During this interview, Mama’s Geeky spoke with the Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile directors about adapting the book & working with Shawn Mendes.
During an early press day event on the Sony lot, Mama’s Geeky previewed several scenes of Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile and spoke with directors Josh Gordon and Will Speck about adapting the popular book series, as well as working with the incredible cast, including Shawn Mendes. We also discussed the incredible music in the film, which is written by the songwriting team behind The Greatest Showman, Benj Pasek & Justin Paul.
Adapting The Book
When asked about taking the Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile book and adapting it for film, the directors agreed that they have both always loved the book.
Josh Gordon explains “We both grew up on it and we’ve wanted to make it to movie for a really long time.” The thing is, the book is only 20 to 25 pages — and it’s a picture book with very little text. A lot of the story came from cues of the book, because of course they wanted to honor it, but they adapted it into something “completely different.” In the book, Lyle sang, but they never went into his backstory, so that is what they were sure to do with this film.
For example, when trying to decide how Lyle would get his name, they added in a fun little scene where he is in a rusty cage and it’s the end of the word crocodile. “We just had to take a lot of license in the spirit of the book. But that’s so rich, that I think it gives you the cues that you need to fill it out. Which is why it is such a classic book.” Gordon continues.
They go on to say that the one thing they wanted to make sure they honored from the book, and they were worried the studio would flag, is that Lyle doesn’t talk. They wanted to make sure he only expressed himself through music because that is such a unique thing. “We really wanted it to be more like ET and The Iron Giant where characters infer and infuse a lot of their emotional life onto the character as opposed to it being saucy and wise crackling.”
That is what drove them to make Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile a musical. “The truth about great musicals is you can only express yourself through song when all else fails. So for us, that was the biggest thing of the adaptation — was turning into a musical.”
Toe Tapping Musical Numbers
Josh Gordon and Will Speck confess that they had wanted to work with the songwriting team behind The Greatest Showman, Benj Pasek & Justin Paul for a long time, so they were thrilled to bring them on for Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile. “We got really lucky because Justin has four kids. They all love the book. We got very lucky that his kids were in a fandom state.”
The directors loved getting to work with this other dynamic duo, and explain that what was truly special about the collaboration was the way they would present the songs to them.
“We would brief them emotionally on what it was, we would speak a little bit to the adjectives of like, this is the kind of song we want, this is the kind of feel and they were like, we got it, we got it. And they would come back weeks later, and they would video themselves sitting there, just performing the song.”
The Incredible Cast
Shawn Mendes is an incredible get. Not only does he have an incredible voice, but he is perfect for the role of Lyle for several reasons. As the directors explain, he told them he really related to Lyle when they discussed bringing him on. Speck and Gordon claim the first call with Mendes is one of the funnest calls they have ever had.
“He really is the character. He broke very young, while he’ was super vulnerable, and had huge amounts of pressure placed on him. And he’s a really good, nice, kind human being. He’s very transparent about what he’s going through and how he’s experiencing the world. And I think those are all great cues for us in terms of the themes of the movie about self acceptance,
find your voice, and the need to feel loved and supported to become the best version of yourself, which I think is him on a massive scale.”
Shawn never visited the set, however, as he was extremely busy and they were on a time crunch, but everything came together after he recorded the songs. He was their first choice for Lyle, and they feel very lucky to have him.
Another first choice that they succeeded on bringing in for the film is Javier Bardem. Speck confesses that he and Gordon were thinking the fantasy would be Bardem, but they knew they should consider other options. “Then we just took a swing and sent it to him. He picked up on it being something different, which both scared him but also excited him and he wanted to put something positive out into the world.” Speck says.
Bardem wanted to make a movie that his kids could see and enjoy. The directors explain that he is a “warm and squishy family man” and that his role in this film was a full family affair. In fact, the directors say they even got notes from Bardem’s son.
“I also think as an actor, he seeks challenges. He started as more of a comedian and became this substantial, terrifying unit that we all know. And I think he wanted to show the world that he actually has these other flavors. But what he was excited to do, and we were excited to do, was not cheat anything. So it’s all his vocals. It’s all his dancing.”
Hiring An Actor For Lyle
In order to truly capture the essence of Lyle, the directors knew exactly what they needed to do. They didn’t want to do the “motion capture thing” for a couple of reasons. First, they didn’t want the actors to have to be working opposite a tennis ball on a stick. It was important to the story that they were able to make that connection with Lyle and in order for that to happen they needed to give them something emotional to respond to.
The second thing they wanted to avoid was having someone covered in 300 different dots or balls, which they called “a freakish thing”. So instead they hired an actor and gave him emotional cues in order to help the other actors empathize with him. “There’s a vulnerability to that character. He’s innocent and your heart goes out to him.” Speck explains.
Having seen about 20 minutes of the film, we cannot wait for more. Lyle is a lovable crocodile who can certainly belt out a tune thanks to Shawn Mendes. See for yourself when Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile hits theaters on October 7th! Plus, there’s a new Shawn Mendes track that will run during the credits — so be sure to stick through to the end!
NEXT: Get The Inside Scoop About Shawn Mendes: In Wonder, Now On Netflix
About Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile
Based on the best-selling book series by Bernard Waber, Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile, starring Academy Award-winner Javier Bardem, Constance Wu and Shawn Mendes, is a live-action/CGI musical comedy that brings this beloved character to a new, global audience.
When the Primm family (Wu, Scoot McNairy, Winslow Fegley) moves to New York City, their young son Josh struggles to adapt to his new school and new friends. All of that changes when he discovers Lyle – a singing crocodile (Mendes) who loves baths, caviar and great music-living in the attic of his new home.
The two become fast friends, but when Lyle’s existence is threatened by evil neighbor Mr. Grumps (Brett Gelman), the Primms must band together with Lyle’s charismatic owner, Hector P. Valenti (Bardem), to show the world that family can come from the most unexpected places and there’s nothing wrong with a big singing crocodile with an even bigger personality.
Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile will feature original songs performed by Shawn Mendes, Javier Bardem, and Constance Wu, written by the songwriting team behind The Greatest Showman, Benj Pasek & Justin Paul.
Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile comes to theaters on October 7th.
Tessa Smith is a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer-approved Film and TV Critic. On Camera personality and TV / Film Critic with 10+ years of experience in video editing, writing, editing, moderating, and hosting.