Expanding the LEGO brand's cinema universe, Warner Bros. Pictures has slated the animated 3D action adventure Ninjago for release on September 23, 2016, it was announced today by Dan Fellman, President, Domestic Distribution, and Veronika Kwan Vandenberg, President, International Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures.

Ninjago is The LEGO Group's hugely popular ninja-inspired line of building sets and minifigures that have gained their own legion of fans.

The film will be directed by Charlie Bean (TV's Tron Uprising), marking his feature directorial debut. It is being produced by Dan Lin, Roy Lee, Phil Lord and Chris Miller. Lord and Miller wrote and directed the smash hit The Lego Movie, which was produced by Lin and Lee. Jill Wilfert, Seth Grahame-Smith, John Powers Middleton, James Packer and Steve Mnuchin are serving as executive producers. The screenplay is written by Bryan Shukoff and Kevin Chesley.

In making the announcement, Dan Fellman had this to say in a statement.

"Following the huge success of The Lego Movie, we are very excited to build on the LEGO franchise. We know there are already Ninjago collectors who can't wait to see their favorite characters on the big screen. This promises to be a terrifically fun and thrilling entry into our Fall 2016 slate, with broad audience appeal."

Veronika Kwan Vandenberg added her own statement.

"As proven by the worldwide popularity of The Lego Movie, we know that the LEGO characters have a global fan base. Ninjago is sure to delight international audiences of all ages with its own blend of action, adventure and humor."

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