Director Mike Mitchell gave an update on if he would be interested in returning to the franchise for The Lego Movie 3.
The last main entry in the saga (The Lego Movie 2) was released in 2019, and its story saw tense sibling (in the form of teenagers Finn and Bianca) frustrations playing out as an apocalyptic event for the fictional Bricksburg. The tale somehow got even crazier than the first installment, adding aliens and time travel to the mix.
While the sequel did not resonate quite as much as the original did, it still sits at a respectable 84% critic approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Lego Movie 3 Prospects Addressed by Mike Mitchell
While promoting his recent film, Kung Fu Panda 4, The Lego Movie 2 director Mike Mitchell responded to the possibility of his involvement in a potential Lego Movie 3 happening in the future.
When asked if he a third movie in the franchise will happen and if he'd return to direct it, Mitchell revealed that if Chris Miller and Phil Lord were to come back, he would helm the threequel:
"That's a great question... If Chris Miller and Phil Lord, those are my buddies who did 'Spider-Verse,’ and they directed the first 'Lego' film. They also directed '21 Jump Street'. Those guys are the producers, and they were such a blast to work with. And such Lego fans, it was ridiculous. They even sent me to the Lego factory in Denmark, where they make Legos. It was incredible. So if those guys are back and helping out, I would [return]. Either I'm working on it or I'm sitting in the theater with popcorn watching it. Those guys can do no wrong."
He added how he enjoyed Rex Dangervest and "the time travel" from Part 2:
"I had a blast working on the 'Lego' sequel…I love Rex Dangervest. I love the time travel. And you know... Those producers and writers, they're so funny. When everyone's curious about time travel, they just have a character go, 'Eh, it's just time travel; don't get too much into it.' That's crazy. And then the story moves on. I was like, Oh my gosh, let's see this, the easiest directing I've ever done; you guys make it so easy for me."
The Future of the Lego Movie Franchise
It is hard to surmise what precisely a The Lego Movie 3 might be about given how abstract the overall premise of a movie can be,
Technically speaking, there is a third movie in development. Variety reported in July 2023 that director duo Aaron and Adam Nee (The Lost City) were signed on for another installment.
The strange part of the outlet’s report is how they claimed the third movie would be "a new hybrid live-action animation film around the Lego franchise." No further information has come out about the project since, leaving many to wonder what's going on with the project.
If those plans do go through, and the movie happens, fans are going to be in for a much different entry in the franchise.
As for director Mike Mitchell, given the box office success of Kung Fu Panda 4, which managed to dethrone Dune Part 2 on its second weekend, there’s a good chance he will be occupied working on another installment in that franchise for Universal instead.
Hopefully, either possibility will be a win for audiences.
