There hasn’t been much news about Alcon Entertainment’s all-animation Garfield feature since the project was announced back in 2016, but the studio made a big announcement this afternoon: Mark Dindal is onboard as the film’s animation director.

Dindal, 58, is best known as the director of animated features like Cats Don’t Dance, The Emperor’s New Groove, and Chicken Little. “Comic strip characters have always had a special appeal to me,” he said in a statement. “To have this opportunity to make a film with a classic character like Garfield is a privilege and a thrill.”

Alcon has previously said that it envisions the film as the first in a series of Garfield animated features.