# Leo (2023 American film)
**Leo** is a 2023 American animated musical comedy directed by Robert Marianetti, Robert Smigel, and David Wachtenheim for Netflix, in which [Adam Sandler](https://www.edgepedia.org/adam-sandler) voices a 74-year-old lizard class pet who, believing he has one year left to live, plans to escape his Florida classroom terrarium but instead becomes entangled in the problems of his fifth-grade students.[1](https://cdn.nflxext.com/tudum/articles/leo-adam-sandler-release-date-photos) • [2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/leo_2023) It should not be confused with *Leo*, a 2023 Indian Tamil-language action thriller directed by [Lokesh Kanagaraj](https://www.edgepedia.org/lokesh-kanagaraj) and starring Joseph Vijay, released the same month.[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/leo_2023_2)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Directors | Robert Marianetti, Robert Smigel, and David Wachtenheim, their feature directorial debut[1](https://cdn.nflxext.com/tudum/articles/leo-adam-sandler-release-date-photos) • [4](https://www.awn.com/animationworld/david-wachtenheim-and-robert-marianetti-talk-leo) |
| Writers and producers | Written by Adam Sandler, Robert Smigel, and Paul Sado; produced by Sandler and Mireille Soria[1](https://cdn.nflxext.com/tudum/articles/leo-adam-sandler-release-date-photos) |
| Release | Limited theatrical release November 17, 2023; on Netflix November 21, 2023[5](https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/81218917) |
| Premise | A jaded 74-year-old lizard stuck for decades in a Florida classroom plans an escape when he learns he has one year left to live[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/leo_2023) |
| Critical reception | 84% Tomatometer from 75 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes; Metascore of 65 from 15 critic reviews on Metacritic[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/leo_2023) • [6](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/leo/critic-reviews/) |
| Viewership | 34.6 million views in its first six days, the biggest debut for a Netflix animated film at the time[4](https://www.awn.com/animationworld/david-wachtenheim-and-robert-marianetti-talk-leo) |
| Rating and runtime | PG; listed at 1 hour 46 minutes by Rotten Tomatoes[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/leo_2023) |
## Plot and premise
The story is a coming-of-age tale about the last year of elementary school, told through the eyes of a class pet.[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/leo_2023) Leo, a 74-year-old lizard voiced by Adam Sandler, has spent decades in the same Florida classroom with his terrarium-mate, a turtle named Squirtle voiced by [Bill Burr](https://www.edgepedia.org/bill-burr).[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/leo_2023) • [7](https://animallogic.com/portfolio/projects/leo/) When he learns he has only one year left to live, he plans to escape and experience life outside, but a new teacher's practice of sending class pets home with students over weekends draws him into the anxieties of his young charges, including an impossibly mean substitute teacher.[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/leo_2023) • [8](https://hippopress.com/wp-content/uploads/Hippo_PDFs/2023/HIP_231221_000BOOK_web.pdf) The film ends, in Variety's summary, with the sensible suggestion to "find your Leo."[9](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/leo-2023/critic-reviews/)
Salon described the title character as a septuagenarian tuatara, while most trade and streaming sources identify him simply as a lizard.[10](https://www.salon.com/2023/11/29/robert-smigel-snl-leo-comedy/) • [2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/leo_2023)
## Production
The film was directed by three longtime collaborators: Robert Marianetti, Robert Smigel, and David Wachtenheim, who together had created the "Saturday TV Funhouse" segments on *Saturday Night Live*. It was the feature directorial debut for all three, who took on a major animated comedy in their 50s.[4](https://www.awn.com/animationworld/david-wachtenheim-and-robert-marianetti-talk-leo) Smigel told TheWrap that the project grew out of trying to show his kids the movie *Grease*.[11](https://www.thewrap.com/leo-robert-smigel-interview-adam-sandler-grease-netflix/) The directors have said the script initially felt like it was missing something that justified being an animated film, a gap the team worked to close.[10](https://www.salon.com/2023/11/29/robert-smigel-snl-leo-comedy/)
Animation was produced at Animal Logic, the studio behind *Happy Feet* and *The Lego Movie*, which Netflix purchased in 2022.[12](https://www.fernbyfilms.com/2023/12/21/movie-review-leo-2023/) Animation Director Jason Figliozzi's team faced the central challenge of animating a film that revolves around a small classroom pet.[13](https://keyframemagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/winter-2023.pdf)
The voice cast is a multigenerational *Saturday Night Live* reunion: [Cecily Strong](https://www.edgepedia.org/cecily-strong) plays substitute teacher Ms. Malkin, and [Rob Schneider](https://www.edgepedia.org/rob-schneider) and [Heidi Gardner](https://www.edgepedia.org/heidi-gardner) also lend voices, alongside Jason Alexander, Sadie Sandler, Sunny Sandler, Jo Koy, and Stephanie Hsu.[10](https://www.salon.com/2023/11/29/robert-smigel-snl-leo-comedy/) • [14](https://www.netflix.com/title/81218917)
## Release and performance
Netflix gave the film a limited theatrical release beginning November 17, 2023, before streaming it on November 21, 2023.[5](https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/81218917) It debuted at the top of the streamer's English Films List, drawing 34.6 million views in its first six days, the most viewed title that week and the biggest debut for a Netflix animated film.[4](https://www.awn.com/animationworld/david-wachtenheim-and-robert-marianetti-talk-leo) According to Animal Logic, it was the number one film in 80 of 93 countries in its first 28 days and spent 10 weeks in Netflix's global top 10.[7](https://animallogic.com/portfolio/projects/leo/)
## Reception
**Critics.** On Rotten Tomatoes the film holds an 84% Tomatometer from 75 reviews, with a critics consensus crediting "slick animation, catchy songs, and some winning voice work" for helping the film strike "an uneasy balance between satirical and sweet"; the audience Popcornmeter stands at 89% from more than 1,000 ratings.[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/leo_2023) Metacritic assigned a Metascore of 65 from 15 critic reviews, broken down as 8 positive, 5 mixed, and 2 negative.[6](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/leo/critic-reviews/)
Reviewers singled out different strengths. IGN called it "one of the funniest movies of the year that doubles as a love letter to the complexities of teaching kids,"[6](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/leo/critic-reviews/) and [The Hollywood Reporter](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-hollywood-reporter) praised its message for a generation "held hostage by their parents' anxieties."[6](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/leo/critic-reviews/) The Guardian's second review found "brightly animated" warmth with "moments of surprising insight," while IndieWire's David Ehrlich scored it 58, describing a "perversely family-friendly musical-comedy about all of the ways that modern parents are making their children insane with anxiety."[6](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/leo/critic-reviews/) RogerEbert.com's negative review criticized the "assembly line animation," in which the illusion of lifelike settings breaks down when a viewer looks at the backgrounds.[6](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/leo/critic-reviews/) Empire gave it 3 of 5 stars, calling it "fun, warm, but meandering and too-long."
**Family viewing.** Common Sense Media noted the film carries messages for children about fears and the need for both independence and loving support, while flagging rude humor, mild language, and bullying; some young viewers found the comedy awkward or unsuitable because of adult jokes.[15](https://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/leo) The film is rated PG for rude and suggestive material and some language.[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/leo_2023)
## References
1. [Leo: Cast, Plot, Trailer of the Adam Sandler Animated Comedy, Netflix Tudum](https://cdn.nflxext.com/tudum/articles/leo-adam-sandler-release-date-photos)
2. [Leo (2023), Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/leo_2023)
3. [Leo (2023), Rotten Tomatoes (Tamil action thriller)](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/leo_2023_2)
4. [David Wachtenheim and Robert Marianetti Talk 'Leo', Animation World Network](https://www.awn.com/animationworld/david-wachtenheim-and-robert-marianetti-talk-leo)
5. [Leo, Netflix Media Center](https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/81218917)
6. [Leo Critic Reviews, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/leo/critic-reviews/)
7. [Leo, Animal Logic](https://animallogic.com/portfolio/projects/leo/)
8. [Pop Culture Film Reviews by Amy Diaz, Hippo Press (December 21-27, 2023)](https://hippopress.com/wp-content/uploads/Hippo_PDFs/2023/HIP_231221_000BOOK_web.pdf)
9. [Leo Critic Reviews (Variety, Peter Debruge), Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/leo-2023/critic-reviews/)
10. [Robert Smigel on evolving from "SNL" satire to family-friendly fare like "Leo", Salon](https://www.salon.com/2023/11/29/robert-smigel-snl-leo-comedy/)
11. [Adam Sandler Animated Movie 'Leo' Was Born Out of Trying to Show His Kids 'Grease', TheWrap](https://www.thewrap.com/leo-robert-smigel-interview-adam-sandler-grease-netflix/)
12. [Movie Review - Leo (2023), Fernby Films](https://www.fernbyfilms.com/2023/12/21/movie-review-leo-2023/)
13. [Keyframe Magazine, Winter 2023](https://keyframemagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/winter-2023.pdf)
14. [Leo, Netflix Official Site](https://www.netflix.com/title/81218917)
15. [Leo - Parents' Guide & Movie Review, Common Sense Media](https://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/leo)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Individual films by title and year › Comedy and romantic films (individual works) › Comedies of 2023*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 20, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 20, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license