Although The LEGO Ninjago Movie doesn't hit theaters until next September, fans can get their first look at one of the new characters, Jackie Chan's Master Wu right here. A new clip has debuted from a short film entitled The Master: A Lego Ninjago Short, which will be attached to prints of Storks, in theaters September 23. This clip features Master Wu, a highly-trained martial arts master, seemingly meeting his match, by squaring off against a chicken.
This animated short follows The Master as he tries to fight this plastic chicken, voiced by Broad City star Abbi Jacobson who also voices Nya in the Lego Ninjago movie. While we don't hear any narration in this clip, which comes courtesy of USA Today, the short is narrated by Justin Theroux who voices the villain Garmadon in The Lego Ninjago Movie. Here's what director Jon Saunders, who also co-wrote The Master with Ross Evans, had to say about Master Wu.
"My writing partner and I went really off the wall showing Master Wu desperately wanting to star in his own short film, but this chicken keeps coming in and not allowing him to have his moment."
The animated short film also changes up the animation format of these Lego movies. The Lego Movie was animated to look like the entire universe was made up of LEGO bricks, but director Jon Saunders revealed he used "animated greenery" and floating clouds, "to introduce the idea you're now in the backyard playing with Legos." The director also revealed that Abbi Jacobson was given a number of unconventional directions for her chicken clucking scenes.
"Abbi put up with absurd directions such as 'Bock like a chicken running through a field about to embrace a lover' Or 'Bock like a chicken as if your heart has been broken.' Stuff like that."
The director also revealed that Jackie Chan was a "good sport," since he had to do some own clucking himself, when the chicken subjects Wu to a "fowl beating." We don't know exactly how long this short will be, or if there are plans for more Lego Ninjago short films between now and the September 22, 2017 release date. Here's what director Jon Saunders had to say about the message this short conveys.
"It's control vs. chaos. Wu is this character very much in control of his entire world, almost obsessive-compulsive (about) maintaining perfect order. Chicken is free-flow and chaos. When Master Wu accepts that it's OK his temple got ruined, that nothing is perfect, that's when they come into harmony."
In addition to the clip, we also have five new photos from The Master: A Lego Ninjago Short, which you can check out below the clip. The LEGO Ninjago Movie voice cast also includes Dave Franco as Lloyd, Olivia Munn as Koko, Lloyd's mom, Fred Armisen as Cole, Kumail Nanjiani as Jay, Michael Peña as Kai and Zach Woods as Zane. Take a look at the clip and photos from The Master: A Lego Ninjago Short, and stay tuned for more on The LEGO Ninjago Movie.
