Phil Lord and Chris Miller, directors of the original LEGO Movie, have signed on to rewrite The LEGO Movie Sequel and will explore the topic of gender differences in the film. Back in 2014, the dynamic duo defied all odds by taking a concept that easily could have been a mere commercial for toys and spun it into something heartfelt and inventive. The critical and financial success of the first LEGO Movie led Warner Bros. to develop a whole franchise, which started in ernest this year with the premieres of The LEGO Batman Movie and The LEGO Ninjago Movie. Of course, a followup in the mainline series is coming through the pipeline as well, with a 2019 release date planned.

Due to their commitment to direct the young Han Solo Star Wars anthology for Lucasfilm, Lord and Miller were set to have a smaller creative role on LEGO Movie 2, initially serving as producers and earning a story credit. Now, however, following their infamous firing from the galaxy far, far away due to creative differences, the two filmmakers have some free time on their hands to take on another job. WB continues to court them for the Flashpoint film, but right now they're returning to the world of LEGO.

In an interview with Collider to promote Ninjago, producers Dan Lin and Chris McKay offered some updates on LEGO Movie 2. First up was Lin confirming Lord and Miller are rewriting the script as the project enters production:

"We are going to The LEGO Movie 2. The team is all back together, so it’s [Phil] Lord and [Chris] Miller, myself and Chris McKay. Mike Mitchell is the new voice who’s coming in to direct the movie. Chris and Phil are rewriting the script right now, but we’re in production. We’re picking up where the first movie left us, where the Duplo have now come and they’re attacking Bricksburg. It’s several years later, and you’re going to see the result of that."

Lord and Miller also penned the screenplay for the first LEGO film, so this development is highly encouraging for the sequel's prospects. The two were able to craft an ingenious and clever piece of entertainment that poked fun at consumerism and had a powerful message about creativity. For the followup, they're taking things in a different direction, but it's one that should prove to be quite an interesting angle. Said McKay:

"The man upstairs said, 'You’ve gotta play with your sister. That’s the thing you’ve gotta promise me. I’ll let you play with my world, but now you’ve gotta let your sister come in and play with your world.' Now, she’s coming in, and that’s the major thing that the movie is about. What’s different and similar about gender, when a boy plays vs. how a girl plays? What kinds of stories are there? Chris and Phil are super f***ing smart and really thoughtful and sensitive writers. The kinds of questions and the interesting ideas that they’re getting into with this movie, it’s going to be like the first LEGO Movie was, where it’s about something else that’s really profound. I’m really excited about where the movie is gonna go because it’s about these things that are actual notions that people have that might even be unconscious biases, where people don’t even realize that that’s the way they’re looking at the world."

For those who don't remember, The LEGO Movie ended with Finn (the kid) reluctantly allowing his sister to play in the great LEGO universe that had been assembled in the basement. This led to the Duplo (essentially LEGO for toddlers) threatening to destroy Emmet's world - setting the stage for an epic confrontation. This sounds like a fascinating theme to tackle in an animated family film, but it's one audiences have come to expect from the LEGO film franchise. Whereas the first film was presented through the imagination of Finn, the followup will cover two imaginations, meaning the way his sister perceives favorites like Wildstyle and Batman could differ from how Finn sees them. It sounds like it should be a fun, wild ride that'll hopefully serve as a comeback vehicle for Lord and Miller.

MORE: LEGO Movie 2 Starts Production This Fall

Source: Collider

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