An increasingly large group of fans have called for What We Do in the Shadows star Matt Berry to be the voice of Garfield. Created by Jim Davis, the lazy, lasagna-loving cat debuted via a comic strip in 1976. Garfield and his friends have since been translated to video games, the stage, television, and movies — including two starring Bill Murray, due to a name mistake.

A new cinematic version was first announced all the way back in May 2016. John Cohen, Steven P. Wegner, and The Emperor’s New Groove director Mark Dindal were also confirmed to be overseeing production. Things briefly stalled in 2019 when the rights to Garfield switched hands but were said to be back on track by December 2020. It then once again slipped back under the radar until November 2021, when David Reynolds was confirmed as the screenwriter and it was announced that Chris Pratt would officially voice Garfield for Sony.

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Fans have since, as to be expected, made their thoughts on Chris Pratt voicing Garfield widely known on social media — be them positive or negative. One fan, in particular, Twitter user and podcaster Ian Douglas Terry, went a step further and suggested that comedic actor Matt Berry should have landed the role. It has since caught on, with over 30 thousand people supporting and co-signing the notion. One supporter, talented impressionist Ben Kearns, even posted a video offering a hilarious taste of how Garfield would sound with Matt Berry lending his voice. Check out the original tweet and full video below:

 

British actor Matt Berry swiftly became a comedic favorite on his side of the pond, appearing in such cult hits as The Mighty Boosh and Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace. He found a whole new stateside audience, however, playing vampire Laszlo Cravensworth through to the twist-packed ending of What We Do In The Shadows season 3. Created by Taika Waititi and Jermaine Clement, the critically acclaimed mockumentary comedy has already been renewed for a fourth season. Between that and several other upcoming projects, including a show penned by himself, there will be no shortage of Matt Berry on screens in the coming years.

Despite being a star of such hits as the MCU’s Guardians of the Galaxy franchise and sitcoms like Parks and Recreation, Chris Pratt has been at the center of several controversies in the last few years. As a result, the reception of his casting as Garfield was decidedly mixed — though Pratt playing Garfield made more sense than Mario. Regardless of one’s thoughts on Chris Pratt, however, there’s no denying that Matt Berry would be an inspired choice to voice Garfield. Though he may not be what people traditionally expect from the lazy feline’s voice, the attitudes embodied by several of Berry’s past characters would be a perfect match for Garfield. All the while, he would make it equally distinct and unique. And if there were any doubt, one only has to imagine how he’d say “lasagna” to know it would be endlessly hilarious.

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Source: Ian Douglas Terry/Twitter; Ben Kearns/Twitter