‘The LEGO Movie’ Announces Plans for Sequel And New Director

When "The LEGO Movie" was taken out of the box for a sleepy February 2014 release, it became a surprise commercial and critical smash, with an almost $260 million domestic box office take and a terribly infectious song that few have forgotten. Combining the voice talents of Chris Pratt (pre-"Guardians of the Galaxy," no less), Elizabeth Banks, Will Ferrell, Will Arnett and Liam Neeson with the eye-popping visual style of directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller, "The LEGO Movie" hit a broad appeal among kids and grown-ups (not in the Academy) alike. The movie's Oscar snub aside, its success signaled that a sequel would be soon under way.

And now everything is awesome-again! The master builders behind the “The LEGO Movie” are constructing a new follow-up smartly named, “The LEGO Movie Sequel.” Not much has been revealed about the new project, other than WyldStyle and Wonder Woman won’t be the only women in the cast, to fix the original’s gender imbalance.

Also mentioned in the news is the surprise step back from “The LEGO Movie” directors, Lord and Miller, who are busy at work with another "Jump Street" sequel. In their stead, Rob Schrab ("Community," "The Mindy Project") will takeover the director chair. Lord and Miller said in a statement, “He is a comedy genius, a visual savant, and we have been stalking him for years. No one works harder than Rob, and his aesthetic, combined with his sense of humor, bring a strong, unique, thoughtful, and passionately nerdy voice to this project.” The dynamic duo behind “21 Jump Street” won’t be too far removed, as Lord and Miller are already busy at work on “The LEGO Movie Sequel’s” script.

However, fans will have to sit tight for a few years. “The LEGO Movie Sequel” won’t show in theaters until 2018. Fans can bide their time waiting for the sequel by catching a ninja-themed LEGO movie "Ninjago" in 2016 and Will Arnett's Batman LEGO spin-off in 2017.