Samuel L. Jackson to join Chris Pratt in animated 'Garfield' movie

MANILA, Philippines — Veteran actor Samuel L. Jackson has been tapped to join the animated "Garfield" movie which has fellow Marvel actor Chris Pratt voicing the titular tabby.

Jackson will be voicing a brand new character but still one close to Garfield, his father Vic. No other casting announcements have been named yet.

Garfield has already been adapted into film twice before, with legedary comedian Bill Murray voicing the lazy feline.

Directing this new animated adaptation is Mark Dindal, who has experience in animation, having helmed "The Emperor's New Groove" and "Chicken Little" for Disney and was an animator on "The Little Mermaid," "Aladdin" and "The Rescuers Down Under."

Dindal's screenwriter on "The Emperor's New Groove" David Reynolds will pen the script; he too an animation expert with story work for "Finding Nemo" and "A Bug's Life."

The "Garfield" comics by Jim Davis began running in 1978 and to this day, the orange, lasagna-loving, Monday-hating cat is still popular among readers.

Jackson is best known for his '90s movies like "Jurassic Park," "Pulp Fiction" and "Goodfellas," and saw an even bigger rise in popularity through his role as Nick Fury in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

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