Directed by Mark Dindal from a screenplay by David Reynolds and Mark Torgrove, Garfield: The Movie revisits the famous comic strip cat created by Jim Davis in a 100% CGI animated feature film. Released in theaters in France on July 31, 2024, this family film about Garfield, Jon, and Odie joins the Prime Video streaming catalog on December 31, 2025, with Kyan Khojandi and Thierry Desroses providing the French voiceovers.
Garfield leads a contented life as an indoor cat: sofa, endless naps, huge portions of lasagna, and a systematic rejection of Mondays. His daily routine is turned upside down when he accidentally meets Vic, his biological father, a scruffy street cat, con artist, and eternal fugitive. This encounter forces Garfield to confront a past he didn't know and a family connection he thought didn't exist.
Very quickly, Garfield and his faithful companion Odie are drawn into a burglary plan that is as risky as it is absurd, far from their usual comfort zone. Between resentment and a need for recognition, Garfield agrees to help Vic in this mission, on condition that he doesn't lose too many feathers—or meals. The adventure takes the form of a coming-of-age story about forgiveness, trust, and what it really means to be part of a family.
An iconic character in American comics, Garfield was created in 1978 by Jim Davis, who wanted to offer a feline hero in a landscape saturated with comic book dogs such as Snoopy and Marmaduke. The name Garfield pays tribute to his grandfather James Garfield Davis. Over the decades, the orange cat has become the most widely distributed comic strip in the world, earning a place in the Guinness Book of Records with over 200 million readers.
Garfield: Hero Against His Will is the third film adaptation of the franchise, eighteen years after the previous installment. Unlike the 2003 and 2006 films, which mixed live action and animated characters, this new feature film is entirely animated. The budget is estimated at around $60 million, and global box office receipts quickly exceeded $250 million, even before the French figures were added, confirming the character's enduring appeal.
To flesh out the script, the team used a vast database containing all the albums and comic strips, allowing them to find all the panels on a specific theme in a matter of seconds—for example, "Garfield eats lasagna." Mark Dindal reunites here with screenwriter David Reynolds, more than twenty years after their collaboration on The Emperor's New Groove, reinforcing the continuity of a certain comedic tone and a taste for excessive characters.
The film marks an iconic change of voice for Garfield in the cinema. After Bill Murray in the original version and Cauet in the French version in previous installments, Chris Pratt now lends his voice to Garfield in the original version, while Kyan Khojandi reprises the role in the French version. The character of Vic, Garfield's biological father, is played in the original version by Samuel L. Jackson and dubbed in French by Thierry Desroses, who is no stranger to major American roles. Jim Davis has approved this new cast, which seeks to reconcile the character's traditional irony with a more emotional dimension.
The film also revisits the founding elements of Garfield's mythology: his first encounter with Jon, the beginnings of his cohabitation with Odie, and how the cat was adopted. For the first time on the big screen, audiences witness the beginnings of this iconic master/pet relationship, while discovering Vic's place in this family story.
Visually, Garfield: The Movie opts for colorful and highly readable animation, designed for a general audience, with an emphasis on physical comedy and the character's expressions. The story alternates between slapstick action scenes, gags centered on Garfield's legendary laziness, and more sensitive passages about forgiveness and parenthood. The film is primarily aimed at families with children, while also offering nods to long-time readers of the comic strip.
In its construction, the feature film is similar to major animated productions centered on an endearing anti-hero, in the style of certain DreamWorks works or illustrious outsiders such as Chicken Little, also directed by Mark Dindal. It features a fast pace, memorable supporting characters, and a dynamic soundtrack, all in service of a story that prioritizes entertainment while slipping in a few emotional themes accessible to younger viewers.
Garfield: Hero Despite Himself
Film | 2024
Theatrical release: July 31, 2024
On Prime Video December 31, 2025
Animation, Adventure, Comedy, Family | Running time: 1 hour 41 minutes
By Mark Dindal | Starring Kyan Khojandi, Chris Pratt, Thierry Desroses, Samuel L. Jackson
Original title: The Garfield Movie
Nationality: United States
Our opinion on Garfield: Hero Against His Will:
In this feature film, you'll discover Garfield's story from a more family-oriented perspective, with the arrival of Vic, a new character who turns out to be his father. Garfield and Odie find themselves—against their will, of course—embarking on an adventure where they will have to show great courage to save Vic, Garfield's father, who abandoned him when he was just a kitten. Putting aside his resentment, Garfield sets off with Odie on a risky quest, during which they will have to commit a most ambitious theft. A charming animated film featuring Garfield, a unique and humorous character, on a quest that combines forgiveness, love, and friendship: a beautiful life lesson to enjoy with the whole family, even the little ones!
By reintroducing Garfield in a story centered on his relationship with his father, Garfield: A Cat From Outer Space offers a family-friendly take on a character best known for his cynicism and gluttony. Combining humor, adventure, and emotion, the film follows in the footsteps of other major animated franchises adapted from comic strips, while taking advantage of its release on Prime Video to reach a new audience, appealing to comic strip readers nostalgic for the past and introducing the character to younger viewers.
To go further, check out our selection of new Prime Video releases for December, our guide to streaming releases across all platforms, and today's selection of What to Watch Today on Streaming.
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