‘Leo’ Scores Biggest Debut for a Netflix Animated Film

Adam Sandler’s ‘Leo’ Scores Biggest Debut for a Netflix Animated Film Ever With 34.6 Million Views

In its first six days on the platform, Netflix’s new Adam Sandler vehicle Leo enjoyed the biggest debut yet for an original Netflix animated feature.

The animated feature film, which was co-written and produced by Sandler, shot to the top of the English films list, outpacing recent releases “Best.Christmas.Ever!,” which came in second place with 13.3 million views and David Fincher’s “The Killer,” which spent its third week on the streamer’s 10 most-watched English films, this time landing in the No. 3 spot on the list with 8.8 million views.

Netflix has supported Leo with a robust marketing campaign including free sneak peek theatrical screenings in 150 U.S. locations and a float in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Directed by long-time Sandler collaborators Robert Marianetti, Robert Smigel, and David Wachtenheim, Leo holds a solid 82% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes backed up by excellent public approval scores at 94%. Smigel, Sandler, and Paul Sado wrote the screenplay. Animation was handled by Animal Logic (The Lego Movie, DC League of Super-Pets), which was acquired by Netflix last year.