EXCLUSIVE: Warner Bros has set Chris McKay to direct its sequel to The LEGO Movie, the film that opened last month and has so far turned in a worldwide gross of $361 million. McKay was animation co-director on the first film that was made under the direction of Phil Lord & Chris Miller. That duo is producing, and Michelle Morgan & Jared Stern are writing a treatment for the next installment. Warner Animation Group is steering the franchise. They are still working all this out, including whether this is a straight sequel or a film that broadens the LEGO empire by focusing on the character Ninjago.
At the same time, McKay is also negotiating a first-look producer deal at the studio. Dan Lin & Roy Lee are also producing. Whos McKay? The Chicago native cur his teeth mixing animation with irreverence on the small screen, winning an Emmy for his work on Cartoon Networks Robot Chicken, on which he has directed over 40 episodes, and the film Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode 3. He also directed and produced Titan Maximum for Adult Swim.
