All 6 Movies Featuring Garfield in Order (& How They’re Connected)
As far as fictional cats go, Jim Davis’ Garfield is most certainly on top of every list of popularity. Garfield comics are published and read worldwide, and the several animated series that have been produced have also been aired globally, making Garfield one of the most famous fictional characters of the modern era.
So far, Garfield has been featured in 6 movies in total, some being completely animated and some being CGI. Today, we’re going to tell you how to watch all movies in order and how they are connected.
Editor’s Note: This watch order was updated in November 2023, featuring the latest news regarding the upcoming ‘The Garfield Movie.’
All 6 movies featuring Garfield in release date order
The first Garfield movie ever released was ‘Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue’ it’s also the only movie that’s not a part of a Garfield franchise, as all the subsequent movies have been a part of some overarching stories. The latest movie to be released is Garfield’s Pet Force, and it looks like one more movie featuring the lovable orange cat is on the schedule for 2024. Let’s see all Garfield movies in release date order:
- ‘Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue’ (1990)
- ‘Garfield: The Movie’ (2004)
- ‘Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties’ (2006)
- ‘Garfield Gets Real’ (2007)
- ‘Garfield’s Fun Fest’ (2008)
- ‘Garfield’s Pet Force’ (2009)
- ‘The Garfield Movie’ (2024) – Upcoming
Are all movies featuring Garfield connected? What’s the best way to watch them?
Not all movies featuring Garfield are connected. There are different adaptations and versions of Garfield in movies and TV shows, and they may not be directly connected in terms of continuity. For example, there are animated Garfield movies, live-action/CGI movies, and various TV specials. Each adaptation often stands alone, telling its own story without a direct connection to others.
There are two ‘Garfield’ franchises that have their own continuity. The first is a computer-animated trilogy that features ‘Garfield Gets Real,’ Garfield’s Fun Fest’ and ‘Garfield’s Pet Force.’ The second franchise consists of ‘Garfield: The Movie’ and ‘Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties.’
Based on this, the proper watch order would be to simply follow the release dates.
All movies featuring Garfield in chronological order
As we’ve mentioned before, there are two franchises that are not connected to each other, and a stand-alone movie that features Garfield that’s not connected to any of the franchises. The chronology within the two franchises is really simple and all you need to do is follow the release order.
1. ‘Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue’ (1990)
“Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue” is a 1990 animated television special that brings together popular cartoon characters to address the issue of drug abuse. The story follows a teenager named Michael who discovers that his younger sister, Corey, has been using drugs. The characters, including Bugs Bunny, Michelangelo from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and others, come to life from posters and try to help Corey understand the dangers of drug abuse.
2. ‘Garfield: The Movie’ (2004)
‘Garfield: The Movie’ is the first installment of a live-action/CGI film based on the popular cat. When Jon adopts a dog named Odie, Garfield initially feels threatened and decides to get rid of him. However, when Odie is dognapped by an evil television host, Garfield realizes the importance of friendship and sets out on a rescue mission with Jon to save Odie.
3. ‘Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties’ (2006)
‘Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties’ is the sequel to ‘Garfield: The Movie.’ In this film, Garfield and Jon travel to England, where Jon plans to propose to his girlfriend, Liz. However, a case of mistaken identity leads to Garfield being mistaken for a royal cat, Prince, who is due to inherit a grand estate. Garfield ends up living a life of luxury, while the real Prince, a look-alike cat, takes his place back in the United States.
4.‘Garfield Gets Real’ (2007)
‘Garfield Gets Real’ is the first installment in the animated series of films. Garfield discovers that he is actually a comic strip character. Dissatisfied with the predictability of his world, Garfield ventures into the real world through a portal, leaving behind the 2D animated environment of his comic strip. In the real world, Garfield encounters challenges and realizes the value of his old life and the people who love him.
5.‘Garfield’s Fun Fest’ (2008)
Garfield enters a local talent competition called the Fun Fest. Despite his initial reluctance, Garfield decides to participate to prove that he’s more than just a lazy cat. However, during the competition, he faces tough competition from a talented newcomer named Ramone. As Garfield navigates the challenges of the Fun Fest, he discovers the importance of being true to oneself and embracing one’s unique qualities.
6. ‘Garfield’s Pet Force’ (2009)
Garfield and his friends discover a parallel universe where their counterparts are superheroes known as the “Pet Force.” The evil alien Vetvix threatens both worlds, and the Pet Force enlists the help of Garfield and his friends to save the day. Garzooka, the leader of Pet Force, guides them in harnessing their unique powers to defeat Vetvix and her army of minions.
Where to watch the above-mentioned movies?
The first TV special, ‘Catoon All-Stars to the Rescue’, can only be found on YouTube currently. ‘Garfield: The Movie and ‘ A Tail of Two Kitties’ can be streamed on Disney+ and Hulu.
The second series featuring Garfield is a bit harder to find, but it’s not impossible. ‘Garfield Gets Real’ can be found on Amazon Prime Video, ‘Garfield’s Fun Fest’ can be found on Tubi, and ‘Garfield’s Pet Force’ can be found on both Roku and Tubi.
Will there be more movies featuring Garfield?
There is a Garfield movie coming our way in 2024. Development for a new animated Garfield film began in May 2016, with producers and writers already on board. In November 2018, Dindal was announced as the director, and production commenced the following month. Despite Viacom acquiring the rights to Garfield in August 2019, the project continued production, as mentioned by Dindal in December 2020. In November 2021, Sony acquired the distribution rights for the film (excluding China), and Chris Pratt was cast as Garfield’s voice. DNEG handled the animation for the film. The remaining cast members were announced in 2022, and the official title was revealed in September 2023.
The highly anticipated ‘The Garfield Movie’ is scheduled for theatrical release in the United States on May 24, 2024.
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