Of all the movie franchises to emerge this decade, perhaps none are stranger than the Lego Movie franchise. The first Lego movie in 2014, simply titled The Lego Movie, was a surprise blockbuster featuring a fun original story, a hit song, and a great cast. The movie earned $469 million at the box office and made stars of actor Chris Pratt and co-directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller. The film has since been followed up by two spinoffs rather than a proper sequel, which has fans wondering how many Lego movies there will be.
The second installment in the Lego movie franchise was The Lego Batman Movie, which debuted in February of this year and featured Will Arnett's comedic version of the Dark Knight that debuted in The Lego Movie. Although the film wasn't quite as big of a financial success as its predecessor, it was still a hit, scoring $312 million in worldwide box office revenue off a budget of $80 million. Next up is The Lego Ninjago Movie, a film that's not really related to the other two in terms of plot or characters, but is nonetheless considered part of the franchise. The movie is an adaptation of Lego's popular Ninjago TV series and toy line, and will debut in theaters on Sept. 22, where it will look to continue the franchise's winning streak. But what's next for the Lego movies after Ninjago?
Fans of the block-buster franchise (get it?) won't have to wait too long for the next installment, as the sequel to the original Lego Movie is set to hit theaters in two years. Naturally called The Lego Movie Sequel, the film is scheduled for release on February 8, 2019. The movie will be directed by Trolls director Mike Mitchell, with a screenplay originally by Lord and Miller that was rewritten by Raphael Bob-Waksberg, the creator of BoJack Horseman. The script is based on a story conceived by Michelle Morgan, according to IMDb. No plot or cast details have yet been released, but it's expected that Pratt will return as Emmett. Despite the scarce details regarding the film, production is set to begin on Oct. 2 of this year, according to Moviehole, which suggests more concrete news about the movie could be arriving soon.
After The Lego Movie Sequel, there is one more currently-planned installment in the franchise, and it's yet another spinoff. 2019 will see the release of Billion Brick Race, which is even more mysterious than The Lego Movie Sequel. At least with that film, fans who've seen The Lego Movie could should be able to conjure up some idea of what to expect, but Billion Brick Race is a total question mark. It doesn't appear to be based on an existing franchise like the other spinoffs, nor is it another sequel to The Lego Movie, so it's anyone's guess as to what this film is about. The movie was originally being developed by Jason Segel and Drew Pearce, but in August Warner Bros. hired The Book of Life's Jorge Gutierrez to direct, according to Variety. Gutierrez is also expected to redevelop the film, which implies that both Segal and Pearce are out. Variety also notes that Warner Bros. still hasn't technically greenlit the film, which is tentatively set for a Feb. 8, 2019 release.
That's it as far as planned Lego movies go, meaning fans can expect at least two more installments to follow Ninjago. After that, there's always the chance for more sequels to previous films (The Lego Batman Movie seems like a no-brainer to get a sequel), and even more spinoffs wouldn't be a surprise, either. So rest easy, brick lovers, because it doesn't sound like Lego movies will be disappearing from theaters any time soon.
