‘Lego Movie’ Sequel Enlists ‘Trolls’ Director Mike Mitchell (Exclusive)

Mike Mitchell can’t stop the feeling that everything will be awesome.

The director of DreamWorks Animation’s hit Trolls has been hired to direct The Lego Movie sequel for Warner Bros. Animation.

Rob Schrab was previously named director, but sources say a parting of ways occurred due to “creative differences.”

Original Lego Movie directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller, who recently started production on the Han Solo Star Wars movie, wrote the first draft of the script, which was then re-written by Raphael Bob-Waksberg, the creator of Netflix’s animated comedy BoJack Horseman.

Dan Lin and Roy Lee are returning as producers, along with Lord and Miller.

The Lego sequel would have marked the first big feature for Schrab, who hailed largely from TV comedy, having previously directed episodes of Community, The Mindy Project and Childrens Hospital.

But the project now finds itself in assured animated and comedic hands with Mitchell, who knows his way around sequels. He made his animation debut with Shrek Forever After and followed that up with the CG/live-action hybrid movie Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked. He also worked on The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water.

Trolls really saw Mitchell come into his own with textured animation work, handling both musical sequences and madcap comedic sequences, aspects that are sure it come into play in the Lego sequel. The movie grossed almost $339 million worldwide and Mitchell found himself courted by several animation houses.

Lego Movie grossed an impressive $469 million at the global box office when it debuted in February 2014. Warner Bros. has been taking its time with the sequel, which was originally dated for May 2018, later moving back nine months to its current release date of Feb. 8, 2019.

The first Lego spinoff movie, The Lego Batman Movie, hits theaters on Feb. 10 and is tracking for a strong opening.

Mitchell, who also directed cult favorite Disney movie Sky High and Deuce Bigelow: Male Gigolo, is repped by UTA and Hansen Jacobson.