New LEGO Movies in Development at Universal

After four LEGO feature films at Warner Bros., it would appear that the popular Danish building toys are moving to a new home in Hollywood. Universal Pictures is reportedly in talks to make new movies based on LEGO bricks as a new report by Variety reveals. LEGO producer Dan Lin will reportedly still be involved in the new films at Universal despite his exclusive deal with WB. As a result of the change, any additional LEGO movies that were in development at WB will likely never see the light of day.

The new agreement between the two companies will reportedly include “much broader use” of the LEGO brand than the movies made by WB, with Universal considering reimaginings of its extensive library via the popular toys. Which specific properties they have in mind remains to be seen but Universal is the proprietor of the Jurassic World franchise (previously turned into a LEGO TV special), plus a host of other franchises that could very well fit into the LEGO mold like The Fast and the Furious.

Warner Bros. Pictures and Warner Animation Group’s first foray into the world of LEGO came in the form of 2014’s The LEGO Movie, a surprise hit and a charming/meta take on the idea of a movie-based-on-a-toy. Written and Directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller, The LEGO Movie introduced the world to Chris Pratt’s Emmet and a whole host of new and licensed characters appearing in LEGO form. The movie went on to gross over $468 million worldwide and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song for its catchy ear worm “Everything Is Awesome.”

Following the shocking success of the first movie, Warner began work on spin-offs and sequels immediately. The first of these was The LEGO Batman Movie in 2017, focusing on Will Arnett’s version of the Caped Crusader that made his debut in the first film. It went on to gross over $312 million worldwide. Next up is when the franchise started to feel the fatigue, as The LEGO Ninjago Movie was less well received than its predecessors, bringing in $123 million worldwide on a reported $70 million budget.

Earlier this year saw the release of The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part, which brought in less than half the worldwide totals of the first film and was likely the final nail in the coffin of the franchise at Warner Bros. It’s not unusual for major IPs like this to change hands after a disappointing box office return, but a turnaround this quick is still surprising.

What LEGO movies are you hoping to see Universal create with the property? Are you sad we’ll never see The LEGO Batman Movie Sequel? Sound off in the comments below!