The Lego Movie 3

The Lego Movie 3 is a 2024 American computer-animated comedy film produced by produced by Warner Animation Group and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. It is the sequel to The Lego Movie 2 (2017) and the 7th film in the LEGO Extended Universe. The film is directed and written by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, who co-wrote the script alongisde John August, and stars Chris Pratt. Elizabeth Banks, Will Arnett, Stephanie Beatriz, Alison Brie, Nick Offerman and Charley Day reprising their roles from the previous films.

Lord and Miller had discussed plans for a sequel by August 2017. The film was announced in July 2018, with Pratt and Banks in early negotiations to return. Lord and Miller wanted to differentiate the film from their previous installments, seeking to make a film inspired by the typical science fiction of the 1980s. They adapted elements of the filmography of Steven Spielberg and Star Wars. August came on board to contribute to the script in February 2020, with the casting revealed later that year. Production began in early 2021 in Vancouver, Canada, delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and wrapped through October 2023.

The Lego Movie 3 premiered in Los Angeles on January 27, 2024, and was released in the United States on February 2. The film received positive reviews for its animation, humor, tone, and voice performances.The film grossed $872 million worldwide, becoming the seventh highest-grossing film of 2024.

Cast

 * Chris Pratt as Emmet Brickowsky
 * Elizabeth Banks as Lucy / Wyldstyle
 * Will Arnett as Batman
 * Alison Brie as Unikitty
 * Charlie Day as Benny
 * Stephanie Beatriz
 * Tiffany Haddish

Development
Following the release of The Lego Movie 2, Phil Lord and Christopher Miller expressed interest in returning to direct and write a third film. By then they had discussed what they would want in a possible third film. For 2018, both prepared treatments, however, they decided to change the narrative to be a science fiction adventure that they began to develop in the following months and July 12, the film was officially announced. At that time the production was slow, due to the tight schedule of the directors. They cited a lack of time to direct and write as a reason the film's development was convoluted in the early stages.

On January 14, 2020, Warner Bros. Pictures officially a release date of February 2, 2024. Dan Lin and Roy Lee were announced as producers a month later, with Lord and Miller serving as executive producers and John August contacted to work on the story with them. By the end of June, Lord and Miller had finished a first "volume" of the script they had been working on since 2018, when they got into an argument with August about its plot, who found it interesting and striking. Later that month it was confirmed that Chris Pratt and Elizabeth Banks would be returning, reprising their lead roles from the previous films. As of July 28, Will Arnett was in final talks to play his Batman character. Over the next several weeks, Nick Offerman and Charlie Day confirmed her return and Alison Brie confirmed that she would play Unikitty in a minor role. In June 2021, it was announced that Tiffany Haddish and Stephanie Beatriz had joined the cast as two undisclosed characters, who later revealed themselves to be two girls specializing in astronomy and supernatural things, a concept that both actresses loved.

Australian animation studio Animal Logic, which contributed to the previous films, announced their cooperation on the film as part of an earlier deal. In August 2021, Lord and Miller said that they would be "bringing some eye-catching elements to the table to make the film a completely different experience from its predecessors" and described themselves as "raptured" by the film's concept. In September, Phil expanded by saying that the film would connect with Lego Dimensions (2022) but it would have a story on a much smaller scale, being able to make the characters, the story and the tone, open interpretations of the production team.

Writing
During pre-production, Lord and Miller said they wanted to set the tone of the film as a classic 1980s sci-fi movie, inspirating from classic film imagery, footage, and music, in order to set the tone of the film in a way organic. Lord and Miller began actively working on the script in April 2020. The following month in a interview, Miller described the project as a character adventure of its own, though it could also act as a follow-up to 2022's Lego Dimensions. In July, they stated that in the course of writing they turned the film's tone into "an amalgamation" of classic 70s and 80s sci-fi films, comparing them to Steven Spielberg productions, also citing films such as Star Wars, Back to the Future and ET the Extra-Terrestrial as influences, they further mentioned that the film would be "retro" in nature and have a classic-neon aesthetic.

While writing, the approach was to include exposition scenes, with each moment as a driving force in its own right. The plot of the film is mainly influenced by Alien and The Thing. The first two character-focused acts were developed, albeit in producer Lin's words "hectic, frenetic and on a grand scale throughout", with a third act featuring more over-the-top action. According to Lord, the plot of an alien invasion and science fiction setting gave them the freedom to create an almost psychotic and hallucinatory environment. According to Lord, the unnamed alien villains form a larger mythology that is explored in the film, and makes them bigger, darker, and scarier. By December 2020 the script was finished.

Animation and desing
In February 2021, production was scheduled to begin that same year at the Animal Logic studio in Vancouver, Canada and by May it entered the process after various screenings and suggestions, and a three-month evaluation.

Release
The Lego Movie 3 is scheduled to be released in the United States on February 2, 2024.