Hot on the heels of its mega-announcement that nine DC blockbusters will follow Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice and be in theaters by 2020, Warner Bros. has further filled out its schedule by slotting two additional animated films, ones insiders say are part of the Lego franchise. Though it must be stressed that only the dates – May 25, 2018, and May 24, 2019 – have been announced, The Lego Movie is the only lucrative, animated franchise that the studio currently has.
It makes sense that Warner Bros. would want to expand its Lego property as quickly as possible, seeing as the studio has lacked a sturdy foothold in animation for some time (2010’s Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole failed to launch a franchise, and 2011’s Happy Feet Two was also DOA at the box office). The Lego Movie grossed $468 million, a terrific sum for any blockbuster, let alone an animated one.
The Lego Movie 2 had previously been dated for May 26, 2017, but a Lego Ninjago spinoff will arrive first on September 23, 2016. It’s possible that the 2019 date is for a Lego Movie 3, while a sequel to the Ninjago spinoff could claim the 2018 slot.
Though the ending of The Lego Movie didn’t exactly lend itself to a sequel, seeing as the imaginary universe in which the film’s adventure took place was revealed to be conjured up by a neglected boy, the original film’s directors Chris Miller and Phil Lord are currently hard at work figuring out a story for it. Chris McKay, who worked closely with the duo on the first film, will be helming The Lego Movie 2.
As for Ninjago, Lord and Miller have confirmed that the spinoff will follow new characters, but no director has yet been announced.
After The Lego Movie, are you ready to see a lot more of this franchise, or do you feel that the imagination present in the original title is something that Warner Bros. will have a lot of trouble replicating in follow-ups? Let us know below!