Warner Bros Developing LEGO Movie...

[craigdbfan]

Warner Bros Developing LEGO Movie?

With the success of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen and GI Joe: The Rise Of Cobra, movie studios are looking for the next toy they can turn into the next huge big screen franchise. Problem is, most of the good properties have already been snatched up, and we’re beginning to see Hollywood scraping the bottom of the barrel, acquiring the rights to board games and toys from yesteryear that either lack any recognizable narrative (ie Stretch Armstrong, Viewfinder) or no longer have name recognition from today’s kids.

I’ve become much less cynical about the whole process. When I learned today that Warner Bros is developing a film based on LEGO building blocks, my first thought was: hey, at least everyone knows what Lego is.


But what kind of story could be created using the toy building blocks? Most of the popular LEGO properties today involved other licensed properties. For example the video games and toy lines for Lego Star Wars, Lego Batman, Lego Indiana Jones and the video game Lego Rock Band (which I’m still trying to understand… what’s the purpose of the Lego involvement on that one?).

Screenwriters Dan and Kevin Hageman (no produced credits) are currently working on the script, but the plot is being kept under wraps (they must be worried that MEGA Blocks will steal the concept). All we know at this time is that the film will involve mix of live action and animation. I could maybe imagine a Toy Story type of deal, where the Lego men are actually alive, but only when humans aren’t watching. Their abilities, of course, would be building structures, vehicles and weapons out of the Lego bricks. That is the only logical concept, right? The tyos must fight other toys, save one of the kidnapped or missing toys, or escape (thats the three basic stories, right?).

Dan Lin (Sherlock Holmes, Terminator Salvation) will produce the movie through his Lin Pictures shingle, along with Roy Lee and Doug Davison, who will produce through their Vertigo banner.

- /film

Sigh.

 

[MadVillainy]

thats not so bad. I mean its not like its gonna be Lego's in the real world.
I mean its just gonna be CG/animated (hopefully)

 

[redhawk23]

if they put as much effort into making new stories as they do trying to squeeze a story out of nothing, then a decent film might actually be made.

this could be cool though.

 

[terry78]

I guess it could be interesting considering what they do with the Star Wars/Indy/Batman games and the Bionicle thing, where it's somewhat tongue in cheek. Characters basically building **** out of random blocks.

 

[Steyin]

They could have an all out war between the various space/bionicle/pirate/etc factions they have.

 

[Majik1387]

I like the news. I love seeing fan-Lego movies.

 

[DDS]

This could...actually have some potential.

 

[Project862006]

The Story of King Legonidas

 

[superhero]

Coming soon Playdough the moive

 

[MadVillainy]

I guess it could be interesting considering what they do with the Star Wars/Indy/Batman games and the Bionicle thing, where it's somewhat tongue in cheek. Characters basically building **** out of random blocks.

A Bionicle movie actually could be badass. I remember the old commericals from when I was younger




I know they made a bunch of DTV's for Bionicle but I remember the voice action being really bad and just being boring.

 

[DDS]

^I'd LOVE to see a not crappy or DTV Bionicle movie. I use to be obsessed with them.

 

[DDS]

^I'd LOVE to see a not crappy or DTV Bionicle movie. I use to be obsessed with them.

 

[Symbiotic]

Hmm, I guess this has a better shot at being decent than View-Master.

 

[The Apatow Crew]

Are you flipping kidding me!

What the hell can you do for lego's as a full length film?

 

[Vengeance]

cool, sounds like fun. Random though but can't wait to see what they do with the title sequence, so many possibilities.

 

[Rac]

If it's not computer animated, I'm on board...

 

[dark_b]

it will be some CGI.

i mean its lego. i also expect some changes to the comics( joking).but hey i have 100% no idea what they could do with this. no idea.


dont be suprised if the kids will shrunk and the movie will be about the kids running around a big lego city and lego creatures and people will be alive

 

[Darth Rockwell]

I think they should pick one of their sets and make a movie based off of that idea. But have it be CGI and in the lego style.

 

[8wid]

Just because a movie makes a lot money, doesn't mean its a good movie!!

 

[ross2287]

Needs to be stop-motion, in my opinion.

 

[Darth Rockwell]

Needs to be stop-motion, in my opinion.

I was thinking like the cut scenes from Lego Indy/Star Wars style. That way the little guys can move around and do things that being blocks they wouldn't normaly do.

It would be kind of neat if they just made movies based off of other things in that style too though. I'd pay to go see an Indiana Lego movie

 

[Dead Ken]

http://clark-and-frank.deviantart.com/gallery/#/d2mfc5m

The LEGO people should look like this XD

 

[dude stannis]

They should do various sets as an anthology.

Castle.
Pirates.
Wild West.
Adventurers.

With 25 minutes dedicated to each segment.

 

[jmc]

I wonder who owns the rights to the Hungry, Hungry Hippos movie.

 

[biolumen]

Warners greenlights 'Lego' feature
Building blocks snap into place for 2014 release plan

By Dave McNary

Warner Bros. is building up its "Lego" movie, greenlighting the animated-live action hybrid for a release in 2014.

Studio' has tapped Oz vfx-toon house Animal Logic for animation, which is expected to comprise 80% of "Lego." And the film has been approved for an incentive from the Australian government and one from the state of New South Wales.

Officials from the New South Wales state are expected to unveil details of the "Lego" movie at a Sydney news conference next week, coinciding with the start of production.

Warner Bros. has not yet set a specific release date beyond aiming the film for 2014.

Greenlight comes a week before Warner's opening of "Happy Feet 2," from helmer George Miller and Animal Logic -- five years after the original "Happy Feet" grossed $384 million worldwide and won the Oscar for animated feature as Animal Logic's first CG feature.

"Lego" has been in development at Warner Bros. since 2008, when the studio began working with the toymaker on a family comedy based on the popular building blocks with Dan Lin and Roy Lee producing and the writing team of Dan and Kevin Hageman tapped to pen the script. In 2010, Warners brought on the "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs" team of Phil Lord and Christopher Miller to write and direct.

Lord and Miller have working on post-production on Sony's feature version of "21 Jump Street," due out in March. Warners recently brought on Chris McKay, director of Adult Swim's stop-motion animation/comedy "Robot Chicken," to serve as co-director on "Lego" under Lord and Miller.

Plot details for "Lego" -- an action-adventure set in the Lego world -- remain under wraps. Casting for the live-action characters is set to begin in January.

Producers have made several trips to Denmark to work with Lego execs on the concept. Jill Wilfert, VP of licensing and entertainment at Lego, is exec producing, with Lin Pictures' Seanne Winslow co-producing.

Warner set up a co-development fund in 2007 with Animal Logic, which produced and provided animation for last year's "Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole."

Lego and WB have partnered for several years producing Batman toys and videogames and will launch a new set of playthings around next summer's "The Dark Knight Rises" through the Lego Batman collection. The "Lego Batman: The Videogame," published by WB Bros. Interactive Entertainment, has sold more than 12 million units since 2008.

During Comic-Con in July, the studio announced an expanded relationship with Lego, granting the toymaker access to DC Entertainment's complete library of comicbook characters and stories to launch DC Universe "Super Heroes" as figures and playsets in January with 13 characters, including Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman and villains the Joker, Bane, Harley Quinn and Lex Luthor.

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118046055?refCatId=13