What Kind of Lizard Is Miss Crawly? Animal Species and Backstory in Sing Explained
One of the production's most enduring behind-the-scenes stories involves how Miss Crawly found her voice. When directors mount animated features, they record temporary dialogue, known in the industry as "scratch tracks", to time out storyboards and animatics before hiring celebrity voice talent.
Director Garth Jennings, who helmed both Sing and Sing 2, stepped into the recording booth to provide a placeholder performance. He pitched his voice into a high, fragile, slightly garbled falsetto, punctuated by nervous gulps and sputtering breathing patterns.
When the executive team at Illumination and producer Chris Meledandri reviewed the initial story reels, they rejected the idea of recasting the role with a traditional actress. Jennings’s idiosyncratic delivery was baked into the comedy of the character. Jennings joined an elite group of animation directors, including Chris Sanders as Stitch and Brad Bird as Edna Mode, who ended up voicing their own scene-stealing creations.