Three live action LEGO movies are on the way
LEGO may have a big future on the big screen (again) judging by these movie projects
Every other week we hear about another Star Wars movie project faltering or collapsing. You know what’s in surprisingly rude health? The LEGO movie series.
This year we’ve already had Piece by Piece, a LEGO movie about the life of Pharrell Williams. And now three live action LEGO films have been confirmed, all with big name directors behind them.
We don’t have masses of info on what these LEGO films are just yet — after all, LEGO appears to be able to slot into just about any brand you could mention — but the directors and writers attached provide an idea of the flavour we can expect.
Upcoming LEGO movies
LEGO movie number one on our list is to be directed by UK national treasure Joe Cornish, who is yet to direct a dud and also yet to leave the box office singed, let alone aflame. But a LEGO movie from the mind behind Attack the Block, The Kid Who Would Be King and Lockwood and Co.? We’re in.
Cornish has collaborated with writer Anne Campbell on this one. Her writing projects include Creepshow, The Twilight Zone and Rick and Morty, suggesting threads of horror and edgy or dark humour may be part of the plan.
Next up, a LEGO movie directed by Patty Jenkins, of the Wonder Woman movies and — going way back — 2003’s Monster. She is reportedly co-writing the script with Geoff Johns, with whom she wrote Wonder Woman 1984.
While that isn’t exactly a highlight of Jenkins’s storied career, this collaboration suggests this LEGO project may go big on action, and could have a superhero bent. Johns has written superhero stories for movies, TV shows and games for the better part of 20 years now.
Last up, there’s the LEGO movie from Jake Kasdan. While he has directed major projects since the late 90s, we imagine he’s on-board the LEGO express thanks to his work on the two Jumanji movies.
However, Kasdan and the writing team, which includes Jarrad Paul and Andrew Mogel, previously worked together on short-lived TV show The Grinder. That was the story of a TV show lawyer, played by Rob Lowe, returning home to the small town in which he grew up, and deciding his TV experience means he should be able to run his family’s actual law firm.
It’s a bit less LEGO than Jumanji.
We’ve no clue as to when these LEGO films will be out. But the names involved sound like they could, or should, be a pretty big deal.
The last major LEGO movie, Piece by Piece aside, was 2019’s The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part. It's been a while. And none of the follow-ups have been able to match the success of the original 2014 The Lego Movie, which made $470 million from a production budget of $60 million.