'Lego' Spinoff 'Ninjago' Set For 2016

The next building block in Warner Bros.' big-screen Lego franchise will click into place in 2016. The studio has just set a date for The Lego Movie spinoff Ninjago, directed by Charlie Bean (Tron: Uprising). Get the latest details on the project after the jump.

Warner Bros. domestic distribution president Dan Fellman said in a statement:

Following the huge success of The Lego Movie, we are very excited to build on the Lego franchise. We know there are already Ninjago collectors who can't wait to see their favorite characters on the big screen. This promises to be a terrifically fun and thrilling entry into our Fall 2016 slate, with broad audience appeal.

Ninjago has been in the works since before The Lego Movie was released. The film will be based on the popular Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitsu line of toys, which already has its own Cartoon Network series, a Nintendo DS video game, and more. It'll be set in a mythical land where ninja, samurai, and sensei fight together against dragons and snake men.

Bean will be making his feature directing debut on this film, but he'll have a very capable team backing him up. The Lego Movie producers Dan Lin and Roy Lee are also producing Ninjago, along with The Lego Movie directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller. Hopefully they'll be able to put together something that meets the sky-high bar set by the first film.

Dan and Kevin Hageman, who created the Ninjago TV series, were said to be working on the feature a while ago, but Warner Bros.' latest press release lists Bryan Shukoff and Kevin Chelsey as the screenwriters.