Bowen Yang and Brett Goldstein join Garfield, igniting hope in a weary nation

Sometimes we find ourselves clinging to the smallest sliver of good news, in order to rationalize the ongoing drudge of daily life. This newfound hope burns like a candle in a windowsill, adding warmth and blocking out the surrounding darkness. This newest slice of news comes as Saturday Night Live’s Bowen Yang and Ted Lasso’s Brett Goldstein join the forthcoming animated Garfield feature, per The Hollywood Reporter, which is such a wonderful dispatch it almost makes you forget that Chris Pratt is voicing the lasagna-loving, Monday-hating feline.

Goldstein joins his Ted Lasso co-star Hannah Waddingham in Garfield, alongside Yang, Samuel L. Jackson, Nicholas Hoult, Cecily Strong, and Ving Rhames. Exactly who Goldstein and Yang are playing has not been revealed, but Yang took to Instagram to share that he’s “unfortunately not playing Arlene or Nermal” in the film.

Despite Pratt’s efforts to extinguish any promise for the film, the newest extension of the Garfield universe boasts some impressive Disney-rooted talent. David Reynolds (known for his work on Finding Nemo) penned the screenplay with Paul Kaplan and Mark Torgove. Mark Dindal, who helmed animated features such as The Emperor’s New Groove and Chicken Little is set to direct the film.

Yang is primarily known for his work on Saturday Night Live but has had recent turns in films such as Fire Island, Bros, and The Lost City. He’ll soon appear in the untitled Please Don’t Destroy project with Conan O’Brien and Megan Thee Stallion. He wouldn’t join something terrible, right?

There are times when it is necessary to focus on the positive, to feed the illusions we tell ourselves sometimes. This writer is choosing to cling to the newest casting announcements, telling herself that maybe— just maybe—the movie will not be an abomination.

Garfield is set to make its debut on February 16, 2024.