It’s going to be close to a month now since “The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part” arrived in cinemas. And for all intents and purposes it couldn’t capture lightning in a jar like the original 2014 film did. At February’s end its global earnings amount only to $137.5 million.
Why did a numbered sequel to “The LEGO Movie,” which caused a LEGO products shortage in its release year, fail to recapture the original’s magic? Kevin Tsujihara, CEO of Warner Bros. Entertainment, talked briefly about “LEGO Movie 2” with the Los Angeles Times, revealing their animation group and WB Pictures, which co-produced and distributed the film, was just as surprised.
“It didn’t do as well as tracking would’ve suggested, which was a little puzzling,” said Tsujihara, also remarking how audiences and critics found the first movie fresh and different. Ultimately, he thinks that Warner Bros. Pictures and Warner Animation Group need to “rethink the experience.”
From Tsujihara’s quote, an optimistic reading is that this stumbling box office performance by “LEGO Movie 2” will not turn off Warner from making more. What they do need to work on is the “rethinking” of the viewing experience, which may have a good point.
Proposed reasons for “LEGO Movie 2” not clicking with the fandom created by “The LEGO Movie” include franchise fatigue. After all, there were “LEGO Batman” and “LEGO Ninjago” movies before the actual storyline sequel was announced. The studios’ choice of rehashing the original’s marketing campaign may have also significantly contributed.