Warner Bros. Assembes LEGO: The Motion Picture

Posted by Robin Ruinsky (robin@filmschoolrejects.com) on August 12, 2009

Transformers, watch out. LEGO is going Hollywood. The Danish toymaker behind the snap together building blocks has given the go ahead to bring the toys to the big screen. Apparently Hollywood has tried for years to get LEGO to allow a film to be made based on the building set, but the company is very protective of its brand.

I guess this means no drugs, sex and rock and roll for LEGO.

Now the word is out that the company gave in to Warner Bros. who has had a licensing relationship with LEGO for years. Batman, Indiana Jones, Speed Racer, and Harry Potter have all been LEGOized.

A family friendly screenplay is being written by Dan and Kevin Hageman. The plot is top secret.

What kind of plot could there be? Are LEGOs taken over by an evil genius who rebuilds the Berlin Wall with the multi colored plastic blocks? Is the Great Wall of China replaced by LEGO blocks? Or will LEGO characters, using their building blocks save a stalled Space Shuttle by building a LEGO ladder to evacuate the astronauts?

LEGO has a no military policy which means they put their money where their values are turning away potentially huge profits. Of course that means it might be hard for LEGOs to save the world from an alien invader. Except, wait, you can use the blocks to build a weapon! Apparently many hobbyists do just that.

Back to LEGO the Movie. It remains to be seen just how you write for plastic building blocks and the little plastic LEGO people who inhabit the building block world.

I wonder what’s next. The word is Monopoly is slated for the big screen as is the scintillating Candy Land.

My prediction? Weebles are next to be immortalized on film. After all Weebles wobble but they don’t fall down.

What toy would you like see make it to a theater near you?

Read more articles by Robin Ruinsky