Happy Monday? Chris Pratt Will Voice Garfield In New Animated Movie

The former guitarist of Mouse Rat is going to play the world's most famous orange cartoon cat. No, not Heathcliff. The other one, that hates Mondays and loves lasagna. That's right, "Guardians of the Galaxy" star Chris Pratt is going to be the voice of Garfield in an upcoming animated movie. The Hollywood Reporter revealed that a new animated feature about the cantankerous cat is coming down the pipeline courtesy of Alcon Entertainment.

Pratt will also be voicing the Mushroom Kingdom's favorite plumber, Mario, in an upcoming adaptation, which is a double-dose of Starlord no one could have possibly predicted. Seriously, for all of the jokes we make about having 2021 Bingo cards, there's no way anyone could have imagined "Chris Pratt voices Garfield the cat and Mario the mustachioed mushroom man" would make the cut. 

Garfield was created by comic artist Jim Davis in 1978. He had an animated TV series in the late '80s and early '90s, has starred in several animated movies, and was even voiced by comedy legend Bill Murray in two computer-animated features. 

In news that gives us some hope, the new "Garfield" will have a script by Oscar-nominated "Finding Nemo" scribe David Reynolds. "Chicken Little" director Mark Dindal will helm the project. Reynolds and Dindal previously worked together on the funny family favorite "The Emporer's New Groove." That means there's some talent behind the project, even if we're not sure audiences are chomping at the bit for another Garfield adaptation. 

It'll be interesting at least to see how this new adaptation tackles the famous feline. There's no word yet if the feature will be animated in 2D or 3D, or if it will be 3D intercut with footage of live-action performers, like the 2004 and 2006 films. There isn't any other casting news yet, either, so we don't know who's taking on the role of Garfield's owner, Jon Arbuckle. Garfield's favorite punching bag, Odie the dog, doesn't talk in any of the adaptations, so we're not likely to get casting news for him unless it's an Alan Tudyk as Heihei the chicken in "Moana" kind of deal. 

However they decide to make "Garfield" for 2020s audiences, here's hoping they don't bring back Garfield's talking cat nemesis, Nermal. That kind of news would make everyone hate Mondays.