Before The Lego Movie 2 hits theaters, the Lego universe will expand with Ninjago.
Deadline reports that Warner Bros. has set a September 23, 2016 release date for Ninjago, a spinoff of sorts of The Lego Movie.
Ninjago will be based on the Lego collection of the same name. The popular ninja-inspired set is a perfect choice for expanding the Lego universe in a way that can stay true to the building and playing aspect so inherent to anything Lego, but step away from the “Everything is Awesome” tone of The Lego Movie and make something truly unique.
Ninjago will be directed by TV animation director Charlie Bean who will make his big screen debut. He’s perhaps best known for his work on TRON: Uprising and The Powerpuff Girls. The Lego Movie producing team of Dan Lin, Roy Lee, Phil Lord and Christopher Miller will return to produce. Jill Wilfert, Seth Grahame-Smith, John Powers Middleton, James Packer, and Steve Mnuchin are executive producing. The film will be directed from a script written by Bryan Shukoff and Kevin Chesley.
“Following the huge success of The Lego Movie, we are very excited to build on the Lego franchise,” Warner Bros. domestic distribution president Dan Fellman said. “We know there are already Ninjago collectors who can’t wait to see their favorite characters on the big screen. This promises to be a terrifically fun and thrilling entry into our Fall 2016 slate, with broad audience appeal.”
It was revealed earlier this year that The Lego Movie 2 would be released on May 26, 2017 and would be directed by The Lego Movie animation co-director Chris McKay. This means that less than a year will fall between the two Lego movies.