Brett Goldstein and Bowen Yang to Join The Cast of Alcon Entertainment’s “Garfield”
By Matt Grobar
Sony Pictures To Release the Film in Theaters on Memorial Day Weekend: May 24, 2024
LOS ANGELES, NOVEMBER 07, 2022 – Brett Goldstein (Ted Lasso) and Bowen Yang (Saturday Night Live) will join Chris Pratt, Samuel L. Jackson, Nicholas Hoult, Hannah Waddingham, Cecily Strong and Ving Rhames in Alcon Entertainment’s upcoming animated theatrical motion picture based on the iconic comic strip Garfield with Sony Pictures distributing globally (excluding China), it was announced by Alcon co-founders and co-CEOs Andrew Kosove and Broderick Johnson.
Sony Pictures will release the film in theaters on May 24, 2024, Memorial Day Weekend. The film is being directed by Mark Dindal (The Emperor’s New Groove, Chicken Little). The screenplay is written Paul Kaplan & Mark Torgove and David Reynolds (Finding Nemo).
Alcon acquired the rights from the creator of the Garfield comic strip and brand, Jim Davis, who will also serve as an Executive Producer. John Cohen (Despicable Me, The Angry Birds Movie) and Steven P. Wegner will serve as producers along with Alcon principals Kosove and Johnson. Craig Sost will Executive Produce with Bridget McMeel from Andrews McMeel Entertainment.
DNEG Animation will animate and produce the film with Alcon Entertainment with DNEG CEO Namit Malhotra and DNEG President Tom Jacomb both serving as producers.
Created by cartoonist Jim Davis, the Garfield comic strip debuted in June 1978 and follows the cynical and lazy orange cat and his interactions with his owner, Jon Arbuckle, and fellow pet Odie, the lovable dog.
Garfield originally appeared in 41 newspapers, but its success and immediate popularity made it one of the fastest growing comic strips of all time, ultimately appearing in 2,580 newspapers and journals, with an estimated readership of 260 million. Garfield currently holds the record for being the most widely syndicated comic strip in the world.
Brett Goldstein—a breakthrough British creative force on and offscreen — has emerged as one of Hollywood’s most sought-after multihyphenates. He is the co-executive producer, writer, and star of the Peabody-winning Apple TV+ series, “Ted Lasso.” Hailed by fans and critics alike, season one made waves as the most-nominated freshman comedy in Emmy history, and this year matched its record-breaking haul with an equally recognized season two. His scene-stealing performance as the brash yet lovable Roy Kent has earned him numerous accolades including two Primetime Emmy Awards for ‘Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy,’ making him the category’s first back-to-back winner in almost 15 years. He additionally received a 2022 WGA Award nomination as part of the show’s writing team, having scored two wins the year prior. Goldstein is the creator and executive producer of the upcoming straight-to-series comedy “Shrinking” for Apple TV+ alongside Jason Segel and Bill Lawrence. This follows the success of his critically acclaimed AMC limited anthology series, “Soulmates,” which he created and executive produced with Will Bridges. He is the host of the iHeartRadio award-winning podcast, Films To Be Buried With, which finds him in candid conversation with special guests as they discuss the films that have shaped them.
Bowen Yang is a comedian, writer, and actor based in Brooklyn, NY. He is currently a multi Emmy-nominated cast member on SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE, where he wrote for one season before moving on-screen. He can also be seen recurring on Comedy Central’s AWKWAFINA IS NORA FROM QUEENS and in Paramount’s THE LOST CITY, starring Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum. Bowen stars in the recently released Searchlight Pictures comedy FIRE ISLAND, and will star next in Universal Pictures’ BROS with Billy Eichner. This past year Bowen was featured in TIME 100.
Goldstein is repped by Mosaic, WME, B-Side Management, LARK and Hansen Jacobson. Yang is repped by UTA and 3 Arts Entertainment.