Paramount+ is betting that viewers want more of everyone’s favorite Monday-hating feline. The streaming service has officially greenlit a new original animated series based on Jim Davis’s iconic comic strip, with Emmy Award-winning actor Lamorne Morris stepping into the role of Garfield.
The yet-untitled project marks a significant expansion of the Garfield franchise on the platform, coming nearly two years after the 2024 CGI film and six years after Nickelodeon acquired the rights to develop animated content featuring the character. The show will be produced by Nickelodeon Animation Studios using classic 2D animation, a stylistic choice that aims to capture the spirit of the original comics.
Morris, best known for his breakout role as Winston Bishop on the hit sitcom New Girl, brings both comedic timing and dramatic range to the role. The actor recently won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor for his chilling performance as Trooper Witt Farr in Fargo Season 5.
“Paramount+ describes the series as featuring ‘the chonky feline at his finest, with each episode featuring the pop culture icon’s signature sarcasm and hilarious lackadaisy,'” according to the official announcement.
Morris joins a long lineage of actors who have voiced the orange tabby. Lorenzo Music famously voiced Garfield in the beloved Saturday morning series Garfield and Friends from 1988 to 1994. Bill Murray later brought a live action/CGI version to life in two films, while Chris Pratt most recently voiced the character in Sony’s 2024 animated feature.
Beyond Garfield, Morris has an exceptionally busy schedule. He’ll soon be seen portraying Robbie Robertson in the highly anticipated Spider-Noir series opposite Nicolas Cage, and he’s currently in production on Jumanji 4, reprising his role from Jumanji: The Next Level.
The series brings together experienced animation veterans. Dave H. Johnson, known for his work on Middlemost Post, and John Trabbic III, whose credits include SpongeBob SquarePants and Middlemost Post, will serve as executive producers. Their involvement signals a commitment to quality animation with strong comedic sensibilities.
The show is inspired directly by the original comic strip that Jim Davis launched in June 1978. With over 200 million daily comic readers at its peak and millions of social media followers today, the Garfield brand has demonstrated remarkable staying power across nearly five decades.
The Garfield series represents a deliberate effort to strengthen Paramount+’s family programming lineup. It joins recently greenlit children’s shows including The Elephant & Piggie Show! and The Pigeon Show! Starring the Pigeon.
The project has been in development since 2019, when Nickelodeon and Viacom (then Paramount’s parent company) acquired the rights from Garfield’s owner, Paws Inc. That deal gave Nickelodeon the ability to develop animated series using the character, as well as expand Garfield into consumer products and location-based experiences.
Currently, fans can purchase official Garfield merchandise through the Paramount Shop, including a $25 “Lasagna-Yeah!” t-shirt and various accessories.
The show’s announcement comes with an interesting backstory. In January 2026, veteran animator Bob Camp revealed on social media that a Garfield animated series had been canceled before it was officially announced. Camp stated, “I just heard that Nick shut down the Garfield series,” leading to confusion among fans about the project’s fate.
However, Paramount+’s official March 6 announcement confirms that the series is very much alive and moving forward. The conflicting reports may reflect internal restructuring following Paramount’s merger with Skydance and ongoing industry-wide shifts in streaming strategies.
While the Paramount+ series marks Garfield’s return to television, the character continues to thrive in other formats. Sony Pictures has announced a sequel to 2024’s The Garfield Movie, with Chris Pratt expected to return as the voice of the titular cat. The original film featured an impressive supporting cast including Samuel L. Jackson, Hannah Waddingham, Ving Rhames, Nicholas Hoult, and Snoop Dogg.
Additionally, BOOM! Studios is releasing a new comic series titled Baby Garfield this spring, exploring the feline’s formative years through stories by various creative teams.
A premiere date for the new Garfield series has not yet been announced. The show currently carries a working title of “Garfield,” and further details about additional cast members, episode count, and specific storylines remain under wraps.
For fans of the lasagna-loving cat who hates Mondays, the wait may be long, but at least there’s finally confirmation that Garfield is coming back to television.
