There is a new movie out now on Netflix called Leo and people are LOVING it! This holiday season come watch this adorable movie after eating your Thanksgiving dinner.
INFORMATION ABOUT LEO:
Premiere: November 21, 2023
Directors: Robert Marianetti, Robert Smigel, David Wachtenheim
Producers: Adam Sandler, Mireille Soria
Executive Producers: Barry Bernardi, Allen Covert, Paul Sado
Writers: Robert Smigel, Adam Sandler, Paul Sado
Original Score by: Geoff Zanelli
Cast: Adam Sandler, Bill Burr, Cecily Strong, Jason Alexander, Sadie Sandler, Sunny Sandler, Rob Schneider, Jo Koy, Jackie Sandler, Heidi Gardner, Robert Smigel, Nick Swardson, Stephanie Hsu, Nicholas Turturro
Synopsis:
Actor and comedian Adam Sandler (Hotel Transylvania, The Wedding Singer) delivers signature laughs in this coming-of-age animated musical comedy about the last year of elementary school – as seen through the eyes of a class pet. Jaded 74-year-old lizard Leo (Sandler) has been stuck in the same Florida classroom for decades with his terrarium-mate turtle (Bill Burr). When he learns he only has one year left to live, he plans to escape to experience life on the outside but instead gets caught up in the problems of his anxious students — including an impossibly mean substitute teacher. It ends up being the strangest but most rewarding bucket list ever…
INTERVIEW TIME:
- What was the inspiration overall for Leo? Where did it come for Leo?
At the end of something Adam worked on, there was a narrator and when he speaks you come to realize it is like a class pet. This then triggered this whole other movie for him where the class pet has been jaded. He had been trapped in a terrarium for 75 years. He then ran with this idea. Leo was born!
2. What was it like working with your kids. And what was the unique quality that all of them brought to their characters and the project?
Adam’s kids have been in other movies and are amazing. They are home runs. Then Robert’s child who is not interested in acting, voiced Anthony the Bully. It fit perfectly and then his other child voiced another character. When Adam heard it, he was like keep them in the movie. All the kids are much older now. All the kids they said were awesome.
3. So David and Robert, this is your first time as feature directors, yes? Talk to me a little bit about how you approached this animated musical, and your collaboration process with Adam.
“Well, we have worked with Robert Smigel for many, many years on the Saturday Night Live cartoons, TV Funhouse. And so we developed a relationship with Robert Smigel. And then we were brought on to Hotel Transylvania 2 to work on it also, which is where we met Adam. And just kind of developed a relationship there. And Adam started to trust us and our sensibilities.”
4. I think a lot of people are gonna be surprised at how this is a funny animated feature, but it’s very heartfelt. There’s a lot of little lessons laced in and throughout. What do you think? What do you think was the key to balancing the comedy and the more heartfelt moments to make it not come off as like corny or contrived?
Adam said it was fun and they were all excited about the topic. All about what kids go through when they grow up. The painful moments and the happy ones. So to address all the things about growing up and also parents’ mistakes.
It was very fun. They were all just so excited about the topic. The kids, what kids go through when they’re growing up. What the kinda painful moments they can go through, whether they keep it to themself or you can see it. The premise of the movie was so exciting, to actually address that stuff. Address parents’ mistakes. It is also about trust and how kids need to find someone they trust to let their fears and values on. It is a celebration of teaching a lot of messages for kids and adults alike. – Adam