The Big Picture
- Leo, Netflix’s upcoming animated comedy, follows the adventures of a pet lizard named Leo who believes going home with a student is his grand escape.
- Leo’s conflict arises when he realizes he looks old and is no longer the beloved creature he used to be, leading him to seek excitement in the kids’ homes.
- Leo is part of Netflix’s efforts to expand its animated slate, following the success of previous films like The Sea Beast and Vivo. The film stars Adam Sandler and features an all-star voice cast.
In celebration of National Substitute Teacher Day, Collider is delighted to share an exclusive new clip from Netflix‘s upcoming animated comedy Leo. The family-friendly adventure stars Adam Sandler as the titular character, an elementary school classroom’s pet lizard. The clip shows Leo discussing and Squirtle (Bill Burr) — a turtle — discussing going home with a student when the new teacher Mrs. Malkin (Cecily Strong) insists the students do so learn responsibility. While it doesn’t seem like an excellent idea to the turtle — given a series of past experiences including one student taking him to a tattoo shop — Leo believes that heading home with a student is exactly what he needs for his grand escape.
In the upcoming movie, Leo’s conflict begins when someone in the classroom points out that he looks old, making the lizard realize that he’s no longer the beloved creature he used to be. Even if Mrs. Malkin can be pretty ruthless, she still thinks the dynamic of the kids taking the animals home will reinforce their sense of responsibility. And when Leo feels insecure about the fact that he’s aging, heading to the kids’ homes seems like the perfect opportunity to live it up while he still can.
The voice cast will also include performances from Jason Alexander, Stephanie Hsu, and Rob Schneider, continuing Sandler’s tradition of working in projects alongside his long-time friends. Hsu was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress this year due to her work in Everything Everywhere All at Once. The upcoming animated film will also continue the relationship between Sandler and Netflix, who have collaborated in the production of titles such as Hubie Halloween and You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah.
‘Leo’ Continues Netflix’s Efforts Expand Its Animated Slate
Leo will be a part of a continuous effort by the streaming platform to expand their animated offerings. Last year, The Sea Beast told a timeless story about a young girl teaching society how valuable a stable connection to nature is. And the year before that, Vivo debuted with music written by Lin-Manuel Miranda to light up the streets with bright colors and an emotional story.
You can check out the new clip from Leo below, before the film premieres on Netflix on November 21: