“The Lego Movie” directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller have the Midas touch that everyone wants. They revitalized the “21 Jump Street” franchise when everyone thought it was a joke as a big-screen movie, and they also turned the aforementioned toy brand into a genuine, multi-million-dollar franchise that is spawning its own empire. Lord and Miller are so successful, should they have wanted it, we’d likely see a “Ghostbusters” movie come out next summer directed by them instead of Paul Feig (they turned it down).
However, whether they would direct “The Lego Movie” sequel was up in the air. Asked about it earlier this year, they sounded doubtful. “I don’t think so,” they told Empire, without definitely ruling it out. “We’re writing the sequel right now and obviously producing all the other ones. There’s a challenge to make each one feel like its own thing. Part of the fun is finding people like Charlie [Bean], who’s doing the ‘Ninjago’ movie, and Chris McKay who did so much on the first film.”
And so tonight it looks like their decision is made with finality. Lord and Miller won’t direct the sequel, but a replacement has been found in “Community” director Rob Schrab, who will make his feature debut on the cheekily titled “The Lego Movie Sequel.”
Lord and Miller wrote the script, which is based on a story by a story by Lord, Miller, Jared Stern, and Michelle Morgan. L&M are also now producers on the project as they will be with all the spin-offs.
“We are so excited to collaborate with Rob. He is a comedy genius, a visual savant, and we have been stalking him for years.” Lord and Miller said in a joint statement. “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. People who know him are slapping their foreheads today and saying, ‘Of course!,”
“The Lego Movie Sequel” is due in theaters on May 28, 2018. In case you’ve forgotten, the ‘Lego’ movie universe also includes “Ninjago,” already slated for a Sept. 23, 2016 release, and an Untitled Batman LEGO feature set for May 26, 2017. Presumably sometime in the 2020s they’ll be some massive "Avengers" style teamup, which seems the course for most brands these days.