LEGO Movie 2 to tackle gender differences, Lord & Miller to rewrite script

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

While it certainly is a shame that THE LEGO MOVIE directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller won't be returning to helm the follow-up film, fans of the build-a-brick toy can rest easy knowing that the pair have remained on the project to continue their efforts in writing and producing THE LEGO MOVIE SEQUEL. Recently, during a press event for THE LEGO NINJAGO MOVIE, Christina Radish of Collider chatted with producers Dan Lin and Chris McKay, and learned an interesting thing or two about the forthcoming LEGO adventure.

For starters, THE LEGO MOVIE SEQUEL will reportedly focus on the subject of gender issues, or, to be more specific, how boys and girls play with one another. If you remember the final act of the original film, it's revealed that Finn, the movie's 8-year-old protagonist, is instructed to share his toys with his Duplo-loving little sister. This setup will provide LEGO with a unique opportunity to build off of that narrative, and frame the sister as a partner in imagination rather than an antagonist. Personally, I like this idea a great deal, and I think it's admirable of LEGO to tackle the age-old battle of Boys versus Girls toys. In modern times, the "pink aisle" has truly become something of a nuisance, and if LEGO can help in spreading the word that all toys are created equal, then all the power to them.

While speaking with Lin and McKay, Radish was able to learn where the sequel is headed, and how the events of the original film will serve as a springboard for the sequel:

Lin: We are going to The LEGO Movie 2. The team is all back together, so it’s [Phil] Lord and [Chris] Miller, myself and Chris McKay. Mike Mitchell is the new voice who’s coming in to direct the movie. Chris and Phil are rewriting the script right now, but we’re in production. We’re picking up where the first movie left us, where the Duplo have now come and they’re attacking Bricksburg. It’s several years later, and you’re going to see the result of that.

As a point of reference, Duplo is the infant-equivalent of the widely-popular LEGO toy. They're made larger than the LEGO brick so that younger children wont choke on them. The over-sized brick also makes for easy handling when toddlers allow their imaginations to run wild.

McKay: The Duplo represents Finn’s sister, Finn being the little boy from the live-action. The Duplo is her. The man upstairs said, “You’ve gotta play with your sister. That’s the thing you’ve gotta promise me. I’ll let you play with my world, but now you’ve gotta let your sister come in and play with your world.” Now, she’s coming in, and that’s the major thing that the movie is about. What’s different and similar about gender, when a boy plays vs. how a girl plays? What kinds of stories are there? Chris and Phil are super fucking smart and really thoughtful and sensitive writers.

The kinds of questions and the interesting ideas that they’re getting into with this movie, it’s going to be like the first LEGO Movie was, where it’s about something else that’s really profound. I’m really excited about where the movie is gonna go because it’s about these things that are actual notions that people have that might even be unconscious biases, where people don’t even realize that that’s the way they’re looking at the world. You can do that in a movie like this, and still have it be a great musical with fun songs, and have action and all of the other crazy things we’re gonna get into with that movie. It’s gonna be a really special movie.

It should be interesting to see what Lord and Miller churn out, as the subject of trying to talk about how girls play versus the way boys do (from the perspective of two grown men) will be divisive regardless of how much care is taken. With that said, I think the subject matter is important, and I'm very excited to see what the duo produce as their pens hit paper (or keys translate to screen).

Lin: Every one of our movies, so far, have been told from the point of view of one kid’s imagination. The LEGO Movie 2 will be the first one told through two kids’ imaginations – Finn and his sister. It’s going to be really interesting juxtaposing those two different visions.

For now, it looks as if THE LEGO MOVIE SEQUEL is on a mission to not only be a successful continuation to the original but a film that carries an impactful message as well. I'm genuinely curious to discover the manner in which they address a gender norm as old as time, and will be overjoyed if the film's message of unity is strong enough to leave a lasting impression on its audience. We'll know for sure when THE LEGO MOVIE SEQUEL hits theaters on February 8, 2019.