It seems like almost every day I announce some new remake or hellacious sounding project that Hollywood has decided to produce. So, for today’s installment of “I Can’t Believe Someone Agreed to Fund That” I’d like to let you know that there is going to be a Lego movie. This officially confirms that any and all original thought is over. Kaput. Doesn’t exist.
Now count Warner Bros. as one of those studios: WB is toying with plans to develop a movie around Lego and its popular building blocks.
Scribes Dan and Kevin Hageman are penning the script for the family comedy that will mix live action and animation. Warners is keeping the plot tightly under wraps, but it’s described as an action adventure set in a Lego world.
Dan Lin, who is shepherding Warner Bros.’ “Sherlock Holmes” and exec produced the studio’s upcoming family film “Shorts,” will produce the movie through his Lin Pictures, which is also behind a “Tom and Jerry” film that will put the feuding animated characters in a live-action setting. The shingle’s Stephen Gilchrist serves as co-producer.
Roy Lee will produce through his Vertigo banner, while Jill Wilfert, VP of licensing and entertainment at Lego, will oversee the pic for the toymaker.
Directors and producers in town have attempted to make a Lego movie for years, approaching the Danish toymaker with various ideas, but Lego turned down most of them because it’s highly protective of its brand.
To date, Lego has made only a series of direct-to-DVD animated movies based on its Bionicle line.
But the company sparked to Lin and the Hageman brothers’ embrace of core values Lego wanted to include in a film, especially “a fun factor, creativity and that imagination has no boundaries,” Lin told Daily Variety. The film’s been in development for more than a year, with the scribes and producers making several trips to Denmark to work with Lego’s execs on the concept.
Also helping is the long relationship Warner Bros. has had with Lego over the years. Warner has licensed characters like Batman, Harry Potter and Speed Racer to Lego to integrate into playsets, and through TT Games, the videogame publisher that WB bought in 2007, has produced the popular “Lego Star Wars,” “Lego Indiana Jones,” “Lego Batman” and, soon, “Lego Rock Band” titles.
I guess this is why I’ll never be a movie tycoon. Legos, to me, are the bane of my Dyson, not the basis of a 2011 blockbuster that will no doubt pull in $125M worldwide in its opening weekend.
Ha, the bane of your Dyson! The bane of my Dyson is guitar strings. And the tops to certain water bottles that perfectly plug the hose opening.
It’s the coolest, most bad ass vacuum I’ve ever seen, & before I got it I had been through quite a few.
I got nothing on the lego topic but I love my Dyson (no I don’t own stock in them – but I have 3 dogs & 2 sons & need a tough vacuum).
That doesn’t seem to be the stupidest idea. You can get pretty creative with Lego and the Fell In Love With a Girl video was pretty cool.
My 7 year old is in love with Star Wars Lego, Batman Lego, and Indiana Jones Lego video games. He likes the actual blocks too but the video games and that whole style of animation is what he really is addicted to.
If you have seen any of these games you would completely understand the movie idea. Kids are gonna eat this up and, if done right, will be a money maker.
He’d LOVE Legoland. Unfortunately they haven’t made their way to the Great White North yet…
Are you kidding me??? That would be awesome! lol.. We all love the lego videogames, and i’m glad to know there is a new one coming! woohoooo lego rock band, wait til i tell my husband and kids..
I love this! lol