Variety is reporting that Heathcliff the housecat will be finally getting his own film adaptation. Heck they only waited until three Garfield movies were made. Along with several direct to dvd projects they are working on, they are also planning a live action feature… with what we can only assume will be a CGI cat, that will be “updated for the 21st century.”

The sarcastic cat previously starred in two, early-’80s animated series; FitzRoy and Magic Lantern are re-evaluating Heathcliff’s TV potential, though their hope is to create a live-action/CG hybrid similar to “Alvin and the Chipmunks” or “Garfield: The Movie.”

“He’s not your typical cuddly kitty cat. He’s a really cynical, wisecracking character who has a contemporary perspective we could do a lot with,” said Magic Lantern prexy Jeff Segal.

The first direct to dvd project will be an animated feature set for release in 2011.