Ninjago (film)

Ninjago is a 2026 American computer-animated martial arts adventure-comedy film based on the toy line and television series of the same name. Produced by Warner Animation Group and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures is the 10th film in the LEGO Extended Universe (LEU). Directed by Mike Mitchell and written by Dan and Kevin Hageman, the stars of the film are Sam Vincent, Vincent Tong, Andrew Francis, Brent Miller, Kelly Metzger, Paul Dobson, Mark Oliver, Kathleen Barr and Lee Tockar. The film's story follows the fierce conflict between the Ninjas, who discover the power of the First Spinjitzu Master, and the dark forces of the mighty Overlord.

Ninjago premiered in Dublin, Ireland on January 31, 2026, and was released in the United States in RealD 3D, IMAX, and IMAX 3D on February 13. Following a massive strong debut who broke box office records, the film grossed over $1.079 billion worldwide, making it the third-highest-grossing film of 2026 and the sixth-highest-grossin animated film of all time. Ninjago was acclaimed by critics and earned numerous accolades for the screenplay, animation, story, voice acting, musical score and visual style. The film was nominated for a award at the 98th Academy Awards, winning Best Animated Feature.

Synopsis
The new chapter of adventures in the LEGO movies: LEGO's Ninjago - The Movie. Years after The Lego Dimensions Movie, the Ninjas face the Overlord, with the help of a renewed form of Spinjitzu, so they must immerse themselves in the history of the Golden Ninja and the creation of the island of Ninjago.

Cast

 * Dave Franco as Lloyd,
 * Michael Peña as Kai
 * Fred Armisen as Cole
 * Kumail Nanjiani as Jay
 * Zach Woods as Zane
 * Abbi Jacobson as Nya
 * Jackie Chan as Master Wu
 * Justin Theroux as Lord Garmadon
 * Olivia Munn as Koko
 * Lee Tockar as Cyrus Borg
 * Ian James Corlett as Clutch Powers
 * Tabitha St. Germain as Mistaké
 * Scott McNeil as Overlord.

Production
By November 2017, a sequel to The Lego Ninjago Movie was "completely canceled" due to poor box office performance and mediocre reception.

In October 2020, Warner Bros. began developing new adaptations on old original LEGO themes, and it was confirmed that a LEGO Ninjago soft-reboot, based primarily on the television series, was in the works.

On January 30, 2019, Warner Bros. announced that the film would be called Ninjago - The Movie and a release date was set for August 6, 2024, with Mike Mitchell as director.

in December 2021, it was decided to develop an independent sequel film, with a smaller budget.

On January 26, 2022, it was revealed that Dan and Kevin Hageman would be the sole writers of the film, and they were asked to write a script faithfully inspired by the first two seasons of the series, and to "exploit their creativity based on that." .

In May 2022, it was announced that the voice actors would return, along with some from the television series.

On October 7, 2022, the development progress of the film was previewed during New York Comic-Con and it was announced that it would be delayed until February 9, 2026, Dan and Kevin said that they "just want time to create a story that people like. "

On January 26, 2023, it was revealed that Ninjago - The Movie was never the original intended title for the film, and that it started out as a joke on Dan and Kevin Hageman.

In March 2024, it was announced that the movie's tone would stick to the series.

In July 2024, it was announced that production had started.

The first trailer for the film was released in August 2025, and a second and third tailers were released in September and January 2026 respectively. An accompanying short, "New Ninjas" was released on January 27, 2026.

Release
Ninjago: The Movie opened theatrically at the Regency Village Theater on January 28, 2026, and was released in the United States on February 6. Following a strong debut that set new box office records, the film grossed over $623 million worldwide, making it the eighth-highest-grossing film of 2026, the second-highest-grossing animated film of 2026, and ranking it the 33 highest grossing animated film.

Many found the film to be a significant improvement over its predecessor, receiving positive reviews from critics, with praise for the screenplay, direction, story, voice acting, and visual style. The film was nominated for and won multiple awards in various categories, including an Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film at the 99th Academy Awards as well as winning other awards at the Golden Globe Awards and the British Academy Film Awards. . It became the non-Disney/Pixar film to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature since Spider-Man Into the Spider-Verse (2018), as well as the first non-Disney/Pixar film in win that award when a character from a Disney/Pixar movie was also in contention.

Critical response
On the Rotten Tomatoes review aggregator website, Ninjago: The Movie has an approval rating of 94% based on 259 reviews, with an average rating of 9.6 / 10, a significant improvement from its "56% 46%" of its predecessor. The critical consensus of the site reads: "The weirdly incredible vision inspired by the original television series makes Ninjago: The Movie a new beginning for all and a joy to watch. As it strengthens all of its protagonists along with an exceptionally developed main villain, the antics of the minifigures LEGO are still talking about but the formula of the franchise is not present and that seems to be fine. "

On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 90 out of 100, based on 84 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews." Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film an average rating of "A -" on a scale from A + to F, the same score as the first film, while PostTrak reported that 81% of audience members gave it an average rating. positive rating, and 72% said they would definitely recommend it.

Box Office
Ninjago: The Movie was a box office success, grossing a worldwide total of $623.8 million, against a production budget of $90 million ($130 million including advertising and promotion costs). It recorded a worldwide opening of $246.1 million from 60 countries and a global IMAX opening of $15.2 million, the former setting a new record for the month of February and entering the top 50 of the world's biggest openings. That is also became the best world debut for a LEU film at the time of its release. Deadline Hollywood put the film's net profit at $167.45 million, when considering all expenses and income from the film, making it the fourth most profitable release of 2026.

Accolades
Ninjago: The Movie won Best Animated Feature Film at the 99th Academy Awards, among various other awards and nominations. It was the first non-Disney/Pixar film to win Best Animated Feature since Spider-Man Into the Spiderverse (2018), making it the seventh non-Disney/Pixar film to win the award.

Post-credits scene
Main Article: List of Post-credits Scenes