The director of “The Penguin Lessons,” Peter Cattaneo, also made “The Full Monty,” so he has some experience with crowd-pleasing films, at the same time being deft with unusual subject matter.

It was just a few months ago that Australia's beloved Pesto the Penguin went viral for weighing nearly 50 pounds at just 9 months old. Now, the U.S. has its own baby penguin that some are saying ...