AceShowbiz - America’s beloved lasagna-loving orange cat, Lamorne Morris, is set to bring a fresh voice to a new animated Garfield series. The show, currently in development and tentatively titled Garfield, will feature Morris as the voice of the iconic feline, following the footsteps of previous Garfield voice actors like Bill Murray and Chris Pratt.

Lamorne Morris is best known for his Emmy-winning role on the Fox sitcom New Girl, where he played Winston Bishop, a character known for his love of bad pranks, bird-themed shirts, and cats. In fact, Winston owned a cat named Furguson during much of the show’s run. Beyond television, Morris has appeared in films such as Game Night, Jumanji: The Next Level, and Saturday Night, the latter in which he portrayed Garrett Morris. The actor’s involvement marks a new chapter for Garfield, whose voice legacy has spanned several decades and performers.

The upcoming Garfield series will be produced in traditional 2D animation by Nickelodeon Studios and is slated to stream on Paramount+. This marks the first Garfield animated series in over ten years, with the project having been initially announced in 2019 when Paramount acquired Paws Inc., the company behind Garfield’s brand and merchandise.

For context, the character Garfield was created in 1978 by Indiana cartoonist Jim Davis. The comic strip centers on an orange cat with an insatiable appetite for lasagna, a deep disdain for Mondays, and an often indifferent attitude toward his owner, Jon Arbuckle. The strip quickly became a cultural phenomenon, spawning a wide range of merchandise throughout the 1980s and 1990s.

Garfield’s transition to animation began with the 1982 special Here Comes Garfield, where Lorenzo Music provided the voice. Music’s portrayal continued through numerous specials and the animated series Garfield and Friends until his passing in 2001. Later, Bill Murray took on the role for two live-action/animated hybrid films, while Frank Welker lent his voice for the CG-animated The Garfield Show.

Most recently, the character was voiced by Chris Pratt in The Garfield Movie, a fully CGI animated feature released in 2024. That film performed well at the box office, grossing $267 million USD worldwide on a $60 million budget. A sequel is reportedly in development, indicating ongoing interest in the franchise’s cinematic future.

The new animated series will be executive produced by Dave H. Johnson, known for Middlemost Post, and John Trabbic III, a veteran of SpongeBob SquarePants. While details about the storyline and release date remain sparse, the involvement of Morris and Nickelodeon signals a promising revival for Garfield’s adventures on the small screen.

Fans of the franchise can look forward to seeing the character’s classic traits—his love of food, his Monday blues, and his sarcastic humor—reimagined in a fresh animated format. Paramount+ will serve as the streaming platform, expanding Garfield’s availability to new and returning viewers alike.

As an enduring figure in pop culture, Garfield continues to captivate audiences with his unique blend of humor and relatability. The arrival of a new series featuring Lamorne Morris as the voice promises to introduce the character to a new generation, while honoring the legacy built over the past four decades.

Stay tuned for future updates on the Garfield series as production progresses and more information becomes available. This new chapter could very well reaffirm Garfield’s place as one of America’s most cherished animated cats.