Warner Brothers to Build LEGO Movie
Popular Brand is Latest Children’s Toy to Hit Hollywood Big Screens
Aug 12, 2009
After the recent successes of toylines such as Transformers and most recently G.I. Joe at the box office, Warner Bros. has signed a deal to bring another popular toy brand to the big screen. That brand is LEGO, the Danish-manufactured construction toys consisting of colorful interlocking bricks and associated gears, props, and people.
The LEGO movie will be a mix of live-action and animation, presumably CGI (computer-generated imagery). While the movie’s plot is being kept under wraps, what is known is that the movie will feature “action-adventure set in a Lego world.” It will also incorporate comedic elements that are family-friendly. The film’s primary audience is children; however, it is hoped that it will also appeal to adults.
Development of the LEGO Movie
The LEGO movie will be a joint venture between Warner Bros. and LEGO. In the past, LEGO had been approached many times in the past by directors and producers who were interested in using the brand for a movie, but LEGO was protective of its brand and always turned them down.
But LEGO executives were impressed by producer Dan Lin’s proposal for a movie with what Lin calls “a fun factor, creativity and imagination that has no boundaries.” That, coupled with LEGO’s longstanding relationship with Warner Bros., convinced LEGO to finally say yes to the idea of a LEGO movie. Until now, LEGO had only released a few direct-to-DVD movies based on its Bionicle line.
Although the movie was only officially announced on August 11th, it has apparently been in development for some time. Dan Lin (Sherlock Holmes, Shorts, Tom and Jerry), Roy Lee and Doug Davison (Quarantine, The Ring) are producing it, with Stephen Gilchrist (also of Sherlock Holmes and Shorts) as co-producer. Brothers Dan and Kevin Hageman (Hotel Transylvania) are writing the script. Jill Wilfert, Vice President of licensing and entertainment at LEGO, will oversee the film for the company, while Matt Reilly will oversee the project for the studio.
The History of LEGO
LEGO’s origins can be traced back to 1932 when a wooden toymaker from Billund, Denmark began to make wooden. The company acquired the name LEGO (from the Danish words ‘leg’ and ‘godt’, meaning ‘play well’) two years later, and in 1940, it expanded into plastic toys.
It wasn’t until 1949 that LEGO first started to make similar-looking plastic bricks (at the time called ‘Automatic Binding Bricks’). In 1954, it became apparent that LEGO had potential to be an international success. Four years later, on January 28, 1958, the now-famous interlocking plastic brick design was patented. Now, over 50 years later, what began as a line of building blocks has evolved into an incredibly successful brand with its own theme parks and video games such as the popular “LEGO Star Wars” and “LEGO Indiana Jones” series.
“Toymania” Set to Continue in Hollywood
A number of other popular children’s toy brands will soon be following in the footsteps of Transformers, G.I. Joe, and LEGO. According to Variety.com, Hasbro and Mattel have recently brokered deals to adapt some of their most well-known toys and games to the big screen. These brands include Monopoly, Candyland, Battleship, Stretch Armstrong, View-Master, Max Steel, Hot Wheels, He-Man, and Masters of the Universe.
 |
