Have you ever watched the critically-acclaimed, award-winning classic Paddington and thought “maybe this could work if it was set in NYC, and he was a crocodile who can sing in the same style as Canadian pop singer Shawn Mendes?” Maybe not, but Sony Pictures took that thought and ran with it! Of course, it’s actually based on a children’s book, but the story is the same. Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile is an upcoming movie that will likely change the face of cinema for years to come, just like Cats and Minions.
The movie stars Shawn Mendes as the voice of the croc who befriends a child who just wants to show the world how great a singing crocodile can be, naturally. Mendes even told People that he “relates” to the story, which is really telling. And he wears a cute scarf!
It gets better: the movie stars Constance Wu, Javier Bardem, and Scoot McNairy, all of whom look like they are taking the role very seriously. McNairy is known for his serious, dark roles, in movies like Argo and 12 Years A Slave. Bardem is also one to take on more gritty roles, like No Country For Old Men and Mother! It is nice to see them having fun with a crocodile that sings. Here is the official synopsis:
When the Primm family (Constance 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 (Shawn 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 Primm’s must band together with Lyle’s charismatic owner, Hector P. Valenti (Javier 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.
Even though the premise is silly, that’s probably what people said about Paddington back in the day. And look at where he is now! The movie will be released in theaters (yes–it’s getting a wide release, not straight to streaming) on October 7th.