film opens in theatres on November 22, 2023.