The LEGO Movie proved itself not only as one of 2014's best animated movies, but also one of the biggest movies that year in general. While Warner Bros wisely ordered a sequel, they're taking a detour in the world of toy bricks with The LEGO Batman Movie later this month and The LEGO Ninjago Movie in September. After that, The LEGO Movie Sequel will be the next one on the lineup, although it just went through a creative transition. The previous director, Rob Schrab (who had replaced original director Chris McKay), has departed from the project, but the studio has already found his replacement.
Due to "creative differences," Rob Schrab, known for his work on The Sarah Silverman Project and Community (among others), decided to drop out of directing The LEGO Movie Sequel. Instead, THR is reporting that Trolls director Mike Mitchell has been tapped to helm the follow-up. While The LEGO Movie Sequel would have been Schrab's feature-length directorial debut, Mitchell already has experience directing movies, both live action and animated, so this tale will surely be in good hands. Original LEGO Movie directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller wrote the first draft of the sequel, which Bojack Horseman's Raphael Bob-Waksberg later re-wrote. Dan Lin and Roy Lee are returning with Lord and Miller as producers.
Mike Mitchell has been involved in the animation world since his time at the California Institute of the Arts. He got involved with TV working on The Itsy Bitsy Spider series, but his big movie break came with being hired as an animator on Antz. After working on Shrek 2, Shrek the Third and Monsters vs Aliens, Mitchell finally made his animation directing debut on Shrek Forever After, and since then he's also helmed Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked and The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water. However, last year's Trolls definitely ranks as one of his biggest successes, earning many positive reviews, taking in nearly $340 million worldwide and earning an Academy Award nomination. In live action, Mitchell's credits include directing Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo, Surviving Christmas and Sky High.
No specific plot details for The LEGO Movie Sequel have been revealed yet, other than the fact that it will be set four years after the events of the first movie and explore how adolescence has changed his point of view on the toys. It also hasn't been confirmed whether any of the actors from The LEGO Movie, like Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks and Will Arnett, will reprise their roles for the sequel, although given that this is more of a direct follow-up, I would think that a few of them would return, if only to cameo.
The LEGO Movie Sequel will assemble itself in theaters on February 8, 2019.
