Paramount+ has greenlit a new 2D animated series featuring the lasagna-loving cat Garfield, voiced by Emmy-winning actor Lamorne Morris. The project, inspired by Jim Davis' original comic strip, is currently in production at Nickelodeon Animation Studios. This marks the first new Garfield animated series since 2009.
Paramount+ announced on March 6, 2026, the pickup of a new original 2D-animated series tentatively titled Garfield. The show stars the iconic orange cat, voiced by actor-comedian Lamorne Morris, known for his roles in New Girl and Fargo. According to the official synopsis, the series "features the chonky feline at his finest, with each episode featuring the pop culture icon's signature sarcasm and hilarious lackadaisy."
The project originates from Jim Davis' comic strip, which launched in 1978 and chronicles the lives of Garfield, his owner Jon Arbuckle, and Odie the dog. It has amassed over 200 million daily readers and millions of social media followers. Development began in 2019 when Viacom acquired the intellectual property from Paws, Inc., and took over global merchandising rights. The series has been in development and production for seven years, produced by Nickelodeon Animation Studios. Executive producers include Dave H. Johnson (Middlemost Post) and John Trabbic III (SpongeBob SquarePants, Middlemost Post).
This is the first Garfield animated series since The Garfield Show in 2009, which ran for five seasons on Cartoon Network and Boomerang, with Frank Welker voicing the cat. Previously, Garfield appeared in 1980s animated specials and the Saturday morning cartoon Garfield and Friends, which aired from 1988 for seven seasons. More recently, the character featured in computer-animated films, including 2024's The Garfield Movie, where Chris Pratt voiced Garfield; a sequel with Pratt is in development.
Morris, who won an Emmy in 2024 for his role as state trooper Witt Farr in Season 5 of FX's Fargo, previously played Winston Bishop on Fox's New Girl, which ran for seven seasons until 2018. His character on that show had a close bond with a cat named Ferguson. Upcoming projects for Morris include starring opposite Nicolas Cage in Prime Video's Spider-Noir and production on Jumanji 4. He is represented by CAA, Entertainment 360, and Myman Greenspan.
The series is part of recent pickups by Paramount+'s post-merger team, led by Cindy Holland and Jane Wiseman, in the kids and family space.
