The Lego Movie

"Lego Movie" redirects here. For stop motion films made using Lego bricks, see Brickfilm. For other Lego movies, see List of Lego films.
The LEGO Movie

A construction worker Lego figure running away from a bright light with other Lego characters running alongside him.

Theatrical release poster
Directed by Phil Lord
Christopher Miller
Produced by
Screenplay by
  • Phil Lord
  • Christopher Miller
Story by
  • Dan Hageman
  • Kevin Hageman
  • Phil Lord
  • Christopher Miller
Based on Lego Construction Toys
Starring
Music by Mark Mothersbaugh
Cinematography Pablo Plaisted
Edited by
Production
companies
Distributed by
Release dates
  • February 1, 2014 (2014-02-01) (Fox Theater, Westwood Village)
  • February 6, 2014 (2014-02-06) (Denmark)
  • February 7, 2014 (2014-02-07) (United States)
  • April 3, 2014 (2014-04-03) (Australia)
Running time
100 minutes[2]
Country
Language English
Budget $60 million[4]
Box office $469.2 million[5]

The Lego Movie (stylized as The LEGO Movie)[6][7] is a 2014 live-action/computer-animated adventure-comedy film directed and written by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, from a story by Dan and Kevin Hageman, as well as Lord and Miller, and produced by Dan Lin and Roy Lee, It was the first film produced by Warner Animation Group in eleven years since Looney Tunes: Back in Action, which was released in 2003, and is an international co-production between the United States, Australia, and Denmark.

Based on the Lego line of construction toys, the film stars the voice of Chris Pratt as Emmet, an ordinary Lego minifigure prophesied to save the universe from the tyrannical Lord Business, played by Will Ferrell, as he gains different allies along the way; additional voices and cast are played by Elizabeth Banks, Will Arnett, Nick Offerman, Alison Brie, Charlie Day, Liam Neeson, and Morgan Freeman.

The film was released theatrically on February 7, 2014 through Warner Bros. Pictures and Village Roadshow Pictures to near-unanimous acclaim with critics praising its visual style, humor, voice cast and heartwarming message, and becoming a major commercial blockbuster, earning more than $257 million in North America and $210 million in other territories for a worldwide total of over $469 million. The film won the BAFTA Award for Best Animated Film, the Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Animated Feature, and the Saturn Award for Best Animated Film. It was also nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Feature Film. The film also received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song for "Everything Is Awesome".

The film quickly expanded into a franchise which ties to the Lego brand, with a sequel scheduled for release on May 18, 2018, with two spin-off films, The Lego Batman Movie and The Lego Ninjago Movie, to also be released in 2017, as well as a third in development currently.

Plot

In the Lego universe, the wizard Vitruvius attempts to protect a superweapon called the "Kragle" from the evil Lord Business, but fails. He then prophesies that a person called "the Special" will find the Piece of Resistance, a brick capable of stopping the Kragle.

Eight-and-a-half years later, a construction worker named Emmet Brickowski comes across a woman named Wyldstyle, who is searching for something at Emmet's construction site after hours. When he investigates, Emmet falls into a hole and finds the Piece of Resistance. Compelled to touch it, Emmet experiences a vision and passes out. He awakens to find himself in the custody of Bad Cop, Business' lieutenant, and with the Piece of Resistance attached to his back. Emmet learns of Business' plans to freeze the world into perfection with the Kragle, a partially weathered tube of Krazy Glue. Wyldstyle rescues Emmet, believing him to be the Special, and takes him to meet Vitruvius in the Old West. Emmet learns that she and the wizard are "MasterBuilders"—people capable of building anything from their imagination without needing building instrutions—who oppose Business. Though disappointed to find Emmet is not a Master Builder, Wyldstyle and Vitruvius are convinced of his potential when he recalls visions of a seemingly human deity referred to as "the Man Upstairs".

Emmet, Wyldstyle, and Vitruvius evade Bad Cop's forces temporarily, and escape with the aid of Batman. They go to Middle Zealand, which leads to the hidden "Cloud Cuckoo Land". There they attend a council of Master Builders, who are unimpressed with Emmet and refuse to fight Business. Bad Cop's forces attack, having placed a tracking device on Emmet, and capture everyone except Emmet, Vitruvius, Wyldstyle, Batman, Benny (a Space Colony Lego figure), and Princess Unikitty, the ruler of now-destroyed Cloud Cuckoo Land. Escaping, they are picked up by Metal Beard, a cyborg pirate. Emmet devises a team plan to infiltrate the office and disarm the Kragle, but the group is captured and imprisoned in the Think Tank, where all the captured MasterBuilders make the instructions. Trying to retaliate, Vitruvius is decapitated by Lord Business, who sets a self-destruct protocol and leaves everyone to die, including Bad Cop. As he dies, Vitruvius reveals he made up the prophecy. He soon reappears as a ghost to Emmet and tells him that his belief makes him the Special. Strapped to the self-destruct's battery, Emmet seemingly sacrifices himself to save his friends, by jumping into a void and severing the connection, causing the computer to shut down. Inspired by Emmet's sacrifice, Wyldstyle rallies the Lego people across the universe to use whatever creativity they have to build machines and weapons to fight Business' forces.

Emmet finds himself in the human world as a toy Lego man unable to move. The events of the story are being played out in a basement by a boy, Finn, on his father's Lego set. The father—"the Man Upstairs"—chastises his son for ruining the set by creating variations of different playsets, and proceeds to permanently glue and rebuild his perceived perfect creations together. Realizing the danger his friends are in, Emmet wills himself to move and gains Finn's attention. Finn returns Emmet and the Piece of Resistance to the set, where Emmet now possesses the powers of a Master Builder and confronts Business. Meanwhile, Finn's father looks at his son's creations and realizes that Finn had based the villainous Business on him and his perfectionism. Through a speech Emmet gives Business, Finn tells his father that he is special and has the power to change everything. Finn's father and Business have a change of heart, capping the Kragle and ungluing his victims with mineral spirits. Emmet is hailed as a hero, and Wyldstyle becomes Emmet's girlfriend, with Batman's blessing.

As a result of the father allowing Finn's younger sister to join them in playing with his Lego sets, Duplo aliens beam down and announce plans of conquest.

Cast

In addition, Anthony Daniels and Billy Dee Williams reprise their Star Wars roles as C-3PO and Lando Calrissian respectively, with Keith Ferguson voicing Han Solo (whom he previously voiced in Robot Chicken and Mad). Shaquille O'Neal portrays a Lego version of himself who is a Master Builder alongside two generic members of the 2002 NBA All-Stars.

Will Forte, Dave Franco, Jake Johnson, Keegan-Michael Key, Chris McKay, and Jorma Taccone provide voice cameos in the film.

Co-director Christopher Miller cameos as a TV presenter in the studio that films the Where Are My Pants? TV series.

Production

Creators of the film at the 2013 San Diego Comic-Con International: Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, writers and directors; Chris McKay, co-director; and Dan Lin, producer.

"We wanted to make the film feel like the way you play, the way I remember playing. We wanted to make it feel as epic and ambitious and self-serious as a kid feels when they play with LEGO. We took something you could claim is the most cynical cash grab in cinematic history, basically a 90 minute LEGO commercial, and turned it into a celebration of creativity, fun and invention, in the spirit of just having a good time and how ridiculous it can look when you make things up. And we had fun doing it.'"

 —Animation supervisor Chris McKay[11]

Dan Lin conceived of the idea for the film and began discussing it with Roy Lee before leaving Warner Bros. to form his own production company, Lin Pictures, in 2008.[12] Meanwhile, Warner Bros. home entertainment executive Kevin Tsujihara had recognized the value of the Lego franchise by engineering the studio's purchase of Lego video game licensee Traveller's Tales in 2007, thought the success of the Lego-based video games indicated a Lego-based film was a good idea, and reportedly "championed" the development of the film.[12][13] By August 2009, Dan and Kevin Hageman were writing the script described as "action adventure set in a Lego world."[14] Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller were in talks in June 2010 to write and direct the film.[15] Warner Bros. green-lit the film by November 2011, with a planned 2014 release date. The Australian studio Animal Logic was contracted to provide the animation, which was expected to comprise 80% of the film. By this time Chris McKay, the director of Robot Chicken, had also joined Lord and Miller to co-direct.[16] McKay explained that his role was to supervise the production in Australia once Lord and Miller left to work on 22 Jump Street.[11] In March 2012, Lord and Miller revealed the film's working title, Lego: The Piece of Resistance, and a storyline.[17] In April 2012, Warner Bros. scheduled the film for release on February 28, 2014, a date that subsequently changed.[18]

By June 2012, Chris Pratt had been cast as the voice of Emmet, the lead Lego character, and Will Arnett voicing Lego Batman; the role of Lego Superman was offered to Channing Tatum.[19] By August 2012, Elizabeth Banks was hired to voice Lucy (later getting the alias "Wyldstyle")[8] and Morgan Freeman to voice Vitruvius, an old mystic.[19][20] In October 2012, Warner Bros. shifted the release date for the film, simply titled Lego, to February 7, 2014.[21] In November 2012, Alison Brie, Will Ferrell, Liam Neeson, and Nick Offerman signed on for roles. Brie voices Unikitty, a member of Emmet's team; Ferrell voices the antagonist President/Lord Business; Neeson voices Bad Cop; and Offerman voices Metal Beard,[22] a pirate seeking revenge on Business.[21]

In July 2012, a Lego-user contest announced on the film's Facebook page would choose a winning Lego vehicle to appear in the film.[23] Miller's childhood Space Village playset is utilized in the film.[24]

Animal Logic tried to make the film's animation replicate a stop motion film even if everything was done through computer graphics, with the animation rigs following the same articulation limits actual Lego figures have. The camera systems also tried to replicate live action cinematography, including different lenses and a Steadicam simulator. The scenery was projected through The Lego Group's own Lego Digital Designer, which as CG supervisor Aidan Sarsfield detailed, "uses the official LEGO Brick Library and effectively simulates the connectivity of each of the bricks." The saved files were then converted to design and animate in Maya and XSI. At times the minifigures were even placed under microscopes to capture the seam lines, dirt and grime into the digital textures.[25] Benny the spaceman was based on the line of Lego space sets sold in the 1980s, and his design includes the broken helmet chin strap, a common defect of the space sets at that time.[26]

The film's total cost, including production, promotion and advertising (P&A), was $100 million.[27] Half of the film's cost was financed by Village Roadshow Pictures.[27] The rest was covered by Warner Bros., with RatPac-Dune Entertainment providing a smaller share as part of its multi-year financing agreement with Warner Bros.[28] Initially Warner Bros. turned down Village Roadshow Pictures when it asked to invest in the film.[27] However, Warner Bros. later changed its mind, reportedly due to lack of confidence in the film, initially offering to Village Roadshow Pictures 25% of the film, and later additional 25%.[27]

The film is dedicated to Kathleen Fleming, the former director of entertainment development of the Lego company, who died in an accident while vacationing in Cancun, Mexico in April 2013.[29]

Release

The Lego Movie premiered at the Regency Village Theatre in Los Angeles, California on February 1, 2014, and was released in theaters on February 7, 2014.[30] The film was released in Australia by the film's co-producer, Roadshow Films.[1]

Marketing

Over twenty Lego sets inspired by scenes from the film were released for the film including a set of Collectible Minifigures. A website was opened up so fans could make minifigure versions of themselves, and later, put that in the film's official trailer. The company has recruited a roster of global partners to a broad, multi-category licensing program to support the film.[31][32] Official Lego Brand Stores also scheduled events. Each week of January 2014, a new character poster (Wyldstyle, Batman, Emmet, Lord Business) came with every purchase.[33] By building a creative model in-store, people received a free accessory pack. Barnes & Noble hosted a themed event in January, February, and March.[34] On February 7, 2014, McDonald's released eight collectible holographic/3D cups in Happy Meals to promote the film.[35] A video game based on the film, The Lego Movie Videogame, by TT Fusion for Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Wii U, Nintendo 3DS, PlayStation Vita, and Windows, was released on February 4, 2014.[36] An exclusive "Wild West Emmet" minifigure was released with preorders of the game at GameStop.[37]

Home media

The Lego Movie was released on Digital HD on May 20, 2014. It was released by Warner Home Video on DVD and Blu-ray (2D and 3D) on June 17, 2014. A special Blu-ray 3D "Everything is Awesome Edition" also includes an exclusive Vitruvius minifigure and a collectible 3D Emmet photo.[38]

Reception

The film's live-action set as publicly exhibited at Legoland California Resort during 2014.

Critical reception

The Lego Movie was met with "nearly unanimous positive reviews."[39] Review-aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 96% approval rating with an average rating of 8.2/10 based on 222 reviews. The website's consensus reads, "Boasting beautiful animation, a charming voice cast, laugh-a-minute gags, and a surprisingly thoughtful story, The Lego Movie is colorful fun for all ages."[40] On Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 based on reviews from critics, the film has a score of 83 (indicating "universal acclaim") based on 43 reviews.[41] According to CinemaScore polls conducted during the opening weekend, the average grade cinemagoers gave The Lego Movie was A on an A+ to F scale.[42] Filmmaker Edgar Wright and TIME Magazine film critic Richard Corliss have respectively named The Lego Movie as one of their favorite films of 2014.[43][44]

Michael Rechtshaffen of The Hollywood Reporter wrote, "Arriving at a time when feature animation was looking and feeling mighty anemic...The LEGO Movie shows 'em how it's done,"[45] with Peter Debruge of Variety adding that Lord and Miller "irreverently deconstruct the state of the modern blockbuster and deliver a smarter, more satisfying experience in its place, emerging with a fresh franchise for others to build upon."[46] Tom Huddleston of Time Out said, "The script is witty, the satire surprisingly pointed, and the animation tactile and imaginative."[47] Drew Hunt of the Chicago Reader said the filmmakers "fill the script with delightfully absurd one-liners and sharp pop culture references",[48] with A. O. Scott of The New York Times noting that, "Pop-culture jokes ricochet off the heads of younger viewers to tickle the world-weary adults in the audience, with just enough sentimental goo applied at the end to unite the generations. Parents will dab their eyes while the kids roll theirs."[49] Elizabeth Weitzman of the New York Daily News said the filmmakers "don't sink into cynicism. Their computer animation embraces the retro look and feel of the toys to both ingenious and adorable effect."[50]

Claudia Puig of USA Today called the film "a spirited romp through a world that looks distinctively familiar, and yet freshly inventive."[51] Liam Lacey of The Globe and Mail asked, "Can a feature-length toy commercial also work as a decent kids’ movie? The bombast of the G.I. Joe and Transformers franchises might suggest no, but after an uninspired year for animated movies, The Lego Movie is a 3-D animated film that connects."[52] Joel Arnold of NPR acknowledged that the film "may be one giant advertisement, but all the way to its plastic-mat foundation, it's an earnest piece of work—a cash grab with a heart."[53] Peter Travers of Rolling Stone called the film "sassy enough to shoot well-aimed darts at corporate branding."[54] Michael O'Sullivan of The Washington Post said that, "While clearly filled with affection for—and marketing tie-ins to—the titular product that's front and center, it's also something of a sharp plastic brick flung in the eye of its corporate sponsor."[55]

On the negative side, Kyle Smith of the New York Post called the film "more exhausting than fun, too unsure of itself to stick with any story thread for too long."[56] Moira MacDonald of The Seattle Times, while generally positive, found "it falls apart a bit near the end."[57] Alonso Duralde of The Wrap said the film "will doubtless tickle young fans of the toys. It's just too bad that a movie that encourages you to think for yourself doesn't follow its own advice."[58]

Television personality, author, filmmaker, radio host and conservative political commentator Glenn Beck praised the film for avoiding "the double meanings and adult humor I just hate."[59]

Oscar host Neil Patrick Harris referenced The Lego Movie not being nominated Best Animated Feature, which many critics considered a major snub, saying prior to the award's presentation "If you’re at the Oscar party with the guys who directed 'The Lego Movie,' now would be a great time to distract them."[60]

Box office performance

The Lego Movie grossed $257.8 million in North America, and $210.3 million internationally, for a worldwide total of $468.1 million.[5] Calculating in all expenses, Deadline.com estimated that the film made a profit of $229 million.[61]

In North America, the film opened at number one in its first weekend with over $69 million, which was the second highest weekend debut in February, at the time, behind The Passion of the Christ ($83.8 million).[62] The movie retained the top spot at box office in its second weekend by declining only 28% and grossing $49.8 million.[63] The Lego Movie was number one again in its third weekend while declining 37% and grossing $31.3 million.[64] In its fourth weekend, the film dropped to number three grossing $20.8 million.[65]

Outside North America, The Lego Movie was released in 34 markets in February 7, 2014—the same weekend as its North American release. It made $18.7 million on its opening weekend from 5,695 screens from 34 countries.[66] On its opening weekend, which varies depending on the country, it earned $3.8 million Mexico, $2 million in Spain, $1.8 million in Brazil.[66] With a total gross of £34.3 million, it was the second highest grossing film in the UK and Ireland in 2014.[67]

The popularity of the film led to a shortage of Lego products by September 2014.[68]

Accolades

List of Accolades
Award / Film Festival Category Recipient(s) Result
AACTA Awards Best Visual Effects or Animation Chris McKay, Amber Naismith, Aidan Sarsfield and Grant Freckelton Won
Academy Awards Best Original Song Shawn Patterson Nominated
American Cinema Editors Best Edited Animated Feature Film David Burrows, Chris McKay Won
42nd Annual Annie Awards[69] Best Animated Feature The Lego Movie Nominated
Animated Effects in an Animated Feature Production Jayandera Danappal, Matt Ebb, Christian Epunan Hernandez, Danielle Brooks, and Raphael Gadot Nominated
Directing in an Animated Feature Production Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, Directors;
Chris McKay, Co-Director
Nominated
Production Design in an Animated Feature Production Grant Freckelton Nominated
Writing in an Animated Feature Production Phil Lord and Christopher Miller Won
Editorial in an Animated Feature Production David Burrows, Todd Hansen, Doug Nicholas, Jonathan Tappin and Courtney O'Brien-Brown Nominated
Austin Film Critics Association Best Animated Film The Lego Movie Won
BAFTA Awards[70] Best Animated Film The Lego Movie Won
Black Reel Awards Best Voice Performance Morgan Freeman Won
45th Annual British Academy Children's Awards[71] Kid's Vote — Film in 2014 The Lego Movie Nominated
Children's Feature Film in 2014 The Lego Movie Won
Broadcast Film Critics Association Best Animated Feature The Lego Movie Won
Best Song "Everything Is Awesome" Nominated
Chicago Film Critics Association Best Animated Feature The Lego Movie Won
Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Best Animated Film The Lego Movie Won
Denver Film Critics Society Best Animated Film The Lego Movie Won
Best Original Song "Everything is Awesome" Won
Dublin Film Critics Circle Top Ten Films The Lego Movie 4th Place
Empire Awards Best Comedy The Lego Movie Nominated
Florida Film Critics Circle Best Animated Film The Lego Movie Won
Golden Globe Awards Best Animated Feature Film The Lego Movie Nominated
Golden Tomato Awards 2014 Best Animated Film The Lego Movie Won
Grammy Awards Best Song Written for Visual Media "Everything Is Awesome" Nominated
Houston Film Critics Society Best Animated Feature Film The Lego Movie Won
Best Original Song "Everything is Awesome" Won
Kerrang! Awards Best Film The Lego Movie Won
Kids' Choice Awards Favorite Animated Movie The Lego Movie Nominated
Favorite Movie Actor Will Arnett (also for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) Nominated
National Board of Review Best Original Screenplay Phil Lord and Christopher Miller Won
Top Ten Films The Lego Movie Won
New York Film Critics Circle Awards[72] Best Animated Film The Lego Movie Won
New York Film Critics Online Best Animated Film The Lego Movie Won
Online Film Critics Society Best Picture The Lego Movie Nominated
Best Animated Feature The Lego Movie Won
People's Choice Awards[73] Favorite Family Movie The Lego Movie Nominated
Producers Guild of America Best Outstanding Producer of Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures Dan Lin Won
San Diego Film Critics Society Best Animated The Lego Movie Nominated
San Francisco Film Critics Circle[74] Best Animated Feature The Lego Movie Won
Satellite Awards Best Motion Picture Animated or Mixed Media The Lego Movie Nominated
Best Original Screenplay Phil Lord and Christopher Miller Nominated
Best Original Song "Everything Is Awesome" Nominated
Saturn Awards Best Animated Film The Lego Movie Won
St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association Best Animated Film The Lego Movie Won
16th SXSW Film Festival[75] SXSW Film Design Award
(Special Jury Recognition)
Brian Mah (Designer) Won
Teen Choice Awards[76] Choice Movie: Animated The Lego Movie Nominated
Choice Movie: Voice Chris Pratt
Toronto Film Critics Association Best Animated Feature The Lego Movie Nominated
Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association[77] Best Animated Feature The Lego Movie Won
Best Original Screenplay Phil Lord and Christopher Miller Nominated

Soundtrack

The Lego Movie: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Soundtrack album by Mark Mothersbaugh, various artists
Released February 4, 2014
Recorded 2013
Trackdown Studios (Sydney)
Genre Film soundtrack, film score
Length 58:10
Label WaterTower Music
Producer Mark Mothersbaugh, Shawn Patterson, Bartholomew
Mark Mothersbaugh chronology
Last Vegas
(2013)
The Lego Movie
(2014)
22 Jump Street
(2014)
Singles from The Lego Movie: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
  1. "Everything Is Awesome"
    Released: January 27, 2014

The film's original score was composed by Mark Mothersbaugh, who had previously worked with Lord and Miller on Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and 21 Jump Street. The Lego Movie soundtrack contains the score as the majority of its tracks. Also included is the song "Everything Is Awesome!!!" written by Shawn Patterson (El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera and Robot Chicken), Joshua Bartholomew[78] and Lisa Harriton,[79] who also perform the song in the movie under the name, Jo Li. The single, released on January 27, 2014, is performed by Tegan and Sara featuring The Lonely Island (Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone) who wrote the rap lyrics, and is the first song played in the end credits of the movie. The soundtrack was released on February 4, 2014 by WaterTower Music.[80]

Track listing
No. TitlePerformer(s) Length
1. "Everything Is Awesome!!!"  Tegan and Sara featuring The Lonely Island 2:43
2. "Prologue"    2:28
3. "Emmet's Morning"    1:59
4. "Emmet Falls in Love"    1:11
5. "Escape"    3:27
6. "Into the Old West"    1:00
7. "Wyldstyle Explains"    1:21
8. "Emmet's Mind"    2:17
9. "The Transformation"    1:46
10. "Saloons and Wagons"    3:38
11. "Batman"    1:23
12. "Middle Zealand"    0:28
13. "Cloud Cuckooland and Ben the Spaceman"    1:25
14. "Emmet's Speech"    2:02
15. "Submarines and Metal Beard"    1:49
16. "Requiem for Cuckooland"    1:23
17. "Reaching the Kragle"    2:35
18. "Emmet's Plan"    1:54
19. "The Truth"    3:16
20. "Wyldstyle Leads"    2:46
21. "Let's Put It All Back"    2:02
22. "I Am a Master Builder"    2:48
23. "My Secret Weapon"    4:19
24. "We Did It!"    1:31
25. "Everything Is Awesome!!!"  Jo Li (Joshua Bartholomew and Lisa Harriton) 1:26
26. "Everything Is Awesome!!! (unplugged)"  Shawn Patterson and Sammy Allen 1:24
27. "Untitled Self Portrait"  Will Arnett 1:08
28. "Everything Is Awesome!!! (instrumental sing-a-long)"    2:41
Total length:
58:10
Chart positions
Chart (2014) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[81] 82
UK Independent Album Breakers (OCC)[82] 8
US Billboard 200[83] 37
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[83] 8
US Top Soundtracks (Billboard)[83] 2

Theme song

The film's theme song, "Everything is Awesome!!!", has been critically praised and has undergone some close analysis. International Business Times describes the song as a parody of fascism, saying that the song "seems little more than an infectiously catchy parody of watered-down radio pop, right down to the faux-dubstep breakdown. There's a lot more happening under the surface, however."[84] In an interview with Fox News, producer Mark Mothersbaugh says the song "was supposed to be like mind control early in the film. It's totally irritating, this kind of mindless mantra to get people up and working."[85]

Expanded franchise

Because of its critical and commercial success, The Lego Movie will be turned into a franchise and a shared fictional universe. As of March 2015, there is a sequel and three spin-off films in development. There is also a 4-D ride attraction, based on the film itself, entitled The LEGO® Movie 4-D: A New Adventure, which opened at select Legoland theme parks across the globe in the summer of 2016.

The Lego Movie: 4D - A New Adventure

On December 16, 2015, a promo video for a new "4D" film at Legoland Florida based on The Lego Movie called The Lego Movie: 4D - A New Adventure was posted onto Lego's YouTube channel.[86] The short subject premiered at Legoland Florida on January 29, 2016 before being rolled out to all other Legoland Parks and Legoland Discovery Centers later that year. It sees many of the original cast returning including Elizabeth Banks, Nick Offerman, Alison Brie, and Charlie Day while Emmet is voiced by A.J. Locascio (due to Chris Pratt being unavailable at the time). The film is titled The Lego Movie 4D: A New Adventure, and introduces a new character called Risky Business (voiced by Patton Oswalt) who is Lord Business' older brother.[87]

Future releases

Sequel

Main article: The Lego Movie Sequel

In February 2014, Jared Stern was hired to write a sequel, along with Michelle Morgan.[88] On February 21, 2014, the studio scheduled the sequel for a May 26, 2017 release.[89] On March 12, 2014, Deadline reported that animation co-director Chris McKay would direct the sequel with Lord and Miller as producers.[90] Warner Bros. did not invite co-producer Village Roadshow Pictures to return as a participant in the sequel.[27] Because the film will be produced in Vancouver, VRP will be replaced by a Canadian studio with a similar occupation. On April 10, 2014, McKay expressed that he would like to introduce more women in the sequel than men.[91] In July 2014, Chris Pratt expressed interest in reprising his role as Emmet for the sequel.[92]

In October 2014, Lord and Miller were signed to write The Lego Movie 2.[93] The writers have implied that the sequel will take place four years after the events of the first film.[94] In February 2015, Warner Bros. announced that the title of the sequel had been changed to The Lego Movie Sequel, and that Rob Schrab replaced McKay as director since McKay went to direct The Lego Batman Movie.[95] According to an interview at the Santa Barbara Film Festival, the sequel will also introduce Emmet's sister. On April 20, 2015, Warner Bros. scheduled The Lego Movie Sequel for a May 18, 2018 release date.[96]

Spin-offs

The Lego Batman Movie
Main article: The Lego Batman Movie

In October 2014, Warner Bros. scheduled The Lego Batman Movie, a spinoff starring Batman for 2017, which moved The Lego Movie Sequel to 2018.[97][98] Will Arnett is set to return to voice Batman, while Chris McKay, who was earlier attached to the sequel, will direct the film which is being written by Seth Grahame-Smith and produced by Roy Lee, Dan Lin, Phil Lord and Chris Miller.[99] On April 20, 2015, Warner Bros. scheduled The Lego Batman Movie, which still has yet to get an official title, for a February 10, 2017 release date.[96] In July 2015, Arnett's Arrested Development co-star Michael Cera was cast to voice Robin.[100] In August 2015, Zach Galifianakis entered final negotiations to voice the Joker.[101] In October 2015, Rosario Dawson was cast to voice Barbara Gordon, the daughter of police commissioner James Gordon who later becomes the crime-fighting heroine Batgirl.[102] The following month, Ralph Fiennes was cast as Alfred Pennyworth,[103] Bruce Wayne's butler. Mariah Carey, although initial reports indicated she was playing Commissioner Gordon,[104] was actually cast as the as-yet-unnamed Mayor of Gotham City.[105] The first trailer for the film was released on March 24, 2016.

The Lego Ninjago Movie

Brothers Dan and Kevin Hageman, who wrote Lego Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu and co-wrote the story of The Lego Movie, will be penning the film adaptation of Lego Ninjago, which will feature a new take that diverges from the TV series. Charlie Bean, who produced Disney's Tron: Uprising, will direct the film, produced by the The Lego Movie team of Dan Lin, Roy Lee, and both Phil Lord and Chris Miller.[106] The spin-off movie was scheduled to be released on September 23, 2016.[107] On April 20, 2015, the film was pushed to September 22, 2017.[96]

The Billion Brick Race

In March 2015, Warner Bros. announced that a third Lego Movie spin-off, titled The Billion Brick Race, was in development. Jason Segel and Drew Pearce were signed on to co-direct and write the film.[108]

References

  1. 1 2 "Lego Movie tops Aussie box office for its opening week". MediaDay. April 11, 2014. Retrieved December 11, 2014.
  2. "The Lego Movie (U)". British Board of Film Classification. January 17, 2014. Retrieved January 17, 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 "The Lego Movie". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on May 25, 2014. Retrieved June 21, 2014.
  4. "'Lego Movie' Can Save Warner Bros. Animation". Forbes. Retrieved February 5, 2014.
  5. 1 2 "The LEGO Movie (2014)". Box Office Mojo. February 7, 2014. Archived from the original on May 10, 2014. Retrieved September 5, 2014.
  6. "The Lego Movie". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved February 26, 2014.
  7. "THE LEGO® MOVIE". Retrieved February 26, 2014.
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