Chris McKay Will Direct the “LEGO Movie” Sequel

Continuing the inexplicable trend of people named Chris directing animated features, Chris McKay, the animation co-director of The LEGO Movie, will direct the film’s sequel, which is currently set for a May 26, 2017 release. McKay, a veteran stop motion director of the TV series Robot Chicken and Moral Orel, played a key role in achieving the animation style of the original film.

The sequel is being written by Jared Stern (The Internship) and Michelle Morgan (Girl Most Likely). LEGO Movie directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller will return as two of the sequel’s producers. They pulled a similar move at Sony, where after directing Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, they wrote and exec produced the sequel.

Warner Bros. is also reportedly considering a LEGO spinoff film that focuses on their Ninjago toyline, which has already spawned a Cartoon Network TV series. News of McKay’s hiring was originally announced by Deadline.