Is The LEGO Movie Franchise In Trouble?
This past weekend saw the release of The LEGO Ninjago Movie, the latest film in the LEGO Movie franchise. If you didn’t realize it hit theaters, you weren’t alone. The marketing for it wasn’t so hot, and when all said and done, it made just over $20 million, a far cry from what the studio was hoping, or even what trackers were thinking it would make.
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What’s more, it marked yet another notch down in performance from its predecessors, The LEGO Movie and The LEGO Batman Movie. From a business perspective, this is a trend that is less than appealing for Warner Bros., and with that in mind, we can’t help but wonder if the LEGO Movie franchise is in trouble.
So let’s take a trip down memory lane with this franchise, and figure out if this performance for LEGO Ninjago is one that the studio should actually be concerned about.
The LEGO Movie
A few years back, it was revealed that Warner Bros. would be making a LEGO Movie. This was an idea that was understandably met with a whole lot of ridicule from all over Hollywood. What story could they possibly tell about LEGOs that could have any merit? Was the industry so devoid of ideas that they had to stoop so low as to making a film about kid building block toys?
Apparently so.
But, we had our collective mouths shut when we actually sat down and watched The LEGO Movie. Not only was it a smart and funny film, but it actually succeeded on an emotional level, with its third act having a heart-wrenching twist that few saw coming.
Audiences responded in droves, and the film made a strong $69 million on its opening weekend, and went on to make $469 million worldwide. Not a bad run for a movie we were ready to hate from day one.
The LEGO Batman Movie
Even though The LEGO Movie had managed to shatter our expectations, going into The LEGO Batman Movie, I wasn’t so sure. Batman was a fun side character in the previous film, and I didn’t really see him capable of actually carrying his own movie.
His character was a huge tool, and in my mind, I always thought of him as “Batman if is parents didn’t actually die.” Whereas Bruce Wayne usually embodies the playboy stereotype as a cover, this Batman seemed to genuinely be that douchey playboy. He was funny, but I thought his schtick would get old very quickly.
Again, I was wrong.
The film was arguably as good as the first LEGO Movie, albeit in a different way. This one played out more as a Batman parody film than just a LEGO film, and it also managed to hit all the right emotional beats — all while paying unparalleled homage to the Caped Crusader and his decades long history.
Critics agreed. The film was another success for Warner Bros., settling in at a comfortable 91 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. However, while it was a success critically, it was a step down at the box office.
It started its run lower than its predecessor, taking in $52 million off its $80 million budget. The film went on to make $311 million.
It was by no means a flop, but after the performance of that last one — along with the branding of Batman, we wouldn’t blame them if they were hoping to see it knock up the box office performance a few notches.
Again, this movie still made plenty of money, but already, signs of a declining franchise made themselves known, and the next film wouldn’t have the Batman branding to fall back on.
NEXT PAGE: The LEGO Ninjago Movie, And Where Warner Bros. Should Go Next –>
The LEGO Ninjago Movie
If The LEGO Movie could be seen as both a critical and box office success, the same could be said of The LEGO Batman Movie. However, there’s no denying that it was a significant step down box office-wise. But if we are to get cynical about that aspect, we can always point to the glowing reviews surrounding it as a defense.
The LEGO Ninjago Movie doesn’t have that. In addition to being the lowest performing film, it also marks the first entry in the franchise to be declared “Rotten” on Rotten Tomatoes. So whereas Batman was a step down financial, LEGO Ninjago was a step down both creatively and financially.
Where Warner Bros. Should Go Next — LEGO Movie 2?
While things aren’t looking super hot at this point, let’s be realistic. With The LEGO Movie costing around $70 million and The LEGO Batman Movie costing $80 million, there’s a good chance that The LEGO Ninjago Movie cost around the same, or perhaps even less. Let’s say maybe $70 million. So long as it makes in the neighborhood of $130 million worldwide, it’ll more than be in the clear from a money standpoint.
So while I don’t think Warner Bros. will be celebrating this one as much, I don’t think it’ll break their bank. Losses, if any, will be minimal. However, this is still a chance for them to rethink the rest of the franchise. They can’t ignore this downward spiral. But does this mean they should outright cancel the rest of the films?
The next LEGO Movie slated is The LEGO Movie 2 in 2019. No, I don’t think they should cancel it at this point, because in this age of shared universes, many audiences will likely realize that, unlike those other two movies, this one will actually continue the story with Emmet. Plus, they’re likely already waist-deep in production, and shutting it down would likely result in more loss than gain. But they do need to re-assess how they release these movies in the future. With the success of the first film, they seemed to think they could continue on in the vein of the MCU or DCEU.
Yes, the possibilities are endless with LEGOs, but unlike Marvel Studios or DC, the mythology isn’t as extensive. Nor is its fan base as big. Now that they’ve tested the waters with two side movies, it seems like the market has spoken. There’s only so much room for LEGO movies at a Hollywood level. They may as well stick to the old Hollywood model of making them one at a time, every couple years so that audiences don’t start getting sick of them. Because if they continue churning out a couple a year — or even one every year — this downward trend will only continue.
As LEGO Batman proved, audiences only have so much tolerance for certain brands, even if the movies are actually very good.
But what do you think? Do you agree? Or do you think the market has room for more Batman in their lives? Let us know your thoughts down below!
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