There’s no denying that Warner Bros. has struck gold with The LEGO Movie, which is not only earning rave reviews but has just passed the $200 million mark at the global box office (which is pretty great considering the movie’s only been out about three weeks). The studio now has a hit franchise on their hands and a sequel has already been given the green light. Interestingly enough, however, WB now has a bit of a dilemma: with two LEGO-centric movies currently in the works, which film do they release first?
Plans for a standalone film featuring the spinoff toy line Ninjago have been developing for a while now, and according to THR, WB must decide whether or not to build off of the momentum from The LEGO Movie and move forward with its sequel, or fast-track the Ninjago film instead. The studio only has the rights to one LEGO Movie sequel, but can use Ninjago as a way to expand the property and create a LEGO-centric cinematic universe. So, in order to make the Ninjago movie, WB needs to make it before the LEGO Movie sequel for it to count as a separate branch of the franchise. But is that the right move to make?
The Ninjago line is very popular and has even spawned its own cartoon on Cartoon Network titled Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu. The creators of the show, Dan and Kevin Hageman, were given a “story by” credit on The LEGO Movie and have been brought on board to write Ninjago (which LEGO Movie directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller will produce). So, the franchises will have overlapping talent that will help keep the quality of the films on an even plane.
With The LEGO Movie being the property drawing the most attention right now, a sequel arriving in the next two or three years would be a very smart move for the studio. But, if they want to continue making LEGO-based films, Ninjago may be the way to go. It’s the riskier move, but as long as it doesn’t stall the momentum of the franchise, it could pay off. It’s certainly easy to see how a fantasy adventure film set in the LEGO universe featuring ninjas, dragons, and mystical elements could be successful.
The good news is, it should be easy to crossover the two films at some point. The Green Ninja from the Ninjago line made a cameo in The LEGO Movie, and since that film contained the notion of several realms based on different LEGO product lines, it could simply take place in its respective realm.
Tell us, how do you feel about seeing a Ninjago movie before The Lego Movie sequel? Would you like to see a larger LEGO movie universe, or are traditional sequels good enough? Sound off in the comments below.Â
