Chris Pratt Reprising Iconic Voice Role in New Sequel Despite Poor Reviews

Aaron Fonseca
Jul 8
3 min read

Chris Pratthas many exciting projects on the way, and has just scored a new one. Aside from his roles in superhero and action genres, the actor has had a lot of commercial success with animations.

Pratt has starred in different animated films, including 2020's Onward, 2023's The Super Mario Bros. Movie, and 2024's The Garfield Movie. The latter received negative reviews from the critics but positive comments from the audience, and was a box office hit. One year later, Deadline reports Pratt will return to voice Garfield in Alcon Entertainment's animated sequel to The Garfield Movie.

Sony Pictures will distribute the upcoming sequel, just like the first entry, which was released under Columbia Pictures. The announcement was made by Alcon co-founders and co-CEOs Andrew Kosove and Broderick Johnson after Alcon acquired the rights for the Garfield comic strip and brand from the creator Jim Davis, who will serve as an executive producer on the sequel. John Cohen (The Garfield Movie, Despicable Me, Angry Birds) and Steven P. Wegner will produce alongside Pratt, Kosove, and Johnson.

There is no official director or writer attached to the project at the time of press, but producers are currently in talks with several potential crew members, and additional casting will follow shortly.

The Garfield comic debuted in June 1978 and follows the lazy orange cat and his day-to-day life, interactions with his owner, Jon Arbuckle, and the family's pet Odie, the dog. Since its release, the Garfield franchise has been adapted into films, television specials, and animated series.

The most recent release was The Garfield Movie, where the orange cat was voiced by Pratt. The film had Mark Dindal at the helm, with a script by Paul A. Kaplan, Mark Torgove, and David Reynolds. The cast also included the voices of Samuel L. Jackson (MCU), Hannah Waddingham (Game of Thrones, Ted Lasso), Ving Rhames (Mission: Impossible), Nicholas Hoult (Nosferatu, Superman), Cecily Strong (Saturday Night Live), Harvey Guillén (What We Do in the Shadows), Brett Goldstein (Ted Lasso), Bowen Yang (Wicked), and Snoop Dogg.

The Garfield Movie was not a hit with critics. The animated film received a disappointing response from the critics on Rotten Tomatoes, who gave it a "rotten" score of only 37%.However, the audience disagreed, and gave the film a score that's over twice the critics' rating: 79%.

The audience's enthusiasm translated into ticket sales, as well. The animated film had a budget of $60 million, but ended up grossing $254.7 million worldwide (via The Numbers), over five times its investment, becoming a very profitable affair.

Chris Pratt Revealed The Major Difference Between Him and Garfield

The orange cat might be famous for its cynicism and laziness, but there's one trait that defines him even more: his love for lasagna. However, this is where the actor and the comic character differ, as Pratt revealed they do not share a love for lasagna.

During the press tour for The Garfield Movie, Pratt revealed he's not a fan of Garfield's favorite food. "I don't like lasagna. I think it's kind of overrated," Pratt revealed. "Then the long flat noodles and then the little white cheese ends up being cold and there's not enough sauce. I'm not a fan."

Pratt also has a different animated sequel in the works: The Super Mario Bros. 2. The film was a massive hit in 2023, surpassing Oppenheimer and joining Barbie in the billion-dollar club, ending its run with $1.35 billion worldwide (via The Numbers). A sequel was a no-brainer, although there have been few updates about the projects.