The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part

The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part
Company type	Film
Industry	Animation, Entertainment
Founded	2019; 7 years ago
Key people	Mike Mitchell (director), Phil Lord (screenplay), Christopher Miller (screenplay)
Products	Animated film

The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part is a 2019 animated adventure comedy helmed by director Mike Mitchell with a screenplay by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller. As the fourth installment in The Lego Movie series, it features returning voices from Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks, Will Arnett, Charlie Day, Alison Brie, and Nick Offerman, alongside newcomers such as Tiffany Haddish, Stephanie Beatriz, and Maya Rudolph. Set five years following the original film, the narrative follows Emmet Brickowski, Lucy, and their companions as they journey through the Systar System while Emmet confronts an impending catastrophe known as "Armamageddon."

Work on the sequel commenced in February 2014, originally with director Chris McKay. Writers Lord and Miller returned, but McKay was replaced by Rob Schrab in 2015. Subsequently, Mike Mitchell took over directing duties in 2017 due to creative disagreements. Production began in October 2017, with most of the initial cast rejoining by mid-2018, complemented by new voice actors. Animation was produced by Animal Logic, maintaining consistency with previous franchise entries. The musical score was composed once again by Mark Mothersbaugh, featuring original songs contributed by artists including Dillon Francis, Beck, Robyn, and The Lonely Island.

The film premiered in Los Angeles on February 2, 2019, followed by its U.S. release on February 8. It garnered generally favorable critical reception. Despite earning $199.6 million globally against a $99 million budget, it marked the franchise’s second underperforming box office result after The Lego Ninjago Movie.

Plot

Following the destruction of the Kragle through the Piece of Resistance, alien Duplo invaders enter the Lego world threatening devastation. Emmet constructs a heart as a gesture of goodwill; however, one Duplo consumes it and demands more. Interpreting this as an act of aggression, Lucy and the Master Builders retaliate by attacking Bricksburg.

Five years later, Finn has transformed Bricksburg into Apocalypseburg. The city endures ongoing Duplo assaults, with several friends missing after venturing to locate the Duplo home planet. While Lucy and others grow pessimistic, Emmet remains hopeful but experiences visions foretelling "Armamageddon."

A mini-doll named General Sweet Mayhem arrives, abducting Emmet’s friends and delivering them to Queen Watevra Wa'Nabi, sovereign of the shape-shifting Systar System. Emmet attempts to persuade the Master Builders to mount a rescue mission; however, they doubt his resolve and decline. Determined, Emmet constructs a spaceship to follow Mayhem through the "Stairgate." Meanwhile, Watevra appears to indoctrinate Emmet’s friends into embracing her realm’s happiness and persuades Batman to wed her to unify the Lego, Mini-doll, and Duplo worlds. Lucy alone remains doubtful.

Emmet's vessel suffers damage near an asteroid belt but is rescued by adventurer Rex Dangervest. Rex offers assistance and escorts Emmet to the Systar System. During their journey, Emmet attempts to acquire Rex’s "Master Breaker" skills. They reunite with Lucy and uncover the marriage scheme, suspecting it conceals Armamageddon.

At the wedding ceremony, Emmet, Rex, and Lucy separate to disrupt it. Mayhem insists that the union will avert Armamageddon and reveals their genuine intentions to Lucy. Watevra unveils her true identity: she is the heart Emmet gifted to the Duplo invaders. Realizing Mayhem’s truthfulness, Lucy tries to halt Emmet; however, he destroys the event with a Master Breaker punch. In reality, Finn discovers his sister Bianca has taken his Lego figures and smashes her wedding creation in frustration. Emmet acknowledges his error but is captured by Rex—who discloses he is a future version of Emmet embittered by neglect and determined to bring about Armamageddon. When Emmet refuses to abandon his friends, Rex knocks him under a dryer, trapping him in time.

In reality, Finn and Bianca’s mother reprimands them for years of quarrelling and orders their Lego toys placed into a storage container as punishment; Lucy identifies this as Armamageddon—"our mama gets in." Within the Lego world, dimensions begin collapsing as everyone is drawn into a dark void inside the container.

Finn finds fragments of Watevra’s form—a heart he had given Bianca long ago—and they reconcile, resuming play together. Inspired by this reunion, Lucy and others escape from the container and reconstruct Watevra’s realm while combating raptors. Lucy rescues Emmet from Rex and destroys Rex’s time machine. Emmet accepts that he will never be like Rex; Rex glitches away after encouraging him to remain true to himself, resolving a time paradox.

Batman marries Watevra; Finn and Bianca return to normal life with their Lego toys restored. Their mother watches contentedly as they play together. The Lego universe is reborn as Syspocalypstar—a fusion of Apocalypseburg and Systar System. Upon rebuilding Emmet’s home, Lucy surprises him with the original "Everything Is Awesome" album she helped create.

Cast

Chris Pratt portrays Emmet Brickowski, an ordinary construction worker from Bricksburg who is also a Master Builder and Lucy's partner.
- Additionally, he lends his voice to Rex Dangervest, a self-styled "galaxy-defender, archaeologist, cowboy, and raptor trainer," who is revealed as Emmet’s nihilistic future incarnation, inspired by Pratt's well-known roles.
Elizabeth Banks plays Lucy / Wyldstyle, a Master Builder and Emmet's girlfriend.
Will Arnett takes on the role of Bruce Wayne / Batman, a DC Comics superhero, Master Builder, and Wyldstyle’s former boyfriend.
Tiffany Haddish voices Queen Watevra Wa'Nabi, an alien queen from the Systar System who can shapeshift and was created by Emmet as a heart-shaped figure.
Stephanie Beatriz portrays General Sweet Mayhem, a mini-doll serving as the naval commander and law enforcer under Queen Watevra Wa'Nabi.
Charlie Day is Benny, a Master Builder obsessed with spaceships from the 1980s era, distinguished by his metallic arm.
Alison Brie voices Princess Unikitty / Ultrakatty, a unicorn-horned cat Master Builder capable of transforming into a giant "Ultrakatty" during battles.
Nick Offerman plays MetalBeard, a large robotic pirate Master Builder whose head is detached after losing his body to Lord Business’ forces.
Jadon Sand portrays Finn, a teenager whose creativity drives the events within the Lego universe.
Brooklynn Prince acts as Bianca, Finn’s younger sister whose actions trigger the Duplo alien invasion of Bricksburg.
Maya Rudolph voices Mom, mother to Finn and Bianca, who inadvertently causes "Armamageddon."
Will Ferrell returns as President Business, the former Octan president and antagonist from the first film.
- He also provides the voice for The Man Upstairs, father to Finn and Bianca and a Lego collector; this character appears only through off-screen voiceovers accompanied by photographic references.
Richard Ayoade is "Ice Cream Cone," an assistant to Queen Watevra Wa'Nabi in the Systar System.
Channing Tatum portrays Superman, DC Comics superhero and Master Builder.
Jonah Hill voices Green Lantern, another DC Comics superhero and Master Builder.
Cobie Smulders appears as Wonder Woman, Amazon ambassador and Master Builder.
Jason Momoa reprises his DC Extended Universe role as Aquaman, ruler of Atlantis and Master Builder.
Margot Rubin plays Harley Quinn, a criminal from Gotham City and Master Builder; she also voices several minor characters including Susan, Mermaid, Wonder Woman mini-doll, and Panda from Apocalypseburg.
Ike Barinholtz is cast as Lex Luthor, the DC Comics villain who becomes a brainwashed ally of Superman under Queen Watevra Wa'Nabi’s control.
Ralph Fiennes voices Alfred Pennyworth, Batman’s devoted butler and Master Builder.
Will Forte portrays Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States and Master Builder.
Bruce Willis appears as himself in multiple scenes, including nods to his John McClane character from the Die Hard series.
Ben Schwartz lends his voice to Banarnar, a sentient banana peel jester from the Systar System.
Jimmy O. Yang plays Zebe, a lavender-black zebra bus driver within the Systar System.
Noel Fielding is Balthazar, a teenage vampire DJ with a sparkling face from Sparkle planet in the Systar System; this character references The Twilight Saga’’’s Edward Cullen.
Jorma Taccone voices Larry Poppins, the male counterpart to Mary Poppins.
Gary Payton and Sheryl Swoopes appear as themselves in Lego caricature form as basketball players encountered in Apocalypseburg.
Trisha Gum portrays Velma Dinkley from the Scooby-Doo franchise.
Todd Hansen provides voices for Gandalf from Middle-earth and The Swamp Creature from Lego Monster Fighters, both returning Master Builders from the first movie.
Doug Nicholas voices Chainsaw Dave, an Apocalypseburg resident previously known as Surfer Dave.
Mike Mitchell contributes multiple voices including Sherry Scratchen-Post (a cat lady), royal guard for Queen Watevra Wa'Nabi, an octopus masseur named "Eight," a Harmony Town citizen, wedding scene announcer, and Apocalypseburg warrior.
Christopher Miller voices Chad (the Pop-Up Party Bus DJ), a horse, a talking chocolate bar resident of Systar System, Plantimals near Harmony Town jungles, and Paper Boy from Harmony Town.

Emily Nordwind appears as Cleopatra, Egyptian queen and Master Builder.
Chris McKay plays Larry, a barista in Apocalypseburg.
Ralph Halprin provides the voice for Dolphin Clock, an orbiting clock in the Systar System inspired by Bianca’s actual clock.

Brief appearances include returning characters Bad Cop / Good Cop (Scribble Cop) and Vitruvius’ ghost with uncredited voice actors substituting for Liam Neeson and Morgan Freeman respectively.

Production

Development

On February 3, 2014, Jared Stern and Michelle Morgan were brought on board to write the follow-up installment. By March 12, 2014, Chris McKay was announced as the film's director, with Phil Lord and Christopher Miller attached as producers. McKay sought to increase female representation in the sequel. In July of that year, Chris Pratt showed interest in returning as Emmet, while Will Arnett remained uncertain about reprising his role as Batman.

Warner Bros. set release dates for The Lego Batman Movie on May 26, 2017, and scheduled The Lego Movie 2 for May 25, 2018. In October 2014, Lord and Miller committed to writing the sequel. Concurrently, Australian animation studio Animal Logic entered negotiations to handle production for the next three Lego films with financial backing from the New South Wales government. Lord and Miller also confirmed intentions to introduce additional female characters.

By February 2015, the sequel adopted the working title The Lego Movie Sequel, with Rob Schrab stepping in as director after McKay transitioned to helm The Lego Batman Movie. The initial script draft was completed by November 2015. Further rewrites were contributed by Raphael Bob-Waksberg, Dominic Russo, and Matthew Fogel. Early in 2017, creative disagreements led to Mike Mitchell replacing Schrab as director. Production commenced in Canada on October 2, 2017.

Producer Dan Lin revealed that Lord and Miller continued script revisions during filming and that the sequel would feature more musical numbers to emulate the success of Disney hits like Frozen and Moana.

The production employed Animal Logic’s enhanced trace renderer technology called Glimpse, which improved visual detail and depth-of-field effects. Director Miller dedicated the movie to his mother, Charlotte "Charie" Miller, who passed away in December 2018 shortly before the film’s release.

Writing

The storyline of The Lego Movie 2 centers on Bianca, Finn’s toddler sister, who integrates Duplo blocks alongside other materials such as fabric and paper into her imaginative creations. This approach challenged animators to portray these elements authentically as if manipulated by a child using stop-motion techniques. To depict Bianca’s play environments like the "Systar System," new animation methods were developed that incorporated reduced frame rates in certain sequences.

The movie features characters from the Lego Friends series targeted at girls, including mini-dolls like General Sweet Mayhem. Unlike standard Lego mini-figures, these mini-dolls have limited joint articulation, prompting the animation team to devise inventive solutions accommodating their movement restrictions. This was especially demanding during a musical sequence involving choreography tailored to fit the mini-dolls’ physical constraints.

Directors Lord and Miller conceptualized each Lego Movie as existing within a child's imaginative world that merges real-life elements with Lego creations. For this sequel, both Finn’s and Bianca’s imaginations shape various scenes; some moments are deliberately left ambiguous regarding whose perspective is portrayed to add narrative depth.

An unexpected inclusion is a minifigure representing Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a cameo approved by Ginsburg herself though she did not provide voice acting. This choice aligns with the filmmakers’ intent to introduce unique cultural figures that enhance appeal and relevance.

Casting

On March 23, 2018, it was announced that Tiffany Haddish would lend her voice to a new principal character, joining returning cast members such as Chris Pratt as Emmet, Elizabeth Banks as Wyldstyle, Will Arnett as Batman, Channing Tatum as Superman, and Jonah Hill as Green Lantern. In June 2018, Stephanie Beatriz and Arturo Castro were revealed to be part of the cast; however, Castro was ultimately replaced by Richard Ayoade in the final version of the film. At San Diego Comic-Con 2018, Pratt disclosed that he would also voice a new character named Rex Dangervest, inspired by himself. Later in November 2018, Maya Rudolph joined the ensemble.

In early January 2019, Jason Momoa returned to reprise his role as Aquaman from the DC Extended Universe. Initially, Gal Gadot was slated to return as Wonder Woman, taking over from Cobie Smulders, but Smulders eventually resumed the role prior to the film’s release.

Daniel Radcliffe was originally cast to voice Larry Potter, a character resembling Harry Potter; however, his scene was removed to avoid upsetting fans of the Harry Potter series. This part was replaced by Larry Poppins, a character inspired by another iconic British figure.

Music

Building on the popularity of "Everything Is Awesome" from the original movie, the sequel introduced a similarly infectious tune titled "Catchy Song," featuring the repetitive lyric "This song's gonna get stuck inside your head." Composed by Jon Lajoie and performed by Dillon Francis, featuring vocals from T-Pain and Alaya High (also known as That Girl Lay Lay), the track aimed to surpass its predecessor’s memorable catchiness. Returning composer Mark Mothersbaugh, who scored both the first film and The Lego Ninjago Movie, contributed again to this installment. Both the soundtrack and score albums were released by WaterTower Music on February 7, 2019, ahead of the movie’s debut.

Songs

Everything Is Awesome (Tween Dream Remix) — performed by Garfunkel and Oates with Eban Schletter
5:15 — performed by General Sweet Mayhem (Stephanie Beatriz)
Welcome to the Systar System — performed by Yossi Guetta, Esther Guetta, and Fiora Cutler
Not Evil — performed by Queen Watevra Wa'Nabi (Tiffany Haddish)
Catchy Song — performed by Dillon Francis featuring T-Pain and Alaya High
Gotham City Guys — performed by Queen Watevra Wa'Nabi (Tiffany Haddish) and Batman (Will Arnett)
Everything's Not Awesome — performed by The Lego Movie Cast
Super Cool — performed by Beck featuring Robyn and The Lonely Island
Come Together Now — performed by Matt and Kim
Hello Me and You — performed by Superorganism

Marketing and release

The promotional budget for The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part reached $100 million, with advertising collaborations involving brands such as Chevrolet, Chiquita, McDonald's, Discover Card, and Turkish Airlines. Additionally, Lego launched several building sets inspired by scenes from the film to expand its product offerings tied to the franchise. Warner Bros. released a holiday-themed short titled Emmet's Holiday Party in December 2018. The accompanying The Lego Movie 2 Videogame was made available across multiple platforms in February 2019.

The movie had its premiere on February 2, 2019, at Los Angeles’ Regency Village Theatre. Originally planned for release on May 26, 2017, its date was postponed several times before finally opening on February 8, 2019 (with an earlier debut in Denmark). Warner Bros. Home Entertainment issued a digital release on April 16, 2019, followed by DVD, Blu-ray, and 4K editions on May 7. These home releases included bonus content such as behind-the-scenes featurettes, audio commentary tracks, deleted scenes, and the short Emmet's Holiday Party.

Reception

Box office

The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part accumulated $105.9 million domestically in the United States and Canada, alongside $93.6 million from international markets, bringing its global total to $199.6 million. This performance marked it as the franchise's second notable box-office underachievement following The Lego Ninjago Movie (2017).

Debuting on February 8, 2019, the film opened concurrently with What Men Want, Cold Pursuit, and The Prodigy. Initial forecasts estimated an opening weekend revenue of $50–55 million across 4,276 theaters. However, after earning $8.5 million on its first day, projections were revised downward to approximately $31 million. Ultimately, the film launched with $34.1 million from 4,303 venues, securing the top spot at the box office. This figure was 69% greater than The Lego Ninjago Movie but fell short by 50% compared to The Lego Movie and by 35% relative to The Lego Batman Movie, representing the franchise's second-lowest opening weekend.

According to Deadline Hollywood, the diminished returns were attributed to audience fatigue stemming from two preceding spin-offs and Warner Bros.’ reliance on marketing tactics similar to those used for the original film, which caused viewers to regard the sequel as lacking originality. The movie concluded its North American theatrical engagement on May 9, 2019.

Critical response

On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, a majority of critics offered positive evaluations, resulting in an average score reflecting generally favorable opinions. The site's critical consensus reads: "Though it does not quite match the enjoyment of its predecessor, The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part comfortably fits within an animated franchise that delivers heart and humor for all ages." Meanwhile, Metacritic assigned the film a weighted average score of 65 out of 100 based on 52 critic reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews." Audience feedback collected by CinemaScore yielded an average grade of "A−," slightly lower than the original film's "A," while PostTrak awarded it four out of five stars. Social media analytics firm RelishMix reported overwhelmingly positive online reactions.

Jesse Hassenger of The A.V. Club described the movie as "endearing," giving it a B rating and commenting that it follows a dazzling original with ambitious ideas that do not quite achieve the same polished effect. Yolanda Machado from TheWrap commended both the screenplay and direction, noting how the film broadens the LEGO universe through new settings and characters while delivering a clever, timely narrative suitable for viewers of all ages.

Chris Nashawaty of Entertainment Weekly considered it superior to many sequels but felt it did not recapture the novelty of its predecessor, summarizing that "Everything is still awesome. Just a little bit less so." In his review for The Hollywood Reporter, Michael Rechtshaffen observed that despite being penned by original creators Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, the film offered "little that's fresh or funny." Betsy Bozdech from Common Sense Media awarded four out of five stars, stating that while the sequel remains "definitely better than the average kids' movie," it does not quite reach the impact of the original.

Accolades

The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part earned nominations for Best Animated/Family Film at several award ceremonies including the Golden Trailer Awards, Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards, and People's Choice Awards. It secured a win at the Movieguide Awards. Performances by Chris Pratt and Tiffany Haddish received nods at the Kids' Choice Awards, with Pratt also nominated at the People's Choice Awards. At the 3rd Hollywood Critics Association Film Awards, its song "Catchy Song" was shortlisted for Best Original Song. Additionally, the film received a nomination for Outstanding Visual Effects in an Animated Feature at the 18th Visual Effects Society Awards.

Future

Potential continuation

On February 7, 2019, Chris Pratt unveiled his vision for a prospective third installment, tentatively named The Lego Movie 3: The Third Part, during an interview with Moviefone.

Agreement with Universal Pictures

Following the disappointing box office results of The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part, Warner Bros. allowed their rights to produce Lego films to lapse in the fall of 2019. Subsequently, on December 19, 2019, Universal Pictures initiated preliminary discussions with Lego about securing a new first-look agreement. Dan Lin, who produced the earlier Lego movies through Rideback, is anticipated to remain involved as producer.

By April 23, 2020, Universal had finalized a five-year contract to develop and distribute upcoming Lego movies incorporating its own franchises and characters. Nevertheless, Warner Bros. continues to hold the rights to the original The Lego Movie characters and related properties.

Untitled live-action/animated Lego project

On August 5, 2022, Dan Lin disclosed in a podcast that a fresh Lego film was underway, promising a complete departure from the previous theatrical Lego productions by Warner Bros. The creative team intends to "change direction and explore a different artistic style" while staying faithful to the core Lego identity. On July 18, 2023, directors Aaron and Adam Nee were announced as attached to the project, which is confirmed to be a live-action/animated hybrid akin to Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

Piece by Piece

On January 26, 2024, Universal Pictures along with Focus Features revealed plans for Piece by Piece, an animated Lego film directed by Morgan Neville. The movie depicts the life and career of musician Pharrell Williams, who also served as producer and star. A collaborative production involving The Lego Group, Tremolo Productions, I Am Other, Pure Imagination Studios, and Tongal, it debuted in theaters on October 11, 2024.

Multiple untitled live-action Lego films

On October 31, 2024, Universal announced development of three new live-action Lego movies helmed by Jake Kasdan, Patty Jenkins, and Joe Cornish. Kasdan’s film is inspired by an original idea from Matt Mider and Kevin Burrows with a screenplay by Andrew Mogel and Jarrad Paul. Jenkins is co-writing her script alongside Geoff Johns, while Cornish is revising Heather Anne Campbell’s draft based on a treatment by Simon Rich.

Untitled live-action Lego Ninjago film

Also revealed on October 31, 2024, is a live-action adaptation of Lego Ninjago currently in development. Dan and Kevin Hageman—writers of the original Ninjago television series and co-authors of The Lego Ninjago Movie screenplay—are attached as scriptwriters.