The next Batman movie won’t be a Christopher Nolan production. Instead, Lego Batman is to get his own movie, in a spinoff/crossover from the surprise hit The Lego Movie.



According to the Hollywood Reporter, Warner Bros, who own the movie rights to the Batman character and who also produced The Lego Movie, are set to go ahead with Lego Batman, and will prioritise it over The Lego Movie 2. Chris McKay, the Lego Movie animation supervisor who is down to direct the sequel, has instead been asked to take charge of Lego Batman, with a view to a 2017 release, with Lego 2 pushed back.

Will Arnett, who voiced the character in The Lego Movie, is due to take the role again. Arnett’s too-cool-for-school attitude and parody Christian Bale-esque drawl proved a hit with audiences. Seth Grahame-Smith, the writer of Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, is to take on script duties.

Lego Batman first appeared in toy form in 2006, as a licensed character in Lego construction kits, and swiftly became a successful video game. A full-length film, Lego Batman: The Movie – DC Super Heroes Unite, was released in 2013 as a game spinoff. The Lego Movie took $480m (£301m) at the worldwide box office when it was released earlier this year.