Playmobil will make playtime larger than life after seeing “The Lego Movie” reach nearly $470 million at the global box office.
Playmobil anticipates the release of its $80 million film in theaters in 2017 — the same year Lego will release “The Lego Batman Movie.” With both movies coming out in the same year, the battle between Playmobil and Lego may be more than just “child’s play.”
Parents and children in Utah went crazy over “The Lego movie” which came out in February of 2014 and critics praised it for its visual style, humor, voice acting and heartwarming message.
BYU molecular biology professor Nathan Weber and his wife Mardi, parents of five living in Lindon, said that it was their 11-year-old son’s interest in “The Lego Movie” and urging from friends that got them to the theater.
“And of course the ‘Everything is Awesome’ song makes the movie really fun,” said Mardi Weber.
“[‘The Lego Movie’] is a perfect reflection of the way kids actually play with their toys. It is a careening, chaotic mess of plot, non-sequitur, fast gags and pop culture mash-up,” wrote Deseret News reporter Josh Terry last February. “Most animated features are marketed at children with a few inside jokes thrown in to keep the adults interested. ‘The Lego Movie’ feels like the reverse of that formula.”
Many Utah parents actually worried that the humor in “The Lego Movie” was too mature.
“I liked ‘The Lego Movie,’ but I thought it contained adult humor that children don’t fully understand,” said Meagan Kohler, a Provo mother of one son. “I think the Playmobil movie would have more success if it is geared more toward young children.”
Many parents in Utah want to keep their children entertained, but are wary of what effect the media will have on their children.
Even though they’re following behind Lego chronologically, if Playmobil can create something with a similar excitement level as “The Lego Movie,” while keeping it more relevant to young children, they may find themselves just one step ahead of Lego.
“Lego definitely has a greater pull because its the biggest toy making company in the world by revenue. However, Playmobil could ride the coattail of Lego and capitalize on its success,” said Lance Kohler, a BYU MBA student and father of one.
Since its creation in 1975, Playmobil sells in over 100 countries worldwide and has sold over 2.7 billion units. According to Variety, Bob Persichetti from Dreamworks is in charge of developing the new Playmobil movie project.
