Warner Bros. has hired “Tron: Uprising” director Charlie Bean to build “Ninjago,” based on the popular Lego toy line and cartoon series, an individual familiar with the project has told TheWrap.
Bean will make his feature directorial debut with the family-friendly film, which is expected to find ninjas, samurais, and senseis teaming up to battle dragons and an evil warlord named Lord Gagmadon, who is desperate to reclaim power after returning from exile.
Bean steered the animated “Tron: Uprising” series, which aired for one season on Disney XD and was meant as a television follow-up to the Disney tentpole “Tron: Legacy.” It struggled with ratings but was a critical hit for its next-level look and feel, winning two Annie awards for character design and production design.
Also read: The Inside Story of How ‘TRON: Legacy’ Came True
After writing the animated series “Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu” for Cartoon Network, sibling scribes Dan Hageman and Kevin Hageman are now penning the “Ninjago” movie. The duo also received story credit on WB’s upcoming “Lego Movie.”
Dan Lin and Roy Lee are producing “Ninjago” with their “Lego Movie” directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller, whose animated film is scheduled for release on Feb. 7. Jill Wilfert will executive produce for Lego.
Bean, who is repped by Verve, has worked on past animated series such as “Dexter’s Laboratory,” “Samurai Jack” and “The Ren & Stimpy Show.”