Keanu Reeves steps into the Lego world

Keanu Reeves is in talks to lead a new Lego movie at Universal, reuniting with Toy Story 4 director Josh Cooley for what would be a live-action and animated hybrid adventure.

Cooley and Reeves previously worked together on Toy Story 4, in which Reeves voiced Duke Caboom, the daredevil Canadian stuntman action figure. 

The new untitled project would bring the pair back together, though it remains unclear whether Reeves would appear on screen, voice a character, or both. 

Plot details, fellow cast members and a screenwriter have yet to be confirmed. 

Universal declined to comment.

The project comes with some urgency behind it. Universal acquired the Lego film rights in 2020 and has since announced several live-action projects, none of which ultimately came to fruition. 

According to Deadline, which broke the news, Universal is pushing to commission a film within the next six months before those rights expire.

If this attempt also fails, Lego could find itself back on the open market.

The franchise has had a complicated history on the big screen. Warner Bros. launched it to spectacular effect in 2014 with The Lego Movie, directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller, which went on to gross over $1 billion worldwide and spawned sequels including The Lego Batman Movie. 

However, The Lego Ninjago Movie and The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part both disappointed commercially, and Warner Bros. eventually let the rights lapse.