LEGO Extended Universe

LEGO Extended Universe (LEU) is a Danish-American shared universe and media franchise based on Lego construction toys produced by Lego System A / S,  Warner Animation Group and co-produced by Universal Animation Studios and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures and Universal Pictures. The franchise has expanded to include short films and television series. The shared universe, similar to the Marvel Universe (MCU) or DC Universe (DCEU), was established by crossing common plots, locations, cast, and characters.

The first LEU film is The Lego Movie (2014), which began the films of  Wave One culminating in the crossover film The LEGO Dimensions Movie (2022). Wave Two began with The Lego Movie 3: The Third Part (2024) and concluded with The Lego Dimensions Movie: Episode II (2029). The first two waves in the franchise are collectively known as "The Dimensions Series". The Wave Three movies began with The LEGO Star Wars Movie (2030).

Warner Bros. Animation expanded the universe to television with ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unikitty! Unikitty!] on the Cartoon Network in 2017, before expanding further to broadcast television on HBO Max with LEGO's Girls Rule'' in 2022.

The franchise has had commercial success and, in general, with the exception of a few films, has received mixed to positive reviews,collectively grossed at least $ 8 billion at the global box office, making it the 4th highest grossing film franchise of all time and Warner Animation Group's flagship franchise and one of the largest and most important from Warner Bros. Pictures.

Films
In 2003, Lego officially made its first partnership to make movies based on its toy ownership. They chose Bionicle as their property and made a deal with Miramax to make a trilogy of Bionicle movies. After the trilogy ended, a new Bionicle-based trilogy was planned with Universal with the Miramax movie contract ending and the first movie in the new trilogy to be titled Bionicle: The Legend Reborn. But plans were broken between Lego and Universal, resulting in the cancellation of the fifth movie. However, a movie was later released, titled Lego: The Adventures of Clutch Powers .. The movie received positive reviews from fans and critics, and after the DVD release, a sequel was set to star Clutch as the hero again. A mini sequel and a short film based on Clutch Powers were released.

In the summer of 2009, Lego made a deal with Warner Bros. to make a movie based on its property. It would feature many themes and characters and would be released as the first Lego movie in theaters. In 2009, Lego also planned the concept of the now successful Lego Ninjago theme. In 2011, Lego launched a television series titled Lego Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu. Later in 2012, the untitled Lego movie was titled Lego: The Piece of Resistance.

The film would be renamed The Lego Movie by Warner Bros. opening in February 2014. The Lego movie received praise from Lego fans and critics for its characters, plot, special effects and humor. Many actors from the entire Lego universe reprised their roles in the film. Due to the success of the film, a Ninjago was announced that the film would be released in 2017, in addition, it was announced that a sequel to Lego Movie will be released in 2018 that will finally be released in 2019, a film derived from Batman that ended up being released in 2017 and a third film, "The Billion Brick Race" which will be released in 2019. In April 2020, Warner Bros. announced that it had entered into a nine-year agreement for the exclusive rights to the production of more Lego films with Universal. Images and The Lego Group; This movement will obtain more rights and brands to use in the tapes thus granting 40% of the total profits to Universal.

For that moment, the creation of a shared universe was imagined, just as they had done in Marvel or DC. The plan was to bring the characters from the five released movies together into a unique crossover movie, which ended up being released in 2022 under the name The Lego Dimensions Movie, based on the 2015 LEGO theme and video game of the same name. He initially referred to the movie franchise only as "The Lego Movie" but later used the term "LEGO Extended Univese".

In October 2022, during the New York Comic-Con Warner Animation Group together with The Lego Group held a press event to announce the titles called "Wave Two" successor to the "Wave One" content. All key decisions for the film going forward would be made by Dan Lin who would also influence as Lead Producer along with Roy Lee.

In May 2026, Warner Bros. Universal and The Lego Group sought to acquire different rights from other large companies. The transactions were completed and the acquisition of film rights from Walt Disney and Sony Pictures saw the inclusion of iconic characters such as Ghostbusters, Spider-Man, Star Wars become available, which "would create more wealth, more complex worlds and interrelated stories in LEGO pieces ". By December 2029, four projects have already been announced that would arrive within two years. Some of the first brands acquired that were integrated into the LEU were Star Wars and Ghostbusters both in their respective solo films.

Series
In 2017, Warner Bros. Animation had taken over the reins to produce a spin-off of The Lego Movie; finally created the Unikitty! which was a co-production with The Lego Group. In late 2021, Warner. Animation was set to provide more spinoff series produced in conjunction with Warner Animation Group and The Lego Group that ended up being Girls Rule, Lord of the Rings, and LEGO City Undercover, all announced in 2022 alongside the canceled LEGO Joke series. In April 2026, Emmet, a spinoff of WyldStyle, was ordered. By December 2029, all the series concluded and their production closed except Girls Rule, which ended with its seventh season in 2031. In that same year, two more series were launched as a "prologue" that were not considered as part of Wave Two. At that time, LEGO Studios, DreamWorks and Warner Animation Group focused on the next wave of series that would arrive from that moment.

The Dimensions Series
Main articles: LEGO Extended Universe: Wave One and Wave Two

Wave Three
Main article: LEGO Extended Universe: Wave Three

Future
Warner Bros. has scheduled additional release dates for the unannounced Warner Animation Group and LEGO films on May 10 and October 6, 2033 as well as July 26 and December 8, 2034.

Other Films and Cancelled Projects
Main article: Unrealized and other LEU projects

Timeline
Main Article: Timeline of LEGO Extended Universe

Cinema contracts and rights
Universal Pictures

In December 2019, Warner Bros began negotiations to redistribute upcoming film properties based on Lego toys. In January 2020, Warner Bros announced that they expected future Lego movies to be distributed this time in conjunction with Universal Pictures.

In April 2020, the agreement with Warner Bros. was established for a limited 9-year film contract with Universal Pictures, which will lend various film rights, taking 40% of the total profits.

The contract with The Lego Group was renewed in October 2028 due to the commercial success of the franchise, being limited to 11 years with Warner Bros. Universal Pictures soon rejoined as part of the deal, thus giving the company more freedom to produce the next deliveries and develop the franchise more carefully.

Walt Disney Studios

On August 18, 2027, it was revealed that Warner Bros. Universal and Lego Media had been working and negotiating with other film companies to bring various brands to LEU since at least May 2026. One of these was Walt Disney Studios.

On December 6, 2029, Warner Bros. Universal Pictures, LEGO Media and Disney announced that an agreement had been reached and that brands such as Star Wars, Marvel Super Heroes, their very own Original animated properties and Indiana Jones will now be able to be used in Warner Bros. and Universal Studios media within a limited period of time for eleven years. In addition, it was mentioned that multiple productions set in the LEU are already in production.

The first movie of the contract was "The Lego Star Wars Movie" released in 2030 and has two sequels and a spin-off scheduled in addition to other media being made to accompany them as well.

Sony Pictures

On August 18, 2027, it was revealed that Warner Bros. Universal and Lego Media had been working and negotiating with other film companies to bring various brands to LEU since at least May 2026. One of them was Sony Pictures.

In february 2029, Sony Pictures Entertainment announced that multiple properties would appear on the LEU, (The brands were specified to be: Ghostbusters, Spider Man and Jumanji, such as Men in Black, The Smurfs and Charlie's Angels as small star appearances in some films). All appearing in a ten year period with unlimited movies.

As part of the agreement, Sony Pictures would continue to finance, distribute, own and have ultimate creative control of the films.