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Everything WAS Awesome: Warner Bros. Has Given Up On Lego Films

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Everything WAS awesome … until audiences wised up and realized they shouldn’t be buying movie tickets to commercials.

Warner Bros. and The Lego Group have not renewed a pact to produce movies based on the Danish toyline, following the disappointing returns on The Lego Movie 2, which came out earlier this year.

According to stories in Deadline and The Hollywood Reporter, Lego is now trying to convince other Hollywood studios to take up the financing of its toy-based features. Universal is reportedly interested in an exclusive partnership. Lego film producer Dan Lin, who was profiled this week in The New York Times, is also interested in remaining attached to the franchise.

Warner Animation Group produced a total of four Lego films, but neither the spin-offs or sequel lived up to the hype and success of the original 2014 film directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller. The films were:

  • The Lego Movie (2014) – $468 million worldwide
  • The Lego Ninjago Movie (2017) – $123M worldwide
  • The Lego Batman Movie (2017) – $311.9M worldwide
  • The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part (2019) – $191.3M worldwide

Since The Lego Movie, other studios have attempted to replicate the toy-based formula, with films like Trolls from Dreamworks Animation, and Uglydolls and Playmobil: The Movie, both from STX Entertainment. The latter film is currently performing at a historically poor level for a major animation release.

Though Warner Animation Group may not be making any more Lego films, they haven’t given up entirely on producing long-form toy commercials. We reported in September that the studio was developing a film based on Funko toys.

Tough Times in Toytown

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