Earlier today, the cast of The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part gathered in Hall H, and while answering a fan question, Chris Pratt offered up a special little tease. Asked if there was a possibility of seeing his Marvel character, Peter Quill, in the follow-up, the actor offered that the screenwriters did, in part, mine his real life to make the animated film. This was left open ended for a moment, leading to a lot of murmuring in the crowd, but it the footage from the movie that was shown a few minutes later made everything clearer. Specifically, the story will be introducing a new character voiced by Pratt, and he is basically an amalgam of some of the actor's most popular roles.
In addition to once again playing Emmet in The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part, Chris Pratt will also be voicing a new character named Rex Dangervest. He is a character that Emmet encounters while traveling to space in order to save his kidnapped friends - as teased in the first trailer - and it sounds like he is going to be a key ally. He is described on screen as a cowboy raptor trainer (certainly references to his parts in movies like The Magnificent Seven and Jurassic World), he is depicted as a scruffy, experienced hero, and he is actually a very big fan of Emmet's.
Not only does he refer to the hero of the first LEGO Movie as "a legend," but Rex even mentions that it was Emmet who inspired him to start wearing vests. Emmet is clearly honored, and as the two quickly become best buddies Rex's raptors reference the duo as "Vest Friends."
This reveal got a great response from the audience, and it's legitimately fun how it mirrors reality. As noted by Chris Pratt on stage in Hall H, when he first signed on to the firstLEGO Movie he was still best known for playing Andy on Parks and Recreation... but by the time the film actually came out he was signed on to play Star-Lord in Guardians of the Galaxy. As a result, the contrast between Emmet and Rex Dangervest is kind of like a set of before-and-after photos. It's a cool meta gag, and one that should be a lot of fun on the big screen.
Sadly Warner Bros. decided not to release the new footage from The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part, but it shouldn't be too much longer until we get another look at the exciting animated feature. The studio is planning to have the movie in theaters on February 8, 2019 - so be sure to stay tuned here on CinemaBlend for all of the latest updates and news about the project.
