This article chronicles the history of the depiction of Lego building toys in media franchising with emphasis on film and television co-produced by owner The Lego Group.
History Brickfilms (films using Lego) have existed since the 1970s. In 2003, Lego officially made its first collaboration to make films based on its toy property. They chose Bionicle as the property and they made a deal with Miramax to make a trilogy of Bionicle films. After the trilogy ended, a new trilogy based on Bionicle was planned with Universal Pictures after the Miramax film contract ended and the first film in the new trilogy would be titled Bionicle: The Legend Reborn, but plans broke down between Lego and Universal, resulting in the fifth film being cancelled. Another film was later released, entitled Lego: The Adventures of Clutch Powers. The film received positive reviews from fans and critics and, after the DVD release, a sequel was set to star Clutch as the hero again. A short film based on Clutch Powers was later released but a full sequel never materialized. The name "Clutch Powers" is a tribute to the term the LEGO Group uses in quality control tests to describe characteristics of the ABS plastic: "clutch power" describes the force with which studs and anti-studs adhere.
In the summer of 2009, Lego made a deal with Warner Bros. Pictures to make a film based on the property. In the same year, Lego also planned the concept for the now successful theme Lego Ninjago. In 2011, Lego released a TV series titled Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu and Ninjago series achieved popularity. A video game based on the show was later released and the show reached its planned conclusion after a two-year run.
A new show titled Legends of Chima aired in January 2013 and was intended to be Ninjago's successor. The show received mixed reviews, however, with Lego fans instead demanding the return of Ninjago. Lego revived Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu in 2014 with a new season and continued to release 1–2 seasons every year.
Initially titled Lego: The Piece of Resistance, the film was later renamed The Lego Movie by Warner Bros. and was released in February 2014. Due to the critical and commercial success of the film, it launched a franchise, and its sequel, The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part, was released five years later, while its spin-offs, The Lego Batman Movie and The Lego Ninjago Movie, were released in 2017, with an animated television series titled Unikitty! premiering in the same year. The Lego Ninjago Movie is not connected to the events shown in the television show.
In 2014, Mixels also debuted. In late 2015, Nexo Knights was introduced, replacing Legends of Chima.
In late 2016, Ninjago released a Halloween TV special for its fifth anniversary.
An additional film with Warner Bros named Billion Brick Race was planned, but cancelled in 2018 for unknown reasons. Little is known about what the film was supposed to be, with the exception of some concept artwork shared by director Jorge Gutierrez.
In March 2019, Ninjago released an 88-minute TV movie called March of the Oni on Cartoon Network, which also celebrated the 100th episode of the show. The show reached its 11th year of airing having released season 15 in 2022.
By April 2020, Universal Pictures established a five-year deal for exclusive rights for the production of further Lego films with The Lego Group; the four existing Lego films made by Warner Bros. (The Lego Movie, The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part, The Lego Batman Movie, and The Lego Ninjago Movie) would stay with that studio. This move potentially allows Universal to make Lego films based on its own catalog of properties such as Woody Woodpecker, Curious George, Jaws, Back to the Future, Jurassic Park, Fast & Furious, The Land Before Time, Despicable Me, The Secret Life of Pets, Johnny English, Sing, Bourne, Ted, Child's Play / Chucky, Shrek, Trolls, Madagascar, Kung Fu Panda, How to Train Your Dragon, The Boss Baby, Spirit, Shark Tale, The Bad Guys, Over the Hedge, Monsters vs. Aliens, Megamind, The Croods, Ruby Gillman, The Wild Robot, and Forgotten Island.
On August 5, 2022, in a podcast interview with The Ankler, Dan Lin revealed that he'll produce an upcoming Lego film that is in development, saying "We know we have to switch it up and take to a different art form that's still true to LEGO." Lin promised that the creative team had "reinvented" the Lego world for the film, but it does not yet have a release date. By July 2023, it was announced that it will be a live-action/animation hybrid similar to the films of The Lego Movie franchise, and that Aaron and Adam Nee were attached to direct the film.
In January 2024, it was announced that Pharrell Williams was making an animated biographical film of his career, titled Piece by Piece, in Lego form. It was released on October 11, 2024, by Focus Features the United States and Canada, and Universal Pictures internationally.
In October 2024, Universal Pictures confirmed the production of three new LEGO films, each directed by Jake Kasdan, Patty Jenkins, and Joe Cornish. Kasdan's film is based on an original concept by Matt Mider and Kevin Burrows, featuring a script by Andrew Mogel and Jarrad Paul. Jenkins is working with Geoff Johns to write the screenplay of her film. Cornish, in turn, is revising a draft by Heather Anne Campbell based on a treatment by Simon Rich. These films are announced to be set in live-action. A new live-action film set in the Lego Ninjago theme is also confirmed, and will be written by Dan and Kevin Hageman, who were initially the head writers of the first nine seasons of the original Ninjago television series. It remains unclear whether these films will incorporate animation in any form or be entirely live-action.
In July 2025, Kenny Ortega was announced as an executive producer to a live-action television musical based on the Lego Friends theme, set to release in 2026.
In August 2025, James Morosini was revealed to be developing a Lego film with Universal titled Inner Child from spec script originally written for live-action.
Feature films Theatrical films Year Title Co-production with Distributor Notes 2014 The Lego Movie Warner Animation GroupVillage Roadshow PicturesRatPac-Dune EntertainmentVertigo EntertainmentLin PicturesAnimal Logic Warner Bros. Pictures First installment of The Lego Movie franchise 2015 A Lego Brickumentary Global Emerging MarketsHeLo RADIUS-TWC Documentary film 2017 The Lego Batman Movie Warner Animation GroupDC EntertainmentRatPac-Dune EntertainmentLin PicturesLord Miller ProductionsVertigo EntertainmentAnimal Logic Warner Bros. Pictures Spin-offs of The Lego Movie. The Lego Ninjago Movie Warner Animation GroupRatPac-Dune EntertainmentLin PicturesLord Miller ProductionsVertigo EntertainmentAnimal Logic 2019 The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part Warner Animation GroupRidebackLord Miller ProductionsVertigo EntertainmentAnimal Logic Sequel to The Lego Movie. 2024 Piece by Piece Tremolo ProductionsI Am Other Focus Features (United States)Universal Pictures (International) Animated biographical film about Pharrell Williams. Upcoming TBA Untitled live-action/animated Lego film Rideback Universal Pictures Live-action/animated hybrid Untitled live-action Lego film directed by Jake Kasdanrowspan="5" First live-action Lego film Untitled live-action Lego film directed by Patty Jenkins Second live-action Lego film Untitled live-action Lego film directed by Joe Cornish Third live-action Lego film Untitled live-action Lego Ninjago film Fourth live-action Lego film, first live-action adaptation of Lego Ninjago themeInner Child New theatrical Lego film in development at Universal Pictures
Direct-to-video films Year Title Co-production with Distributor Notes 2003 Bionicle: Mask of Light Creative Capers EntertainmentCreate TV & Film LimitedMiramax Home Entertainment Buena Vista Home Entertainment 2004 Bionicle 2: Legends of Metru Nui Prequel to Bionicle: Mask of Light. 2005 Bionicle 3: Web of Shadows Sequel to Bionicle 2: Legends of Metru Nui. 2009 Bionicle: The Legend Reborn Tinseltown ToonsThreshold Animation Studios Universal Studios Home Entertainment 2010 Lego: The Adventures of Clutch Powers Hero Factory: Rise of the Rookies Warner Home Video Film version of episodes 1–4 of Hero Factory. 2011 Hero Factory: Savage Planet Film version of episodes 6 and 7 of Hero Factory. 2013 Lego Batman: The Movie – DC Super Heroes Unite Warner PremiereTT AnimationDC Entertainment Based on the video game Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes. Includes a Clark Kent/Superman Lego minifigure. 2015 Lego Friends: Girlz 4 Life M2 Entertainment Lego DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League vs. Bizarro League Warner Bros. AnimationDC Entertainment Includes a Batzarro Lego minifigure. Lego DC Super Heroes: Justice League – Attack of the Legion of Doom Includes a Trickster Lego minifigure. First Lego DC film based on the timeline of The New 52. 2016 Lego DC Super Heroes: Justice League – Cosmic Clash Includes a Cosmic Boy Lego minifigure. Lego Scooby-Doo! Haunted Hollywood Warner Bros. Animation Includes a Scooby-Doo Lego minifigure. Lego DC Super Heroes: Justice League – Gotham City Breakout Warner Bros. AnimationDC Entertainment Includes a Nightwing Lego minifigure. 2017 Lego Scooby-Doo! Blowout Beach Bash Warner Bros. Animation Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Lego DC Super Hero Girls: Brain Drain Warner Bros. AnimationDC Entertainment 2018 Lego DC Super Heroes: The Flash Included as part of a bundle with Lego DC Comics Super Heroes: Aquaman: Rage of Atlantis in some editions. Lego DC Super Hero Girls: Super-Villain High Lego DC Super Heroes: Aquaman – Rage of Atlantis Includes a Jessica Cruz Lego minifigure. 2019 Lego DC Batman: Family Matters Includes a Mini Ultimate Batmobile Lego vehicle. 2020 Lego DC Shazam! Magic and Monsters Includes a Shazam Lego minifigure.
Short films