The Lego Movie
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''The Lego Movie'' is a 2014 animated adventure comedy film written and directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller. Based on the
Lego Lego (, ; ; stylised as LEGO) is a line of plastic construction toys manufactured by the Lego Group, a privately held company based in Billund, Denmark. Lego consists of variously coloured interlocking plastic bricks made of acrylonitri ...
line of construction toys, the film stars the voices of
Chris Pratt Christopher Michael Pratt (born June 21, 1979) is an American actor. His films as a leading actor have grossed over $14.1billion worldwide, making him the fifth-highest-grossing film star of all time. Pratt was named by ''Time'' as one of t ...
,
Will Ferrell John William Ferrell (; born July 16, 1967) is an American actor, comedian, writer, and producer. He is known for his leading man roles in comedy films and for his work as a television producer. Ferrell received various accolades, including ...
, Elizabeth Banks,
Will Arnett William Emerson Arnett (; born May 4, 1970) is a Canadian and American actor and comedian. He is widely known for his roles as Gob Bluth in the Fox/Netflix sitcom '' Arrested Development'' (2003–2006, 2013, 2018–2019) and the titular ch ...
,
Nick Offerman Nicholas David Offerman (born June 26, 1970) is an American actor. He became widely known for his role as Ron Swanson in the NBC sitcom '' Parks and Recreation'' (2009–2015), for which he received the Television Critics Association Award fo ...
,
Alison Brie Alison Brie Schermerhorn (born December 29, 1982) is an American actress, writer, and producer. She earned recognition for playing Trudy Campbell in the drama series ''Mad Men'' (2007–2015), and had her Breakthrough role, breakthrough starring ...
, Charlie Day,
Liam Neeson William John Neeson (born 7 June 1952) is an actor from Northern Ireland. He has received List of awards and nominations received by Liam Neeson, several accolades, including nominations for an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, BAFT ...
, and
Morgan Freeman Morgan Freeman (born June 1, 1937) is an American actor, producer, and narrator. In a career spanning six decades, he has received numerous accolades, including an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award, as well as a nomination for a Tony ...
. The story focuses on Emmet Brickowski (Pratt), an ordinary Lego minifigure who is believed to be " the chosen one" who's destined to help a
resistance movement A resistance movement is an organized group of people that tries to resist or try to overthrow a government or an occupying power, causing disruption and unrest in civil order and stability. Such a movement may seek to achieve its goals through ei ...
stop a tyrannical businessman (Ferrell) from gluing everything in the Lego world into his vision of perfection. Plans of a feature film based on Lego started in 2008 after a discussion between producers Dan Lin and Roy Lee before Lin left Warner Bros. to form his own production company, Lin Pictures. By August 2009, it was announced that Dan and Kevin Hageman had begun writing the script. It was officially green-lit by Warner Bros. in November 2011 with a planned 2014 release date. Chris McKay was brought in to co-direct in 2011 with Lord and Miller, and later became the film's animation supervisor. The film was inspired by the visual aesthetic and stylistics of Brickfilms and qualities attributed to Lego Studios sets. While Lord and Miller wanted to make the film's animation replicate a
stop motion Stop-motion (also known as stop frame animation) is an animated filmmaking and special effects technique in which objects are physically manipulated in small increments between individually photographed frames so that they will appear to exh ...
film, everything was done through computer graphics, with the animation rigs following the same articulation limits actual Lego figures have. Much of the cast signed on to voice the characters in 2012, including Pratt, Ferrell, Banks, Arnett, Freeman, and Brie, while the animation was provided by
Animal Logic Animal Logic (also known as Animal Logic VFX) is an Australian visual effects and computer animation digital studio based at Disney Studios in Sydney, New South Wales in Australia, Vancouver in Canada, and Rideback Ranch in Los Angeles, Califo ...
, which was expected to comprise 80% of the film. The film was dedicated to Kathleen Fleming, the former director of entertainment development of the Lego company, who had died in Cancún, Mexico, in April 2013. ''The Lego Movie'' premiered in Los Angeles on February 1, 2014, and was released theatrically in the United States on February 7. It became a critical and commercial success, grossing $470.7 million worldwide against its $60–65 million budget, and received acclaim for its animation, writing, story, humor, score, and voice acting. The
National Board of Review The National Board of Review of Motion Pictures is a non-profit organization of New York City area film enthusiasts. Its awards, which are announced in early December, are considered the first major harbinger of the film awards season that ...
named ''The Lego Movie'' one of the top-ten films of 2014. It received a nomination for Best Original Song at the 87th Academy Awards, among numerous other accolades. ''The Lego Movie'' is the first entry in what became the franchise of the same name, which includes three more films—''
The Lego Batman Movie ''The Lego Batman Movie'' is a 2017 animated superhero comedy film, based on characters created by DC Comics and the Lego Batman toy line. It was directed by Chris McKay (in his feature directorial debut) from a screenplay that is based on a ...
'', ''
The Lego Ninjago Movie ''The Lego Ninjago Movie'' is a 2017 animated martial arts film, martial arts comedy film, based on the toy/kit line Lego Ninjago, of the same name and the Ninjago (TV series), TV show starring the same characters. Directed by Charlie Bean (anim ...
'' (both 2017), and '' The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part'' (2019). It has since been recognized as one of the greatest animated films all time.


Plot

In a
Lego Lego (, ; ; stylised as LEGO) is a line of plastic construction toys manufactured by the Lego Group, a privately held company based in Billund, Denmark. Lego consists of variously coloured interlocking plastic bricks made of acrylonitri ...
universe, the wizard
Vitruvius Vitruvius ( ; ; –70 BC – after ) was a Roman architect and engineer during the 1st century BC, known for his multi-volume work titled . As the only treatise on architecture to survive from antiquity, it has been regarded since the Renaissan ...
is blinded when he fails to protect a superweapon called the Kragle— which is actually a misreading of Krazy Glue—from the evil and maniacal Lord Business, but prophesies that a person called the Special capable of stopping the Kragle will find the Piece of Resistance. Eight and a half years later, in Bricksburg, an optimistic but unimaginative
construction worker A construction worker is a person employed in the physical construction of the built environment and its infrastructure. Definitions By some definitions, construction workers may be engaged in manual labour as unskilled or semi-skilled workers ...
named Emmet Brickowski encounters a woman searching for something at his construction site. Emmet falls into a pit and finds the Piece of Resistance. Compelled to touch it, he experiences visions, including one of a giant called " the Man Upstairs" and passes out. He awakens in the custody of Bad Cop, Business's lieutenant, and discovers that the Piece of Resistance is stuck to his back. Emmet learns of Business' plans to freeze the world with the Kragle; the Piece of Resistance is the glue tube's cap. The woman, Wyldstyle, rescues Emmet, believing him to be the Special. They escape Bad Cop and travel to " The Old West", where they meet Vitruvius. He and Wyldstyle are Master Builders, capable of building anything without instruction manuals, who oppose Business' attempts to suppress their creativity. Though disappointed Emmet is not a Master Builder, they are convinced of his potential when he recalls visions of the Man Upstairs. Emmet, Wyldstyle, and Vitruvius evade Bad Cop's robot police with the help of Wyldstyle's boyfriend,
Batman Batman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on M ...
, and escape to " Cloud Cuckoo Land", where all the Master Builders are in hiding. After Emmet says that he is not a Master Builder and "the least qualified person in the world to lead", Master Builders are unimpressed with Emmet and refuse to help him fight Business. Soon after, Bad Cop's forces attack and capture everyone except Emmet, Wyldstyle, Vitruvius, Batman, and fellow Master Builders MetalBeard, Unikitty, and Benny. After saving the group with his double-decker couch invention, Emmet devises a plan to infiltrate Business' headquarters and disarm the Kragle. The heist almost succeeds until Emmet and his friends are captured and imprisoned. Business decapitates Vitruvius and throws the Piece of Resistance into an abyss before arming a device to electrocute the captured Master Builders. Before he dies, Vitruvius reveals he made up the prophecy, but his spirit returns to tell Emmet that his self-belief makes him the Special. Strapped to the mechanism's battery, Emmet drops off the edge of the tower and into the abyss, disarming the device and saving his friends and the Master Builders. Inspired by Emmet's sacrifice, Wyldstyle—who revealed to Emmet that her real name was Lucy—rallies the people across the universe to embrace their creativity to build machines and weapons to fight Business' forces. The abyss transports Emmet to
Real life Real life is a phrase used originally in literature to distinguish between the real world and fictional, virtual or idealized worlds, and in acting to distinguish between actors and the Character (arts), characters they portray. It has become a ...
, where the current events are being played out in a basement by a boy named Finn on his father's Lego collection. Finn's father, revealed to be the Man Upstairs, chastises his son for creating hodgepodges of different playsets and begins to glue his creations into place. Realizing the danger, Emmet wills himself to move and gains Finn's attention. Finn returns Emmet and the Piece of Resistance to the Lego world, where Emmet finds has gained the abilities of a Master Builder, and confronts Business. In the human world, The Man Upstairs notices his son's creations and realizes he is suppressing his creativity. Through a speech by Emmet, Finn tells his father that he is special and says he has the power to change everything. The Man Upstairs reconciles with his son, which plays out as Business reforming, capping the Kragle with the Piece of Resistance, and freeing his victims with mineral spirits. After the world is restored, Lucy and Emmet enter a relationship with Batman's blessing. The Man Upstairs grants Finn and his younger sister permission to play with the Lego sets, causing Duplo aliens to arrive in the Lego universe and threaten destruction.


Cast

*
Chris Pratt Christopher Michael Pratt (born June 21, 1979) is an American actor. His films as a leading actor have grossed over $14.1billion worldwide, making him the fifth-highest-grossing film star of all time. Pratt was named by ''Time'' as one of t ...
as Emmet Brickowski, an
everyman The everyman is a stock character of fiction. An ordinary and humble character, the everyman is generally a protagonist whose benign conduct fosters the audience's identification with them. Origin and history The term ''everyman'' was used ...
and
construction worker A construction worker is a person employed in the physical construction of the built environment and its infrastructure. Definitions By some definitions, construction workers may be engaged in manual labour as unskilled or semi-skilled workers ...
from Bricksburg who is initially mistaken for the Special. *
Will Ferrell John William Ferrell (; born July 16, 1967) is an American actor, comedian, writer, and producer. He is known for his leading man roles in comedy films and for his work as a television producer. Ferrell received various accolades, including ...
as Lord Business, an evil businessman who hates Master Builders, tyrant of Bricksburg and the Lego Universe who is the company president of the Octan Corporation under the name President Business. ** Ferrell also plays "The Man Upstairs", a Lego collector and Finn's father in the live-action part of the film. *
Morgan Freeman Morgan Freeman (born June 1, 1937) is an American actor, producer, and narrator. In a career spanning six decades, he has received numerous accolades, including an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award, as well as a nomination for a Tony ...
as Vitruvius, a blind and elderly wizard-like Master Builder. * Elizabeth Banks as Lucy / Wyldstyle, a "tough as nails" and tech-savvy Master Builder. *
Will Arnett William Emerson Arnett (; born May 4, 1970) is a Canadian and American actor and comedian. He is widely known for his roles as Gob Bluth in the Fox/Netflix sitcom '' Arrested Development'' (2003–2006, 2013, 2018–2019) and the titular ch ...
as Bruce Wayne / Batman, a
DC Comics DC Comics (originally DC Comics, Inc., and also known simply as DC) is an American comic book publisher owned by DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC is an initialism for "Detective Comics", an American comic book seri ...
character who is one of the Master Builders, as well as Wyldstyle's boyfriend and an amateur musician. *
Nick Offerman Nicholas David Offerman (born June 26, 1970) is an American actor. He became widely known for his role as Ron Swanson in the NBC sitcom '' Parks and Recreation'' (2009–2015), for which he received the Television Critics Association Award fo ...
as MetalBeard, a pirate-like Master Builder seeking revenge on Lord Business for taking his body parts following an earlier encounter and causing him to remake his body from bricks. *
Alison Brie Alison Brie Schermerhorn (born December 29, 1982) is an American actress, writer, and producer. She earned recognition for playing Trudy Campbell in the drama series ''Mad Men'' (2007–2015), and had her Breakthrough role, breakthrough starring ...
as Princess Unikitty, a unicorn-cat hybrid Master Builder who lives in Cloud Cuckoo Land. * Charlie Day as Benny, a " 1980-something space guy"-like Master Builder who is obsessed with building spaceships. He is based on a minifigure from the line of Lego space sets sold in the 1980s, and his design includes the broken helmet chin strap, a common defect of the space sets at that time. *
Liam Neeson William John Neeson (born 7 June 1952) is an actor from Northern Ireland. He has received List of awards and nominations received by Liam Neeson, several accolades, including nominations for an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, BAFT ...
as Bad Cop / Good Cop / Scribble Cop, a police officer with a two-sided head and a split personality who serves Lord Business as the commander of the Super Secret Police. The character's name and personality are based on the good cop, bad cop interrogation method, which is briefly shown in the film. ** Neeson also voices Pa Cop, a police officer who is Bad Cop/Good Cop's father and Ma Cop's husband. *
Channing Tatum Channing Matthew Tatum (born April 26, 1980) is an American actor and producer. He made his film debut in the drama ''Coach Carter'' (2005), and had his Breakthrough role, breakthrough with the sports comedy film ''She's the Man'' (2006) and t ...
as
Superman Superman is a superhero created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, which first appeared in the comic book ''Action Comics'' Action Comics 1, #1, published in the United States on April 18, 1938.The copyright date of ''Action Comics ...
, a DC Comics character who is one of the Master Builders. *
Jonah Hill Jonah Hill (born Jonah Hill Feldstein; December 20, 1983) is an American actor. List of awards and nominations received by Jonah Hill, The accolades he has received include nominations for two Academy Awards, a British Academy Film Award, BAFTA ...
as
Green Lantern Green Lantern is the name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. They fight evil with the aid of rings that grant them a variety of extraordinary powers, all of which come from imagination, fearlessness, ...
, a DC Comics character who is one of the Master Builders. *
Cobie Smulders Jacoba Francisca Maria "Cobie" Smulders (born April 3, 1982) is a Canadian actress. She is known for her starring role as Robin Scherbatsky in the CBS series ''How I Met Your Mother'' (2005–2014) and as S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Maria Hill in th ...
as
Wonder Woman Wonder Woman is a superheroine who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in ''All Star Comics'' Introducing Wonder Woman, #8, published October 21, 1941, with her first feature in ''Sensation Comic ...
, a DC Comics character who is one of the Master Builders. * Jadon Sand as Finn, an eight-and-a-half-year-old boy who is the son of "The Man Upstairs" in the live-action part of the film. Additionally,
Anthony Daniels Anthony Daniels ( ; born 21 February 1946) is an English actor and mime artist, best known for playing in 11 ''Star Wars'' films. He is the only actor to have either appeared in or been involved with all theatrical films in the series, and h ...
, Keith Ferguson, and Billy Dee Williams appear as protocol droid
C-3PO C-3PO () or See-Threepio is a humanoid robot character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. He is a protocol droid (Star Wars), droid designed to assist in etiquette and translation, and is fluent in over six million forms of communication. The chara ...
, and smugglers
Han Solo Han Solo () is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. He was introduced in the 1977 film ''Star Wars (film), Star Wars'', and later appeared in ''The Empire Strikes Back'' (1980), ''Return of the Jedi'' (1983), ''Star Wars: The F ...
and Lando Calrissian from the ''
Star Wars ''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera media franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and Cultural impact of Star Wars, quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop cu ...
'' franchise. Other appearances from licensed Lego iterations of franchises include
Gandalf Gandalf is a protagonist in J. R. R. Tolkien's novels ''The Hobbit'' and ''The Lord of the Rings''. He is a Wizards (Middle-earth), wizard, one of the Istari order, and the leader of the Company of the Ring. Tolkien took the name "Gandalf" fr ...
from the '' Lord of the Rings'' and the ''
Hobbit Hobbits are a fictional race of people in the novels of J. R. R. Tolkien. About half average human height, Tolkien presented hobbits as a variety of humanity, or close relatives thereof. Occasionally known as halflings in Tolkien's writings, ...
'' franchises; Dumbledore from the '' Wizarding World'' franchise;
The Flash The Flash is the name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Harry Lampert, the original Flash first appeared in ''Flash Comics'' #1 (cover date, cover-dated Jan ...
and
Aquaman Aquaman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger, the character debuted in ''More Fun Comics'' #73 (November 1941). Initially a backup feature in DC's anthology titles ...
from DC Comics; Milhouse from ''
The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening, James L. Brooks and Sam Simon for the Fox Broadcasting Company. It is a Satire (film and television), satirical depiction of American life ...
'';
Michelangelo Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (6March 147518February 1564), known mononymously as Michelangelo, was an Italian sculptor, painter, architect, and poet of the High Renaissance. Born in the Republic of Florence, his work was inspir ...
from the ''
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles ''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'' (''TMNT'') is an American media franchise created by comic book artists Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. It follows Leonardo (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), Leonardo, Donatello (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), D ...
'' franchise and
Speed Racer ''Speed Racer'', also known as , is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Tatsuo Yoshida. It was originally serialized in print in Shueisha's 1966 ''Shōnen Book''. It was released in form by Sun Wide Comics and later re-re ...
from the Lego tie-in sets released alongside the 2008 film adaptation of the eponymous animated television series.
Shaquille O'Neal Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal ( ; born March 6, 1972), commonly known as Shaq ( ), is an American former professional basketball player who is a sports analyst on the television program ''Inside the NBA''. He is a and Center (basketball), center ...
portrays a Lego version of himself as a Master Builder alongside two generic members of the 2002 NBA All-Stars. Will Forte (credited as Orville Forte) portrays
Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, his assassination in 1865. He led the United States through the American Civil War ...
(whom he had previously voiced on '' Clone High'', another Lord/Miller production). Dave Franco,
Jake Johnson Mark Jake Johnson Weinberger (born May 28, 1978) is an American actor. He has starred as Nick Miller in the Fox sitcom '' New Girl'' (2011–2018), for which he was nominated for the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actor in a Come ...
, and
Keegan-Michael Key Keegan-Michael Key (born March 22, 1971) is an American comedian, actor, producer, and writer. He and Jordan Peele co-created and co-starred in the sketch series '' Key & Peele'' (2012–2015) for which he received one Primetime Emmy Award from ...
portray Emmet's co-workers Wally, Barry, and Foreman Jim, respectively. Director Christopher Miller voices a TV announcer for the Octan comedy show ''Where Are My Pants?''; his son Graham Miller voices the Duplo alien.


Production


Development

The development of ''The Lego Movie'' began in 2008, when Dan Lin and Roy Lee discussed it before Lin left Warner Bros. Pictures to form his own production company, Lin Pictures.
Warner Bros Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American film studio, filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios Burbank, Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and th ...
executive Kevin Tsujihara, who had recognized the value of the Lego franchise by engineering the studio's purchase of Lego video game licensee
Traveller's Tales Traveller's Tales is a British video game developer and a subsidiary of TT Games. Traveller's Tales was founded in 1989 by Jon Burton and Andy Ingram. Initially a small company focused on its own games, it grew in profile through developing game ...
in 2007, thought the success of the Lego-based video games indicated a Lego-based film was a good idea, and reportedly "championed" the development of the film. By August 2009, Dan and Kevin Hageman were writing the script described as "action adventure set in a Lego world". In 2008, Lin visited The Lego Group's headquarters in Denmark to pitch his vision for the film, later remarking uncertainty among executives. "They weren't rude or anything but they didn't feel they needed a movie. They were already a very successful brand. Why take the risk?" Nevertheless, Lego's vice president of licensing and entertainment Jill Wilfert responded positively to the Hagemans' treatment that Lin pitched. "Once we heard the pitch, how Dan felt he could bring the values of the brand to life, we started to think, 'This could be interesting.'" In June 2010, ''
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs ''Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs'' is a children's book written by Judi Barrett and illustrated by Ron Barrett. It was first published in 1978 by Atheneum Books, followed by a 1982 trade paperback edition from sister company Aladdin Pap ...
'' (2009) writers and directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller were in talks to write and direct the film. Warner Bros. green-lit the film by November 2011, with a planned 2014 release date. Australian studio
Animal Logic Animal Logic (also known as Animal Logic VFX) is an Australian visual effects and computer animation digital studio based at Disney Studios in Sydney, New South Wales in Australia, Vancouver in Canada, and Rideback Ranch in Los Angeles, Califo ...
, who did the animation for previous Warner Bros. released animated films such as ''
Happy Feet ''Happy Feet'' is a 2006 animated jukebox musical comedy film directed and produced by George Miller and written by Miller, John Collee, Judy Morris and Warren Coleman. It stars the voices of Elijah Wood, Robin Williams, Brittany Murphy, Hug ...
'' and '' Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole'', was contracted to provide the animation, which was expected to comprise 80% of the film. By this time, animator Chris McKay, one of the directors, producers, and editors of ''
Robot Chicken ''Robot Chicken'' is an American adult animation, adult stop motion, stop-motion animated sketch comedy television series created by Seth Green and Matthew Senreich for Cartoon Network's nighttime programming block Adult Swim. The twelve-minute ...
'' and '' Moral Orel'', had joined Lord and Miller to co-direct. McKay explained that his role was to supervise the production in Australia once Lord and Miller temporarily left production to work on ''
22 Jump Street ''22 Jump Street'' is a 2014 American adult buddy cop action comedy film directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, written by Jonah Hill, Michael Bacall, Oren Uziel and Rodney Rothman and produced by and starring Hill and Channing T ...
'' (2014). In March 2012, Lord and Miller revealed the film's working title, ''Lego: The Piece of Resistance'', and a storyline.


Casting

By June 2012,
Chris Pratt Christopher Michael Pratt (born June 21, 1979) is an American actor. His films as a leading actor have grossed over $14.1billion worldwide, making him the fifth-highest-grossing film star of all time. Pratt was named by ''Time'' as one of t ...
had been cast as the voice of Emmet, the lead Lego character, and
Will Arnett William Emerson Arnett (; born May 4, 1970) is a Canadian and American actor and comedian. He is widely known for his roles as Gob Bluth in the Fox/Netflix sitcom '' Arrested Development'' (2003–2006, 2013, 2018–2019) and the titular ch ...
voicing a Lego version of
Batman Batman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on M ...
; the role of Lego
Superman Superman is a superhero created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, which first appeared in the comic book ''Action Comics'' Action Comics 1, #1, published in the United States on April 18, 1938.The copyright date of ''Action Comics ...
was offered to
Channing Tatum Channing Matthew Tatum (born April 26, 1980) is an American actor and producer. He made his film debut in the drama ''Coach Carter'' (2005), and had his Breakthrough role, breakthrough with the sports comedy film ''She's the Man'' (2006) and t ...
. By August 2012, Elizabeth Banks was hired to voice Lucy (later getting the alias "Wyldstyle") and
Morgan Freeman Morgan Freeman (born June 1, 1937) is an American actor, producer, and narrator. In a career spanning six decades, he has received numerous accolades, including an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award, as well as a nomination for a Tony ...
to voice Vitruvius, an old mystic. In November 2012,
Alison Brie Alison Brie Schermerhorn (born December 29, 1982) is an American actress, writer, and producer. She earned recognition for playing Trudy Campbell in the drama series ''Mad Men'' (2007–2015), and had her Breakthrough role, breakthrough starring ...
,
Will Ferrell John William Ferrell (; born July 16, 1967) is an American actor, comedian, writer, and producer. He is known for his leading man roles in comedy films and for his work as a television producer. Ferrell received various accolades, including ...
,
Liam Neeson William John Neeson (born 7 June 1952) is an actor from Northern Ireland. He has received List of awards and nominations received by Liam Neeson, several accolades, including nominations for an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, BAFT ...
, and
Nick Offerman Nicholas David Offerman (born June 26, 1970) is an American actor. He became widely known for his role as Ron Swanson in the NBC sitcom '' Parks and Recreation'' (2009–2015), for which he received the Television Critics Association Award fo ...
signed on for roles. Ferrell voices the main antagonist President/Lord Business; Neeson voices Bad Cop/Good Cop, Business' right-hand man; Brie voices Princess Unikitty, cat-unicorn hybrid and a member of Emmet's team; and Offerman voices Metalbeard, a pirate and another member of Emmet's team who seeks revenge on Business. Warner Bros. already owns the film rights to intellectual properties from which key characters appear in the film (i.e.
DC Comics DC Comics (originally DC Comics, Inc., and also known simply as DC) is an American comic book publisher owned by DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC is an initialism for "Detective Comics", an American comic book seri ...
; Wizarding World), but the filmmakers still ran their depictions by other creatives; this included
Christopher Nolan Sir Christopher Edward Nolan (born 30 July 1970) is a British and American filmmaker. Known for his Cinema of the United States, Hollywood Blockbuster (entertainment), blockbusters with complex storytelling, he is considered a leading filmma ...
and
Zack Snyder Zachary Edward Snyder (born March 1, 1966) is an American filmmaker. He made his feature film debut in 2004 with ''Dawn of the Dead (2004 film), Dawn of the Dead'', a remake of the 1978 horror film Dawn of the Dead (1978 film), of the same name ...
, who were respectively directing ''
The Dark Knight Rises ''The Dark Knight Rises'' is a 2012 superhero film directed by Christopher Nolan, who co-wrote the screenplay with his brother Jonathan Nolan, and the story with David S. Goyer. Based on the DC Comics character Batman, it is the final instal ...
'' (2012) and ''Man of Steel'' (2013) at the time of the film's production, as well as ''
Harry Potter ''Harry Potter'' is a series of seven Fantasy literature, fantasy novels written by British author J. K. Rowling. The novels chronicle the lives of a young Magician (fantasy), wizard, Harry Potter (character), Harry Potter, and his friends ...
'' creator J.K. Rowling. Lord recalled that Superman was omitted for an extended period of time due to a lawsuit against Warner Bros. by the heirs of co-creator
Jerry Siegel Jerome "Jerry" Siegel ( ; October 17, 1914 – January 28, 1996) Roger Stern. ''Superman: Sunday Classics: 1939–1943'' DC Comics/ Kitchen Sink Press, Inc./ Sterling Publishing; 2006 was an American comic book writer. He was the co-creator of ...
, before being reinserted at the last minute. The film also features Billy Dee Williams and
Anthony Daniels Anthony Daniels ( ; born 21 February 1946) is an English actor and mime artist, best known for playing in 11 ''Star Wars'' films. He is the only actor to have either appeared in or been involved with all theatrical films in the series, and h ...
reprising their roles as Lego iterations of their ''
Star Wars ''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera media franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and Cultural impact of Star Wars, quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop cu ...
'' characters Lando Calrissian and
C-3PO C-3PO () or See-Threepio is a humanoid robot character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. He is a protocol droid (Star Wars), droid designed to assist in etiquette and translation, and is fluent in over six million forms of communication. The chara ...
respectively from the original movies while Keith Ferguson reprises his role as a Lego version of
Han Solo Han Solo () is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. He was introduced in the 1977 film ''Star Wars (film), Star Wars'', and later appeared in ''The Empire Strikes Back'' (1980), ''Return of the Jedi'' (1983), ''Star Wars: The F ...
from ''Robot Chicken'', replacing original actor
Harrison Ford Harrison Ford (born July 13, 1942) is an American actor. Regarded as a cinematic cultural icon, he has starred in Harrison Ford filmography, many notable films over seven decades, and is one of List of highest-grossing actors, the highest-gr ...
. Lin recalled the closure of their deal to feature the characters as hectic, as
The Walt Disney Company The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was founded on October 16 ...
announced their purchase of
Lucasfilm Lucasfilm Ltd. LLC is an American film and television production company founded by filmmaker George Lucas in December 10, 1971 in San Rafael, California, and later moved to San Francisco in 2005. It is best known for creating and producing th ...
a few weeks after the filmmakers had traveled there and received permission to include them.


Animation process

''The Lego Movie'' was strongly inspired by the visual aesthetic and stylistics of Brickfilms and qualities attributed to Lego Studios sets. The film received a great deal of praise in the respective online communities from filmmakers and fans, who saw the film as an appraising nod to their work. In the film's live-action segment, Finn returns Emmet to the Lego world via an arts-and-crafts-covered tube labeled "Magic Portal", which production designer Grant Freckleton confirmed was a direct reference to Australian filmmaker Lindsay Fleay's 1989 animated short film '' The Magic Portal'', which similarly incorporated live-action segments. Fleay went on to work at Animal Logic, though he left before production on ''The Lego Movie'' began. Animal Logic tried to make the film's animation replicate a
stop motion Stop-motion (also known as stop frame animation) is an animated filmmaking and special effects technique in which objects are physically manipulated in small increments between individually photographed frames so that they will appear to exh ...
film although everything was done through computer graphics, with the animation rigs following the same articulation limits actual Lego figures have. The camera systems also tried to replicate live action cinematography, including different lenses and a
Steadicam Steadicam is a brand of camera stabilizer mounts for motion picture cameras invented by Garrett Brown and introduced in 1975 by Cinema Products Corporation. The Steadicam brand was acquired by Tiffen in 2000. It was designed to isolate the ...
simulator. The scenery was projected through
The Lego Group Lego A/S, also known as the Lego Group, is a Danish construction toy production company based in Billund. It manufactures Lego-branded toys, consisting mostly of interlocking ABS plastic and rubber bricks. The Lego Group has also built severa ...
's own Lego Digital Designer (formerly) (created as part of Lego Design byME, which people could design their own Lego models using LDD, then upload them to the Lego website, design their own box design, and order them for actual delivery), which as CG supervisor Aidan Sarsfield detailed, "uses the official LEGO Brick Library and effectively simulates the connectivity of each of the bricks." The saved files were then converted to design and animate in
Maya Maya may refer to: Ethnic groups * Maya peoples, of southern Mexico and northern Central America ** Maya civilization, the historical civilization of the Maya peoples ** Mayan languages, the languages of the Maya peoples * Maya (East Africa), a p ...
and XSI. At times the minifigures were even placed under microscopes to capture the seam lines, dirt and grime into the digital textures. Benny the spaceman was based on the line of Lego space sets sold in the 1980s, and his design includes the broken helmet chin strap, a common defect of the space sets at that time. Miller's childhood Space Village playset was used in the film.


Post-production

''The Lego Movie'' was the first theatrical feature film produced by Warner Animation Group and the first animated film to be made directly by Warner Bros. Pictures after Warner Bros. Feature Animation shut down in 2004 following the box office failure of '' Looney Tunes: Back in Action'' (2003). The film's total cost, including production, prints, and advertising (P&A), was $100 million. Half of the film's cost was financed by
Village Roadshow Pictures Village Roadshow Pictures is an American film production company founded in 1989. It is a division of Village Roadshow Entertainment Group (VREG), which in turn is majority-owned by Vine Alternative Investments and Falcon Investment Advisors, wi ...
, and was the only film in the franchise that Village Roadshow ever had involvement working on. The rest was covered by Warner Bros., with
RatPac-Dune Entertainment RatPac Entertainment, LLC was an American media and entertainment company that financed and produced motion pictures, television, documentaries, live theater, and podcasts. The company was owned by Brett Ratner and James Packer. History Dune ...
providing a smaller share as part of its multi-year financing agreement with Warner Bros. Initially Warner Bros. turned down Village Roadshow Pictures when it asked to invest in the film. However, Warner Bros. later changed its mind, reportedly due to lack of confidence in the film, initially offering Village Roadshow Pictures the opportunity to finance 25% of the film, and later, an additional 25%.


Music

The film's original score was composed by
Mark Mothersbaugh Mark Allen Mothersbaugh (; born May 18, 1950) is an American musician and composer. He came to prominence in the late 1970s as co-founder, lead vocalist and keyboardist of the new wave band Devo, whose " Whip It" was a top 20 single in the US ...
, who had previously worked with Lord and Miller on ''
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs ''Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs'' is a children's book written by Judi Barrett and illustrated by Ron Barrett. It was first published in 1978 by Atheneum Books, followed by a 1982 trade paperback edition from sister company Aladdin Pap ...
'' (2009) and ''
21 Jump Street ''21 Jump Street'' is an American police procedural drama television series created by Patrick Hasburgh and Stephen J. Cannell for the Fox Broadcasting Company. It aired from April 12, 1987 to April 27, 1991, spanning 103 episodes over five s ...
'' (2012). ''The Lego Movie'' soundtrack contains the score as the majority of its tracks. Also included is the song " Everything Is Awesome" written by Shawn Patterson, Joshua Bartholomew, and Lisa Harriton, who also perform the song under the name Jo Li. The single, released on January 23, 2014, is performed by
Tegan and Sara Tegan and Sara () are a Canadian indie pop duo formed in 1998 in Calgary, Alberta. The band is led by identical twin sisters, Tegan Rain Quin and Sara Keirsten Quin (born September 19, 1980). Both musicians are songwriters and multi-instrumentali ...
featuring
The Lonely Island The Lonely Island is an American comedy trio, formed by Andy Samberg, Jorma Taccone, and Akiva Schaffer in Berkeley, California, in 2001. They have written for and starred in the American TV program ''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL''). The th ...
( Andy Samberg,
Akiva Schaffer Akiva Daniel Shebar Schaffer (; born December 1, 1977) is an American writer, producer, director, comedian, actor, and musician. He is a member of the comedy music group The Lonely Island, along with childhood friends Andy Samberg and Jorma Tacc ...
, and
Jorma Taccone Jorma Christopher Taccone ( ; born March 19, 1977) is an American writer, producer, director, comedian, actor, and musician. He is a member of the comedy music group The Lonely Island with his childhood friends Andy Samberg and Akiva Schaffer. I ...
), who wrote the rap lyrics, and is played in the film's end credits. The soundtrack was released on February 4, 2014, by WaterTower Music.


Marketing and release

Lego released a number of building toy sets based on scenes from ''The Lego Movie''. ''The Lego Movie'' premiered on February 1, 2014, at the Regency Village Theatre in Los Angeles. It was initially scheduled for release on February 28, but was later moved up to February 7. The film was released in Australia by Roadshow Films.
Warner Home Video Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment, Inc. (doing business as Warner Bros. Home Entertainment; formerly known as Warner Home Video and WCI Home Video and sometimes credited as Warner Home Entertainment) is the American home video distribution ...
released ''The Lego Movie'' for digital download, and on
DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for digital video disc or digital versatile disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any ki ...
and
Blu-ray Blu-ray (Blu-ray Disc or BD) is a digital optical disc data storage format designed to supersede the DVD format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released worldwide on June 20, 2006, capable of storing several hours of high-defin ...
on June 17, 2014. At the same time, a special Blu-ray 3D "Everything is Awesome Edition" also includes an exclusive Vitruvius minifigure and a collectible 3D Emmet photo. Overall, ''The Lego Movie'' was the fourth best-selling film of 2014, after '' Frozen'', '' The Hunger Games: Catching Fire'' and ''
Guardians of the Galaxy The Guardians of the Galaxy are a fictional superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Comic book teams 1969 team The 1969 version of the Guardians of the Galaxy (1969 team), Guardians of the Galaxy were the origi ...
'', selling 4.9 million units and earning a revenue of $105.2 million. The film was released on
Ultra HD Blu-ray Ultra HD Blu-ray (4K Ultra HD, UHD-BD, or 4K Blu-ray) is a digital optical disc data storage format that is an enhanced variant of Blu-ray. Ultra HD Blu-ray supports 4K UHD (3840 × 2160 pixel resolution) video at frame rates up to 60 progre ...
on March 1, 2016.


Reception


Box office

''The Lego Movie'' grossed $258 million in the United States and Canada and $212.8 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $470.7 million. ''
Deadline Hollywood ''Deadline Hollywood'', commonly known as ''Deadline'' and also referred to as ''Deadline.com'', is an online news site founded as the news blog ''Deadline Hollywood Daily'' by Nikki Finke in 2006. It is updated several times a day, with en ...
'' calculated the film's net profit as $229million, accounting for production budgets, marketing, talent participations, and other costs; box office grosses and home media revenues placed it third on their list of 2014's "Most Valuable Blockbusters". In the United States and Canada, ''The Lego Movie'' was released with '' The Monuments Men'' and ''
Vampire Academy ''Vampire Academy'' is a series of six young adult fiction, young adult paranormal romance novels by American author Richelle Mead. It tells the story of Rosemarie "Rose" Hathaway, a dhampir girl, who is training to be a guardian of her moroi be ...
'' on February 7, 2014. It earned $17.2 million on its first day, including $425,000 from Thursday night previews. During its opening weekend, the film earned $69.1 million from 3,775 theaters. Upon its debut, it achieved the second-highest February opening weekend, behind ''
The Passion of the Christ ''The Passion of the Christ'' is a 2004 American epic biblical drama film co-produced and directed by Mel Gibson from a screenplay he wrote with Benedict Fitzgerald. It stars Jim Caviezel as Jesus of Nazareth, Maia Morgenstern as the Bl ...
''. ''The Lego Movie'' attracted a mostly diverse audience, with about 64 percent for Caucasians, Hispanic 16 percent, African-American 12 percent, and Asian 8 percent, as well as 41 percent being under 18 years of age. Its second weekend earnings dropped by 28 percent to $49.8 million, and followed by another $31.3 million the third weekend. The latter made it the second-highest third weekend for any animated film, trailing only behind ''
Shrek 2 ''Shrek 2'' is a 2004 American animated fantasy comedy film loosely based on the 1990 children's picture book '' Shrek!'' by William Steig. Directed by Andrew Adamson, Kelly Asbury, and Conrad Vernon from a screenplay by Adamson, Joe Sti ...
''. ''The Lego Movie'' completed its theatrical run in the United States and Canada on September 4, 2014. Worldwide, ''The Lego Movie'' earned $69.1 million in its opening weekend in 34 markets. On its opening weekend elsewhere, the top countries were the United Kingdom ($13.4 million), Australia ($5.7 million), Russia ($3.9 million), Mexico ($3.8 million), and France ($3.1 million). The film had the strongest start for a non-sequel animated film in the United Kingdom ahead of ''
The Simpsons Movie ''The Simpsons Movie'' is a 2007 American Animation, animated comedy film based on the Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox animated sitcom ''The Simpsons'' created by Matt Groening. The film was directed by series veteran David Silverman (animator) ...
'' and '' Up''. It would remain as the country's highest opening weekend for a 2014 film until it was surpassed by '' The Amazing Spider-Man 2'' that spring. , its top international markets were the United Kingdom ($57 million), Australia ($20 million), and Germany ($13.1 million).


Critical response

''The Lego Movie'' was met with universal acclaim. The critical consensus reads, "Boasting beautiful animation, a charming voice cast, laugh-a-minute gags, and a surprisingly thoughtful story, ''The Lego Movie'' is colorful fun for all ages." Audiences polled by
CinemaScore CinemaScore is an American market research firm based in Las Vegas. It surveys film audiences to rate their viewing experiences with letter grades, reports the results, and forecasts box office receipts from the data. Background Ed Mintz, who ...
gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale. Michael Rechtshaffen of ''
The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
'' wrote, "Arriving at a time when feature animation was looking and feeling mighty anemic...''The LEGO Movie'' shows 'em how it's done", with Peter Debruge of '' Variety'' adding that Lord and Miller "irreverently deconstruct the state of the modern blockbuster and deliver a smarter, more satisfying experience in its place, emerging with a fresh franchise for others to build upon". Susan Wloszczyna of '' RogerEbert.com'' gave the film four stars out of four, writing, "It still might be a 100-minute commercial, but at least it's a highly entertaining and, most surprisingly, a thoughtful one with in-jokes that snap, crackle and zoom by at warp speed." Tom Huddleston of '' Time Out'' said, "The script is witty, the satire surprisingly pointed, and the animation tactile and imaginative." Drew Hunt of the ''
Chicago Reader The ''Chicago Reader'', or ''Reader'' (stylized as ЯEADER), is an American alternative newspaper in Chicago, Illinois, noted for its literary style of journalism and coverage of the arts, particularly film and theater. The ''Reader'' has been ...
'' said the filmmakers "fill the script with delightfully absurd one-liners and sharp pop culture references", with A. O. Scott of ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' noting that, "Pop-culture jokes ricochet off the heads of younger viewers to tickle the world-weary adults in the audience, with just enough sentimental goo applied at the end to unite the generations. Parents will dab their eyes while the kids roll theirs." Claudia Puig of ''
USA Today ''USA Today'' (often stylized in all caps) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth in 1980 and launched on September 14, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headq ...
'' called the film "a spirited romp through a world that looks distinctively familiar, and yet freshly inventive." Liam Lacey of ''
The Globe and Mail ''The Globe and Mail'' is a Newspapers in Canada, Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in Western Canada, western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of more than 6 million in 2024, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on week ...
'' asked, "Can a feature-length toy commercial also work as a decent kids' movie? The bombast of the ''
G.I. Joe ''G.I. Joe'' is an American media franchise and a line of action figures owned and produced by the toy company Hasbro. The initial product offering represented four of the branches of the U.S. armed forces with the Action Soldier ( U.S. Army), A ...
'' and ''
Transformers ''Transformers'' is a media franchise produced by American toy company Hasbro and Japanese toy company Tomy, Takara Tomy. It primarily follows the heroic Autobots and the villainous Decepticons, two Extraterrestrials in fiction, alien robot fac ...
'' franchises might suggest no, but after an uninspired year for animated movies, ''The Lego Movie'' is a 3-D animated film that connects." Joel Arnold of
NPR National Public Radio (NPR) is an American public broadcasting organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It serves as a national Radio syndication, syndicator to a network of more ...
acknowledged that the film "may be one giant advertisement, but all the way to its plastic-mat foundation, it's an earnest piece of work—a cash grab with a heart".
Peter Travers Peter Joseph Travers (born June 27, 1943) is an American film critic, journalist, and television presenter. He reviews films for ABC News and previously served as a movie critic for ''People'' and ''Rolling Stone''. Travers also hosts the film i ...
of ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
'' called the film "sassy enough to shoot well-aimed darts at corporate branding". Michael O'Sullivan of ''
The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...
'' said that, "While clearly filled with affection for—and marketing tie-ins to—the titular product that's front and center, it's also something of a sharp plastic brick flung in the eye of its corporate sponsor." Moira MacDonald of ''
The Seattle Times ''The Seattle Times'' is an American daily newspaper based in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 1891, ''The Seattle Times'' has the largest circulation of any newspaper in the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest region. The Seattle Time ...
'', while generally positive, found "it falls apart a bit near the end".
Alonso Duralde Alonso Duralde (born May 18, 1967) is an American film critic, author, and podcaster. He has been a writer and editor for ''The Film Verdict'', ''The Wrap'', ''The Advocate (LGBT magazine), The Advocate'' and MSNBC.com. Personal life Duralde ...
of '' The Wrap'' said the film "will doubtless tickle young fans of the toys. It's just too bad that a movie that encourages you to think for yourself doesn't follow its own advice." Sandie Angulo Chen of ''
Common Sense Media Common Sense Media (CSM) is an American nonprofit organization that reviews and provides ratings for media and technology with the goal of providing information on their suitability for children.
'' gives a rate of four stars out of five, saying, "It's a testament to the veteran animation filmmakers that this one is so smart, humorous, and visually fun to watch." She praised the voice cast, cameos, "laugh-aloud one-liners, and a live-action interlude that is surprisingly touching." She also noted the messages and "sophisticated criticisms of popular culture and consumerism" in the movie, but other than that, she calls it "not just your typical animated adventure." ''The Lego Movie'' was included on a number of best-of lists. It was listed on many critics' top ten lists in 2014, ranking fifteenth. Several publications have listed the film as one of the best animated films, including: '' Insider'', ''USA Today'' (2018), ''Rolling Stone'' (2019), ''
Parade A parade is a procession of people, usually organized along a street, often in costume, and often accompanied by marching bands, floats, or sometimes large balloons. Parades are held for a wide range of reasons, but are usually some variety ...
'', ''
Time Out New York ''Time Out'' is a global magazine published by Time Out Group. ''Time Out'' started as a London-only publication in 1968 and has expanded its editorial recommendations to 333 cities in 59 countries worldwide. In 2012, the London edition became ...
'', and ''
Empire An empire is a political unit made up of several territories, military outpost (military), outposts, and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a hegemony, dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the ...
'' (all 2021). The film was also named by filmmaker
Edgar Wright Edgar Howard Wright (born 18 April 1974) is an English filmmaker. He is known for his fast-paced and kinetic, satirical Film genre, genre films, which feature extensive utilisation of expressive popular music, Steadicam tracking shots, dolly zo ...
and ''
Time Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...
'' film critic
Richard Corliss Richard Nelson Corliss (March 6, 1944 – April 23, 2015) was an American film critic and magazine editor for ''Time''. He focused on movies, with occasional articles on other subjects. He was the former editor-in-chief of ''Film Comment ...
as one of their favorite films of 2014 and acclaimed actress Tilda Swinton named it her favorite film of 2014.


Other response

Conservative political commentator
Glenn Beck Glenn Lee Beck (born February 10, 1964) is an American conservative political commentator, radio host, entrepreneur, and television producer. He is the CEO, founder, and owner of Mercury Radio Arts, the parent company of his television and rad ...
praised the film for avoiding "the double meanings and adult humor I just hate".
Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People and fictional and mythical characters * Oscar (given name), including lists of people and fictional characters named Oscar, Óscar or Oskar * Oscar (footballer, born 1954), Brazilian footballer ...
host
Neil Patrick Harris Neil Patrick Harris (born June 15, 1973) is an American actor, singer, writer, producer, and television host. Primarily known for his comedic television roles and dramatic and musical stage roles, he has received List of awards and nominations ...
referenced ''The Lego Movie'' not being nominated for Best Animated Feature, which many critics considered a snub, saying prior to the award's presentation, "If you're at the Oscar party with the guys who directed ''The Lego Movie'', now would be a great time to distract them." U.S. Senator
Ron Johnson Ronald Harold Johnson (born April 8, 1955) is an American businessman and politician serving as the Seniority in the United States Senate, senior United States Senate, United States senator from Wisconsin, a seat he has held since 2011. A Rep ...
criticized the film's anti-corporate message, saying that it taught children that "government is good and business is bad", citing the villain's name of Lord Business. "That's done for a reason", Johnson told WisPolitics.com, "They're starting that propaganda, and it's insidious". The comments were criticized by many, and Russ Feingold brought up the comments on the campaign trail during his 2016 Senate bid against Johnson.


Accolades

At the 87th Academy Awards, ''The Lego Movie'' received a nomination for Best Original Song. Its other nominations include six
Annie Awards The Annie Awards are accolades which the Los Angeles branch of the International Animated Film Association, ASIFA-Hollywood, has presented each year since 1972 to recognize excellence in animation shown in American cinema and television. Origi ...
(winning one), a
British Academy Film Award The British Academy Film Awards, more commonly known as the BAFTAs or BAFTA Awards, is an annual film award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) to honour the best British and international contributions to f ...
(which it won), two
Critics' Choice Movie Awards The Critics' Choice Awards (formerly known as the Broadcast Film Critics Association Award) is an awards show presented annually by the American Critics Choice Association (CCA) to honor the finest in cinematic achievement. Written ballots are ...
(winning one), and a
Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally held every Janua ...
. The
National Board of Review The National Board of Review of Motion Pictures is a non-profit organization of New York City area film enthusiasts. Its awards, which are announced in early December, are considered the first major harbinger of the film awards season that ...
named ''The Lego Movie'' one of the ten-best films of 2014; it also won
Best Original Screenplay The Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay is the Academy Award (also known as an Oscar) for the best screenplay not based upon previously published material. It was created in 1940 as a separate writing award from the Academy Award for Best ...
.


Other media

In 2014, an
adventure video game An adventure game is a video game genre in which the player assumes the role of a protagonist in an Interactive storytelling, interactive story, driven by exploration and/or Puzzle video game, puzzle-solving. The Video game genres, genre's focus ...
, ''
The Lego Movie Videogame ''The Lego Movie Videogame'' is a 2014 Lego-themed action-adventure game, action-adventure video game developed by TT Fusion. It is a tie-in with the computer-animated film ''The Lego Movie'', thus it follows the plot of the film and features its ...
'', was released for multiple platforms. '' Lego Dimensions'' (2015) features characters from several media franchises, including ''The Lego Movie''. '' The Lego Movie: 4D – A New Adventure'' is a
4-D film 4D or 4-D primarily refers to: * 4-dimensional spacetime: three-dimensional space of length, width, and height, plus time * Four-dimensional space It may also refer to: Computers and photography * 4D (software), a complete programming environme ...
at Legoland Florida, that has been in operation since 2016. Written and directed by Rob Schrab, the 12-minute attraction stars A.J. LoCascio as Emmet, with Banks, Brie, Day, and Offerman reprising their respective roles; while
Patton Oswalt Patton Peter Oswalt (born January 27, 1969) is an American stand-up comedian and actor. His acting roles include Spence Olchin in the sitcom ''The King of Queens'' (1998–2007) and narrating the sitcom '' The Goldbergs'' (2013–2023) as adult ...
plays President Business's brother, Risky Business.


Follow-ups

Warner Bros. released two spin-offs in 2017: ''
The Lego Batman Movie ''The Lego Batman Movie'' is a 2017 animated superhero comedy film, based on characters created by DC Comics and the Lego Batman toy line. It was directed by Chris McKay (in his feature directorial debut) from a screenplay that is based on a ...
'' and ''
The Lego Ninjago Movie ''The Lego Ninjago Movie'' is a 2017 animated martial arts film, martial arts comedy film, based on the toy/kit line Lego Ninjago, of the same name and the Ninjago (TV series), TV show starring the same characters. Directed by Charlie Bean (anim ...
''. Both films set in different universes apart from ''The Lego Movie'' one. ''The Lego Batman Movie'' was considered a success, while ''The Lego Ninjago Movie'' was a failure. A television series ''
Unikitty! ''Unikitty!'' (stylized as ''UniKitty!'') is an American animated television series developed by Ed Skudder and Lynn Wang for Cartoon Network and produced by The Lego Group and Warner Bros. Animation. The series is based on and stars the char ...
'' (2017–2020) focuses on the eponymous character (
Tara Strong Tara Lyn Strong (; born February 12, 1973) is a Canadian and American actress. She is known for her voice work in animation, websites, and video games. Strong's voice roles include animated series such as '' The Powerpuff Girls'', '' The Fair ...
) and her friends. ''The Lego Movie'' was followed by '' The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part'' in 2019. Following the financial failures of both ''The Lego Ninjago Movie'' and ''The Lego Movie 2'',
Universal Pictures Universal City Studios LLC, doing business as Universal Pictures (also known as Universal Studios or simply Universal), is an American filmmaking, film production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered at the 10 Universal Ci ...
set a five-year film deal with The Lego Group.


Notes


References


External links

*
Official website at Lego.com

Official Warner Bros. website
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lego Movie, The 2010s adventure comedy films 2014 American animated films 2010s animated superhero films 2010s English-language films 2014 3D films 2014 action comedy films 2014 computer-animated films 3D animated films 2010s superhero comedy films American 3D films American action comedy films American adventure comedy films American animated feature films American children's animated comic science fiction films American children's animated science fantasy films American computer-animated films American dystopian films American fantasy adventure films American films with live action and animation Animal Logic films Animated crossover films Annie Award–winning films Best Animated Feature BAFTA winners Best Animated Feature Broadcast Film Critics Association Award winners Animated films about parallel universes Films adapted into television shows Animated films based on toys Animated films about sentient toys Films based on Allegory of the Cave Films directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller Films produced by Dan Lin Films produced by Roy Lee Films scored by Mark Mothersbaugh Films shot in Sydney Films with screenplays by Christopher Miller (filmmaker) Films with screenplays by Phil Lord Films with screenplays by The Hageman Brothers
Movie A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...
Metafictional works Vertigo Entertainment films Dune Entertainment films Village Roadshow Pictures animated films Warner Animation Group films Warner Bros. animated films Warner Bros. Animation films Postmodern films Animated films about children Animated films about father–son relationships Danish action comedy films Danish adventure comedy films Danish fantasy adventure films Australian 3D films Australian action comedy films Australian adventure comedy films Australian computer-animated films Australian fantasy adventure films English-language science fantasy films English-language action comedy films English-language adventure comedy films Saturn Award–winning films