Netflix’s latest animated film, Leo, features the lead comedic talents of Adam Sandler, with collaborative direction from SNL’s Saturday TV Funhouse alumni: directors Robert Smigel, Robert Marianetti, and David Wachtenheim. This team of jesters has worked together before on the hilarious Hotel Transylvania 2—a movie they wish they could have experienced as kids themselves.

Their latest follows the class pet, a jaded 74-year-old lizard named Leo (Sandler), who has an existential crisis upon learning he does not have long to live. He dreams of escaping but ends up getting caught up in the problems of his anxious middle school students.

During the Leo press conference on Saturday, November 18, we learned some inside information about Leo directly from Adam Sandler, Robert Smigel, Robert Marianetti, and David Wachtenheim. Here are five surprising facts we learned:

1. It’s not just a comedy:

The animated film is supported by several comedic writers like Sandler and Smigel, but laughs weren’t their only goal. Smigel had no doubts that the humour would come easily, given their experience, but he believes that audiences will be caught off guard by how heartfelt the film is. When discussing Sandler’s writing, Smigel noted a consistent, unique humanity to it, which they aimed to hone and focus on as part of the film’s overall message.

Leo delves into issues that kids experience when graduating middle school. It addresses serious topics like bullying, divorce, and anxiety. Granted, it also covers issues that might seem hugely significant to young ones but silly to adults. Overall, the film captures the spectrum of multifaceted difficulties that come with being a kid, from handing out birthday invitations to dealing with parental expectations.

It might be hard to believe but the original idea behind the film was to create a musical, similar to Grease, but tailored for kids.

2. It’s a good balance between funny and serious:

Striking the right balance between humour and those more serious topics posed a challenge for the team. As parents themselves, Sandler and Smigel leveraged their own experiences with the challenges children face in this day and age. Sandler spoke openly about his awareness of the painful moments kids go through and the mistakes parents make in turn. He emphasized the importance of providing children with an outlet to express themselves, a role fulfilled in the film by class pet Leo. Smigel added that the film serves a dual purpose: offering a fun escape while providing an opportunity to laugh at the more overblown problems of childhood.

Director David Wachtenheim attributed their ability to maintain a childlike perspective throughout the film to the team’s collective immaturity. It was important to them that the children seemed real and relatable to the kids watching.

Further informed by their experiences, the film also finds comedy to mine in encounters with teachers and other students and their parents.

3. It’s entertaining for all ages:

Though the primary focus of the film was to entertain children, the creators also strove to ensure enjoyment for all age groups—including that all-important parent demographic. Following in the footsteps of many other animated films, they made sure to incorporate subtle, adult-focussed jokes that will likely go over the heads of younger viewers. In that vein, the movie features homages to popular films to captivate older audiences. One of Marianetti’s favourite scenes involves a humorous homage to Godzilla, where Leo wreaks havoc in a toy city.

Leo, as a character, serves as more than just entertainment; he imparts valuable lessons to kids, parents, and grandparents alike. As Marianetti pointed out, the film addresses realistic issues that children face while also delving into the perspective of a 74-year-old who grapples with the realization that time is running out.

4. The song “When I was Ten” is the heart of the film:

“When I was Ten” stands out as one of the film’s most emotionally powerful beats and Smigel singled out this bittersweet musical number as his favourite scene in the film. He emphasized its ability to beautifully blend comedy and genuine emotion while capturing the essence of each child’s age.

The inspiration for the song came from a personal, heart-wrenching experience. The writer/producer/director recounted a moment when he overheard his son crying over the loss of a close family member, which struck a chord with Smigel as he realized that his son had gained a profound understanding of death and its implications. In the movie, “When I was Ten” actually originates from a comedic perspective, with an 11-year-old reminiscing about being 10, yet beneath the humour lies a profound message about the anxiety and pain associated with the inevitable loss of childhood innocence.

The song serves as a testament to the challenging journey of growing up, capturing the harrowing adventure that accompanies the transition from sheltered childhood naivety. Sandler, Marianetti, and Wachtenheim expressed their deep, personal connections to the song, attesting to its ability to genuinely touch the hearts of those who hear it.

5. There are a host of messages to be found within Leo: