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Warner Bros Goes Plastic - They're Developing a Lego Movie

by Alex Billington
August 11, 2009

There's Legoland, there's Lego Rock Band, there's Lego Star Wars. Now, there's Lego: The Movie. Warner Brothers is developing a movie "around Lego and its building blocks" reports Variety today. Newcomer writers Dan and Kevin Hageman have been hired to pen the script for the project that will mix live action and animation, but plot details are being kept under wraps (come on, really?). Dan Lin, who is developing a Tom and Jerry movie and developed Sherlock Holmes and Terminator Salvation, is producing this project for the studio, along with Vertigo. We have entered the era endless movies-based-on-toys, unquestionably.

This announcement comes after G.I. Joe opened in the #1 spot over the weekend. The number of other toy movies in the works is just staggering, from Candyland to Stretch Armstrong to Battleship to Hot Wheels to He-Man. A Lego movie was inevitable, as is a Slinky movie and a Furby movie (some day soon I presume). It's a win-win for both sides: "For the toymakers, a movie is seen as a way to raise awareness around a brand and sell more playthings. For the studios, a toy-based film only makes it easier to promote a pic to audiences given the built-in recognition factor." But what the heck could a Lego movie even be about? Any ideas?

Filed under Discuss, Movie News

From around the web:

M

Seriously? Plz tell me this is a joke.
luke

this is dumb a lego movie LOL well a lego movie will be about building things and then destroy the thing that you built end of story LOL i was thinking why not WB do a live action movie of Captain Scarlet that would be a good movie if done right
Candyman

Adapt Adventureland to Legoland and add some epic battles and car races..
The dude

This is some complete and udder bull$%&#!!! Seriously...
chris

I wouldn't be surprised if they go through a series of genres: Pirates to medieval to NASA to city life to aliens and the list goes on and on, and on, and on.... so if the script skips around and goes through a bunch of these (minus the copyrighted stuff, but even then, they could easily do that too if they really wanted to... Star wars, Indiana Jones only 2 i can think of off the top of my head.) I would not be surprised one bit.... But we'll see what happens.
David Banner

The lego movie will be a remake of Baraka.....
Wylles

YEah...a Lego Movie.....well, its about good legos come to earth to warn humans about the attack of the bad legos, but nobody believes them, cause theyre legos right? so they have to make humans believe it doing...i dont know, whatever, but its too late and the Bad Legos arrive and all hell breaks loose and WEEEEEEEEE......................
Sabes

This just makes me giggle.
Leo

It's official.....Hollywood have run out of ideas. Everything today is either a sequel, remake, reboot, prequel or an adaptation. Now, with the well of comic books to adapt running dry, they have now ventured into toys.......geez, Hollywood, how about making , oh i dont know, an original movie??
DoomCanoe

as long as there are 0 humans in it im so good with this its stupid. I have wanted this since i was a child.
wm

Pez - The Movie
coto

sound good to me
Joe C.

They should just make a documentary about Lego. Well, if it's going to be live action and animation, it has to be about the lego coming alive and interact with humans. # 9 I agree. They ran out of idea in Hollywood, where at the rest of the world is coming out wit fresh ideas and scripts!! Well, I still respect PIXAR!!!! They are still the most original out there.
Darren

honestly this is a better toy idea they had seriously i mean how are they going to make a view finder movie or that stretch guy toy
Nick

its bionicle its got to be because its got a great story and it could be half good
http://movies.iconocritic.com/ peloquin

I love how everyone talks about Hollywood as this evil entity and refers to it like a singular person bent on ruining everyone's theater experience... The truth is if you want an original movie then write one and execute it yourself. We have the technology nowadays to change a trend if we don't like it...if you have an original idea then put it out there and people (like yourself) will appreciate something fresh and flock to it.
Dan W

Fuck this
Mark Drennan

Well, truthfully there hasn't ever been a Lego movie, and it could be both an original story and parody all at once. Thinking Toy Story here, but with a toy line I actually like. Count me curious.
SlashBeast

Seriously, the amount of original movies coming out of Hollywood every year still vastly outnumbers the amount of sequels/prequels/remakes/reboots being released. But people never hear that, do they?
Hordely

I'm of the curious camp. Can't believe they haven't done a movie yet. Hoping this is of the Pixar ilk. Would shoot myself if this is the Chipmunks.
James

Perhaps if they did the movie in the style of the recent lego video-games based off movies (ie. Lego Star Wars, Lego Batman, Lego Indiana Jones), and made it more of a comedy/spoof, it might, might, just work.
Al

this actually insnt a bad idea, just have good slapstick child friendly fun. i doubt hollywood wouldn't fuck this up, but if there is a way it might work.
http://johnkuehlonline.blogspot.com John Kuehl

Ok, I got it. There is this evil lunatic, a maniac if you will, named Zack. He is building this monorail across a nature preserve, and it is up to a crack team of scientists and their team of oddly shaped asexual robots to stop them. From Tony Scott. Rated R.
Michael

Finally! This is a great idea! A Lego movie has been on the horizon for like the past 8 years, and now it's here. Most of you don't seem to know that there is a huge subgenre of animation films on the Internet called "Brickfilms" which are short movies made with Legos. Most of them are pretty bad, but some of them have some real talent. I'm glad someone is finally devoting some time and money to make a good one!
http://happy-funtime.blogspot.com sussane

Lego movie, never came across before reading this post... I guess its weird.... Anywya its cool
Felix

Well, it was to be expected, after all, a LEGO MMO is being developed as well (called Lego Universe). Btw, Bionicles is not LEGO persay, its a completely different kind of "LEGO" toys, and Bionicles already has like 3-4 movies - time for them to make an actual Lego The Movie.
Leo

So 'peloguin', does that mean that if I want to see an orginal movie I have to go and write it myself?? Yeah, great idea.........
Tra la la la la di da

I'm kinda looking forward to this. I'm a true Lego Maniac and this has potential. it's the best idea from toys anyways save Joe and Transformers, but for a toy that has only been a toy and video game spoofs. Just don't dope it down to such a kids movie. Make it edgy PG. Like UP was something that adults and kids could enjoy. Gforce can suck balls.
http://movies.iconocritic.com peloquin

it's peloQuin...and yes that's exactly what it means, but most people are too lazy and would rather complain about the lack of movies than try to think for themselves and come up with something better...
...rollingeyes

I'm not disappointed in the studios for making this movie, they're trying to make money. They're corporations they exist to turn a profit, so good for them for capitalizing on the movie goers low standards.
gmacedo

Yeah, they laughed at Legoland, too. Huge worldwide success based on gentle play and learning. Anyone who can't understand a child's mind can't appreciate the value of this movie. I've been at Disneyland where kids are begging their moms to take them to Legoland. Lego, Legoland- - Definitely not for unsophisticated parents. Just hope they don't go Jerry Bruckheimer on this one, for the sake of our children!
Cody

Imagine how odd/hilarious it would be if somehow, this had an amazing script and voice acting. But also guys who are bashing the shit out of the idea...its not made for you its freaking legos FOR KIDS....lighten up.
http://thecorner33.blogspot.com paul

Legos! Let's all be Hollywood producers! I went through my old toys and came up with the newest movie ideas. Feel free to contribute to the ridiculousness... http://thecorner33.blogspot.com/2009/08/hollywood-invades-our-basements-for.html
SS

Well I wrote a story around Legos once that was like "The Labyrinth" meets "Pan's Labyrinth" . Basically a small boy, believing he is unwanted by his family and siblings, runs away from home by literally escaping into his own toy set (which happens to be LEGO) with the help of a strange creature that was tired of being lonely. So at first the runaway is very happy he left the real world until he finds out what's really in store for him. His siblings eventually come to try and rescue him thereby proving that we all cherish family members when they are "taken away". Yes, I know that sounds like an old '80's flick.
http://www.arkhilario.com/ ark

This sounds like fun!
Governor

Cool.
crAziemutant

I love Legos! I have no idea what kind of original plot they can come up with. But I'm probably gonna go see it. I feel that there might be some potential. But honestly, I'd rather have an original movie with some new plot over an adaptation of anything from my childhood or even now for that matter.
Leo

peloquin, you do realise how dumb that sounds don't you? Your saying that in order to get a non adaptation/sequel/remake/reboot film I have to go and make it myself. Shouldn't we simply expect Hollywood to produce more original material? Isn't that their job?
http://movies.iconocritic.com/ peloquin

In Hollywood their job is to produce pictures that make money, and right now that means rebooting franchises with an already existing fan base. If there was more money in original stories the free market would curve that way, but there isn't. Our only hope is for the older generation (Burton, Jackson, Del Toro) to mentor the younger generation who have fresh ideas, but can't get approved for an appropriate budget being a first time film maker. Check out District 9, Moon, and The Hurt Locker if you want some original stories...you won't be disappointed.