'The LEGO Movie 2' Almost Took Place At A LEGO Convention

The setting of The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part is a drastic departure from the sunny metropolis of the first hit film. The beloved Bricksburg has been transformed into post-apocalyptic wasteland named Apocalypseburg, and Emmet, Lucy, Batman, and co. must survive the barren Mad Max-inspired environment. But The LEGO Movie 2 setting was almost completely different.

Screenwriters Phil Lord and Chris Miller, stepping down from their directorial duties for the first movie, revealed that the sequel almost took place at a LEGO convention for a large portion of the film, which would have taken the franchise's meta-humor to a whole new level. But that idea, along with several others, got scrapped on the way to the theater.

In a conversation with CinemaBlend, Lord and Miller revealed some of the ideas for The LEGO Movie 2 that were left on the cutting room floor, including "a whole set piece at a LEGO convention":

We started with this idea of, let's try to tell a story from the brother's point of view, and the sister's point of view at the same time. And see what it's like when their two imaginations happen to come together. That was sort of the basic thing. There were other thoughts in there, there was a whole set piece at a LEGO convention. But ultimately it really felt like the story needed to take place in their home. And that the stairs between the basement and the sister's room was like the main arena for them to play in. It got a bit big. And it lost the focus on this brother and sister dynamic that seemed to be the heart of the movie.

A LEGO convention set piece seems rife with meta-comedy potential, though perhaps it would have veered too far into Toy Story territory. Regardless, Apocalypseburg looks fantastic, as does the sequel's slew of new characters played by Tiffany Haddish, Stephanie Beatriz and Maya Rudolph.

Directed by Mike Mitchell, The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part hits theaters on February 8, 2019.

The citizens of Bricksburg face a dangerous new threat when LEGO DUPLO invaders from outer space start to wreck everything in their path. The battle to defeat the enemy and restore harmony to the LEGO universe takes Emmet, Lucy, Batman and the rest of their friends to faraway, unexplored worlds that test their courage and creativity.