‘Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile’ Filmmakers Josh Gordon & Will Speck Ink First-Look Deal With Sony

Anthony D'Alessandro
·3 min read
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EXCLUSIVE: Josh Gordon and Will Speck have signed a first-look deal with Sony Pictures Entertainment to develop and produce feature films. The news comes in the wake of their feature take of the children’s book Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile grossing over $104 million at the global box office.

The movie, which stars Javier Bardem and Constance Wu and has songs by Benj Pasek & Justin Paul and Shawn Mendes, is set for a China release April 15.

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Speck and Gordon are attached to direct a film based on the AfterShock comic The Kaiju Score for Columbia Pictures. Todd Black and Jason Blumenthal at Escape Artists are producing along with AfterShock Media’s Lee and Jon Kramer; that project is in development. The duo are also attached to direct the A24 TV thriller Silverlake starring Zach Quinto and written by Samuel D. Hunter (The Whale). They also are the creators and showrunners of the Hulu/Marvel animated series Hit Monkey, which was recently ordered for a second season and stars Jason Sudeikis.

Joining Speck and Gordon’s company as Head of Development and Production will be Eric Fineman, who previously served as a senior executive at Pascal Pictures working on Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Silk: Spider Society and Long Bright River. Prior to that Fineman was VP Production at Columbia Pictures working on Venom, Madame Web, Spider-Man: Homecoming, Miracles From Heaven and Goosebumps.

Also coming on board as a Creative Executive is Katy Saindon, who arrives from Get Lifted Film Co., where she worked on Phantom of the Opera for Universal and Homecoming for Lionsgate. Saindon got her start at WME and from there moved to Lionsgate in 2019, working across various film projects including Bombshell, Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar and the upcoming feature adaptation of Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.

Gordon and Speck have directed such comedy movies as Blades of Glory, The Switch and Office Christmas Party.

“Josh and Will are the definition of a double threat, brilliantly talented and incredibly charming. Everything they do is impressive from their groundbreaking commercials to their razor-sharp comedies,” said Sanford Panitch, President, Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group. “We got to see their talent first-hand on Lyle, Lyle Crocodile where they created a vibrant world starring an endearing, singing crocodile they brought to life through song and dance. Not an easy task. We’re thrilled to expand our relationship with Speck and Gordon.”

“Tom, Sanford, Josh, Brittany and the whole team at Sony were incredible creative partners on Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile and with their fierce commitment to the theatrical experience it made our continued partnership with them a no-brainer,” said Speck and Gordon.

As commercial directors, their work has been awarded everything from Grand Clios to British Gold Arrows, and more than 20 Cannes Lions. They are founding directors of Santa Monica- and London-based Furlined, which was named Commercial Production Company of the Year at the One Show. Their work in shortform content has been nominated for both Oscars and Emmys.

Speck and Gordon are repped by Todd Feldman, Pete Stein and Laura Gordon at CAA and attorney Warren Dern.

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