For all the LEGO fans out there, good news! The second LEGO Movie is now on full speed ahead with a new movie title and a director to boot.
It is now called The LEGO Movie Sequel, and will be directed by newbie Rob Schrab. He will be working on a script written by Phil Lord and Chris Miller, and the new animated film has been scheduled for release by Warner Bros. sometime in 2017.
While details about the new animated movie remain scarce, Screen Rant has revealed that it will pick up in real time after the original film. This time around, there will be more female central characters to make the story more exciting.
Schrab will make his big-screen debut on The LEGO Movie Sequel. But he has past experience in animation and television, including The Sarah Silverman Program, The Mindy Project, Community, and the animated G.I. Joe parody episode "G.I. Jeff." He was also responsible for the script of the animated kids movie Monster House.
In a statement, Lord and Miller said that they have the utmost confidence in Schrab, and they believe that he will give The LEGO Movie Sequel justice.
"We are so excited to collaborate with Rob. He is a comedy genius, a visual savant, and we have been stalking him for years. 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 will actually be the third LEGO universe-based film to reach theaters over the next three years. It will closely follow the ninja-themed spinoff Ninjago in 2016 and then LEGO Batman in 2017, with Will Arnett reprising as the voice of the title character.
Lord and Miller told fans not to worry about having too many LEGO films, since each movie will "feel like its own thing," they guaranteed.
Ninjago will be directed by Chris Bean, who has gained recognition for his works in The Powerpuff Girls and Samurai Jack. LEGO Batman will be helmed by Chris McKay, who used to work on Robot Chicken and The LEGO Movie.
Ninjago will open in US theaters on September 23rd, 2016, followed by LEGO Batman on May 26th, 2017, and finally The LEGO Movie Sequel probably on May 25th, 2018.