How to watch Lyle, Lyle Crocodile:

Shawn Mendes voices the crocodile in Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile

(Image credit: Landmark Media/Alamy/Future)

published 6 October 2022

Did someone say there’s a singing crocodile living in the attic? Consider us in!

With the days getting colder and the nights drawing in, there’s nothing better than a good dose of singing and dancing and family friendly fun. The latest film release aimed at entertaining all the family is PG rated meaning some parental guidance will be required, but it’s a wholesome welcome to the world of family films. A singing crocodile who loves baths and has a penchant for caviar and great music - what’s not to love? There’s also a stellar cast behind the action, with many faces both new and old bringing the story to life. Here’s how to watch Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile in the Uk, and other information about the film that’s bound to make a splash.

Other recent film excitement focussed on Hocus Pocus 2 coming out - excited fans had waited 29 years for a sequel. The story Hocus Pocus 2 told was shrouded in mystery, with many details kept secret right up until the release date. Now the film is out and fans have had time to digest the new story, attention has turned to where it was filmed. Hocus Pocus 2 filmed within a very small area, but was it in Salem like its predecessor?

Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile: Release date

Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile will be released in the Uk on Friday October 7, 2022. The release date has been misreported many times, but the confirmed date is October 7.

The film's official synopsis reads "When the Primm family moves to New York City, their young son, Josh, struggles to adapt to his new school and friends. All of that changes when he discovers Lyle, a singing crocodile that loves baths, caviar and great music. The two become fast friends, but when evil neighbour Mr. Grumps threatens Lyle's existence, the Primms must band together to show the world that family can come from the most unexpected places".

How to watch Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile

In the Uk, Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile is only currently available in cinemas. Netflix have acquired the international streaming rights to the film, However, there is no confirmed date for it to arrive at the streamer.

When the film does land on Netflix, a subscription will be required. There are 3 Netflix packages available for those wanting to subscribe. The cheapest package costs £6.99 per month, and this basic starting price includes unlimited access to the Netflix catalogue. With this, subscribers can only stream from one device at a time.

At £10.99 per month, the standard package also includes the entire Netflix catalogue. However, simultaneous streaming from 2 devices is allowed. This package also has shows in HD, and allows downloads to mobile devices. The final premium package costs £15.99 per month, and features bonuses including allowing streaming across 4 devices, and contains most of the catalogue in Ultra HD.

What book is Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile based on?

Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile is based on the children's book of the same name written by Bernard Waber, and first published in 1965. It is the sequel to The House on East 88th Street, published in 1962.

Similar to the film, the synopsis for the much-loved book reads "Lyle the crocodile lives in a house on East 88th Street in New York City. Lyle enjoys helping the Primm family with everyday chores, and playing with the neighbourhood kids. He’s the happiest crocodile any home ever had…until one neighbour insists that Lyle belongs in a zoo! Mr. Grumps and his cat, Loretta, don't like crocodiles, and everything Lyle does to win them over seems to go wrong. It will take all of Lyle’s charm - and courage - to reveal the hero, and friend, behind the big, crocodile smile.

One Good Reads reviewer said "I loved this book. The pictures are charming. I love the colour scheme, the bold lines, and the way Lyle sticks out. Oddly enough, my 7-month-old baby was completely charmed and giggled her way through the pictures".

Another added "stop! Freeze - right where you are! Now see this book? Now see your empty hands? This books needs to be in your hands pronto, with your kiddos gathered around, because the 10 to 15 minutes it takes to read this will be positively delightful! You'll thank me, way before you've turned the last page, for stopping you in your tracks like this".

Lyle the crocodile in Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile

Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile: Cast

Shawn Mendes as the voice of Lyle
Javier Bardem (No Country for Old Men, Dune) as Hector P. Valenti
Constance Wu (Hustlers, The Terminal List) as Mrs. Katie Primm
Winslow Fegley (Spinning Gold, The Good Doctor) as Josh Primm
Scoot McNairy (True Detective, Godless) as Mr. Joseph Primm
Brett Gelman (Stranger Things, Fleabag) as Mr. Grumps
Lyric Hurd (Roxanne Roxanne, All In) as Kara Delaney

On how they managed to cast Javier Bardem in the role, directors Will Speck and Josh Gordon told Collider "We said Javier, and the studio said well you’ll never get him, but good luck. And then six Zooms later, he finally, reluctantly said yes. I think he was nervous about jumping into something that he perceived to be very comedic in his mind. Because he was really swinging out there".

They continued "We talked to him about the integrity of the character and finding the dramatic roots to the character ultimately so that it wasn’t just played for jokes, but that we wanted to play this as a fully dimensional, real character and that, that’s why we wanted him. Because we wanted it to not be an expected performance of something you’ve seen. And what was exciting about him was I feel like you haven’t seen this guy before. You haven’t seen Javier do this and his voice was great".

Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile: Rotten Tomatoes

Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile currently has a critic rating of 73% on Rotten Tomatoes. A viewer score is not yet available.

Richard Crouse said "Lyle, Lyle Crocodile is a gently paced family movie about finding family and a voice. There isn’t a cynical bone to be found anywhere in Lyle’s cinematic world. He may be a cold-blooded reptile, but he has a warm heart".

Frank Scheck from Hollywood Reporter said "It’s all harmless fun, containing enough mild laughs and genuinely sweet moments to keep its target audiences entertained".

However, Robert Abele from TheWrap was less than impressed. He offered "A certifiable mess on its webbed hind feet, teetering uncomfortably as both family comedy and musical, whether trying to make dumpster diving look whimsical (it isn’t) or the tunes sound like anything but positivity-anthem-generator readouts".

Soren Andersen from the Seattle Times was equally unimpressed, adding "You can practically see the glisten of perspiration on the actors’ faces from the effort everyone is making to put their characters across. Their roles seem like ill-fitting clothing worn awkwardly".

Related Film Features:

Video of the Week

Lucy is a mum-of-two, multi-award nominated writer and blogger with six years’ of experience writing about parenting, family life, and TV. Lucy has contributed content to PopSugar and moms.com. In the last three years, she has transformed her passion for streaming countless hours of television into specialising in entertainment writing. There is now nothing she loves more than watching the best shows on television and sharing why you - and your kids - should watch them.