Solo 'Lego Batman' Movie Coming in 2017; 'The Lego Movie' Sequel Likely Delayed

While there was much to love about The Lego Movie, a clear highlight was Will Arnett's hilariously arrogant and gravelly-voiced version of Batman. With so many characters ripe for a spinoff, and obviously the blessing of Warner Bros. who are seeing $$$ in their growing Lego franchise, Arnett's Batman is now set to get his own film in 2017, but it will come at the expense of another.

According to THR, the Lego Batman film will be directed by Chris McKay, the animation supervisor on The Lego Movie. But McKay was also the guy hired to direct The Lego Movie 2 which was also set for a 2017 release, and unfortunately that means the sequel is being pushed back. Arnett will be back to voice the Dark Knight, with Dark Shadows scribe Seth Grahame-Smith writing the script. Phil Lord and Chris Miller will be on hand to produce. Given the success of the Lego movies and the Lego Batman video games this could be a huge hit for Warner Bros., so no wonder they are putting it on the fast track.

The next Lego movie to hit theaters will be Ninjago, opening September 23rd 2016.

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Chris McKay will Direct 'The LEGO Movie 2'; Story Could Center on Ninjago

Warner Bros. wasted no time putting together the building blocks for a sequel to The LEGO Movie, no surprise considering the $360M worth of damage it's done at the box office. Phil Lord and Chris Miller were obviously wanted back to direct, but given their past history it seemed more likely they'd slip into producer roles, and that's exactly what has happened. Fortunately, Deadline is reporting that Chris McKay, a key figure in the last film's success, is the guy to direct The LEGO Movie 2.

In McKay's role as animation director he was largely responsible for giving the film its unique, blocky look. He comes with a wealth of experience having worked on Robot Chicken for years, as well as directing Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode III. He's also currently on the shortlist to direct a Masters of the Universe film, but that may no longer be the case. Michelle Morgan and Jared Stern are penning the screenplay, and right now it's unclear where the story could go. Apparently it could be either "a straight sequel or a film that broadens the LEGO empire by focusing on the character Ninjago."

This puts Warner Bros. in an interesting position, because they only have the rights for one LEGO sequel, and they've been looking to branch out from the LEGO franchise with a solo Ninjago film. They even tapped Charlie Bean (Tron: Uprising) to direct it. If they meld that idea into a proper LEGO sequel, does that mean they'd look to spinoff a different character?

The LEGO Movie 2 is set to open May 26th 2017.

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'Masters of the Universe' Director Shortlist Includes Jeff Wadlow, Mike Cahill, and More

With toy movies all the rage again thanks to The LEGO Movie, Sony Pictures is ramping up their plans to bring He-Man & the Masters of the Universe to the big screen. In the works seemingly forever, the project most recently had Jon M. Chu on board before he split to focus on another toy franchise in GI Joe. Terry Rossio (Pirates of the Caribbean) was brought on to take a crack at the script, and now a new shortlist of potential directors has surfaced.

Variety and The Wrap have revealed the list of candidates to bring He-Man's adventures to the big screen for the first time since the comically awful Dolph Lundgren film. The most interesting name on the list is Mike Cahill, the indie filmmaker best known for working with Brit Marling on Another Earth and his Sundance film, I Origins (which is amazing, by the way). Also on the list are Jeff Wadlow (Kick-Ass 2) and Harald Zwart (The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones), both having flopped hard with major studio efforts last summer. Last on the list is Chris McKay, an interesting choice because he served as an editor on The LEGO Movie and is a key component of Adult Swim's Robot Chicken. Zwart is close with Sony and may be the guy they ultimately turn to despite his recent failures.

Last month's rumor that had Rian Johnson, Phil Lord & Chris Miller, and Joe Cornish listed as candidates was proven to be totally incorrect. Not a surprise given the source.  This one's still a ways off and other directors are being considered

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