Full press release below…
Director Rob Schrab (‘Community,’ ‘Parks and Recreation’) will mark his feature directorial debut overseeing construction on ‘The LEGO Movie Sequel,’ the eagerly awaited follow-up to the worldwide sensation ‘The LEGO Movie.’ The announcement was made by Greg Silverman, President of Creative Development and Worldwide Production, Warner Bros. Pictures.
Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, who wrote and directed ‘The LEGO Movie,’ are writing the new feature based on a story by Lord, Miller, Jared Stern and Michelle Morgan. In addition, Lord and Miller will serve as producers, alongside returning producers Dan Lin and Roy Lee.
Chris McKay (‘Robot Chicken’) was initially set to direct the sequel, but left to take the helm of the studio’s ‘LEGO Batman’ spinoff.
Silverman stated, “’The LEGO Movie’ captivated critics and audiences on a global scale with its irresistible blend of humour, imagination and fun. Warner Bros. is excited to build our relationship with The LEGO Group with this new adventure, and we join them in welcoming the multi-talented Rob Schrab to the LEGO family as he takes the helm of ‘The LEGO Movie Sequel.’”
In a joint statement, Lord and Miller said, “We are so excited to collaborate with Rob. He is a comedy genius, a visual savant, and we have been stalking him for years. No one works harder than Rob, and his aesthetic, combined with his sense of humour, bring a strong, unique, thoughtful, and passionately nerdy voice to this project. People who know him are slapping their foreheads today and saying, ‘Of course!’”
Schrab has recently directed episodes of such hit series as ‘Community,’ ‘The Mindy Project’ and ‘Parks and Recreation.’ He also wrote, directed and executive produced ‘The Sarah Silverman Program,’ for which he gained a WGA Award nomination. He previously earned a 2007 Annie Award nomination for Best Writing in an Animated Feature Production, for the Oscar-nominated comedy ‘Monster House.’ In addition, he won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics, and received an additional nomination for Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Special for his work on the 81st Annual Academy Awards.
‘The LEGO Movie Sequel’ is another piece of the Studio’s growing LEGO film franchise, also including the upcoming ‘Ninjago,’ slated for a September 23, 2016, release, and an as-yet-untitled BatmanTM LEGO feature, due out in May 2017.