LEGOLAND® California Resort Hosts Celebrity-Filled Red Carpet Premiere of a Dazzling Theatrical Attraction Starring Blockbuster Movie Heroes
CARLSBAD, Calif., Feb. 6, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- In an evening filled with bright lights, a red carpet and photo opportunities galore, LEGOLAND® California Resort welcomed celebrities and VIP guests to a gala event Feb. 5 for the grand opening of "The LEGO Movie™ 4D A New Adventure." The theatrical attraction reunites Emmet and friends in an all-new short story combining dazzling 3D computer animation with "4D," real-world effects such as wind, water and fog.
The resort built for kids delivered an appropriately kid-centric premiere with festive music, a taco bar and the introduction of new Park costume characters: Unikitty and Benny! Celebrities strolled the red carpet before entering the LEGO Show Place Theater to celebrate the return of Emmet, Wyldstyle, MetalBeard, Benny and Unikitty.
In 2014, kids around the world embraced the adventures of Emmet, an ordinary, rules-following, perfectly average LEGO minifigure who is mistakenly identified as the key to saving the world in "The LEGO Movie™," which went on to gross more than $400 million worldwide.
But what happened after the movie?
Fans can find out starting Saturday, Feb. 6, now that "The LEGO Movie™ 4D A New Adventure" has officially opened at LEGOLAND California Resort.
Returning to voice their iconic characters are actors Elizabeth Banks (Wyldstyle), Nick Offerman (MetalBeard), Charlie Day (Benny) and Alison Brie (Unikitty). Actor, writer and comedian Patton Oswalt voices the scheming Risky Business, brother of movie villain President Business, a new character created exclusively for the attraction.
When asked how it felt to join a "family" of well-known characters, Patton responded, "It's beyond flattering. It's a clever, creative way of looking at, of all things, LEGO, and I was touched to be a part of it." Patton added that since Risky Business is a character that fans of "The LEGO Movie" haven't seen before, he approached his performance in hiding his character's true intentions "with the wiles of a LEGO coyote."
Set after the events of the movie, the 12 ½-minute story finds the gang entangled in an Evil Secret Plot involving a mysterious theme park inspired by their adventures in "The LEGO Movie," one that requires them to call on the Master Builder skills of a surprise ally to save the day.
"The LEGO Movie™ 4D A New Adventure" was directed by Rob Schrab, who is making his feature film directorial debut with "The LEGO Movie Sequel," set to open May 18, 2018. When it came to designing the attraction, he said a strong story was critical to its success.
"We only spotlight them for a fraction of the amount of time," he said, "so it's important to get to the fun as soon as possible. This is the first time Emmet, Wyldstyle and the gang meet since the film."
Developed in collaboration with LEGOLAND owner Merlin Entertainments Group and Warner Bros. Consumer Products, the attraction was created by Los Angeles-based Pure Imagination Studios with input from Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, the talented writer-directors who brought "The LEGO Movie" to hilarious life, along with producer Dan Lin.
The result is a delightfully clever blend of the same sly humor and breathtaking, built-with-LEGO visuals that made the first-ever, full-length theatrical LEGO film a global hit among kids and adults alike.
For Offerman, the opportunity to slip back into MetalBeard's shoes – er, bricks – was a welcome one.
"I have worked with Rob on 'Childrens Hospital' and 'Parks and Recreation,' so it was like a nice reunion of old pals from summer camp," he said of making the attraction. "We just tried to make each other laugh with silly renderings of dead-serious pirate-y mayhem."
"The LEGO® Movie™ 4D A New Adventure" opens on Feb. 6 at LEGOLAND California Resort in Carlsbad, Calif., following its debut in Florida on Jan. 28, and will soon be playing at all other LEGOLAND theme parks and LEGOLAND Discovery Centers worldwide in 2016.
For more information, visit www.LEGOLAND.com and www.LEGOLANDDiscoveryCenter.com.
About LEGOLAND® California Resort:
LEGOLAND® California Resort includes LEGOLAND® California, SEA LIFE® Aquarium, LEGOLAND® Water Park and LEGOLAND® Hotel, all are geared for families with children between the ages of 2 and 12. At LEGOLAND California, you'll find more than 60 rides, shows and attractions including LEGO® Star Wars™ Miniland Model Display, Pirate Reef and LEGO Legends of Chima Water Park presented by Cartoon Network. New this year is The LEGO® Movie 4D A New Adventure™! Emmet, Wyldstyle, Unikitty, MetalBeard and Benny band together to face an evil plot created by Risky Business, a new villain. Also opening is NINJAGO™ The Ride where guests experience 3D imagery, high-tech sensors and use hand movements in a striking motion to master their skills before battling the Great Devourer. SEA LIFE Aquarium is home to more than 5,000 living creatures and incorporates LEGO® models into a child's voyage to the depths of the ocean featuring play zones, fun facts and quiz trails. LEGOLAND Water Park features more than seven slides, sandy beaches and the unique Build-A-Raft River. The nation's first LEGOLAND Hotel features 250 rooms, all themed either as pirate, adventure, or kingdom and new in 2016, LEGO Friends rooms! For more information, visit www.LEGOLAND.com or call (760) 918-LEGO (5346).
There are currently five other LEGOLAND Resorts in the world – LEGOLAND Florida in Winter Haven, Fla., LEGOLAND Billund in Denmark, LEGOLAND Deutschland near Günzburg, Germany, LEGOLAND Windsor outside of London, and LEGOLAND Malaysia. The LEGOLAND theme parks and hotels are part of Merlin Entertainments Group, the world's second largest attractions operator. For more information, visit www.LEGOLAND.com.
About Merlin Entertainments:
MERLIN ENTERTAINMENTS plc is the leading name in location-based, family entertainment. Europe's number one and the world's second-largest visitor attraction operator, Merlin now operates 111 attractions, 12 hotels/4 holiday villages in 23 countries and across 4 continents. The company aims to deliver memorable and rewarding experiences to its almost 63 million visitors worldwide, through its iconic global and local brands, and the commitment and passion of its managers and approximately 26,000 employees (peak season).
About Warner Bros. Consumer Products:
Warner Bros. Consumer Products, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, is one of the leading licensing and retail merchandising organizations in the world.
THE LEGO® MOVIE © & ™ LEGO Group & Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved. (s16).
LEGO, the LEGO logo, the Minifigure, the Brick and Knob configuration and LEGOLAND are trademarks of The LEGO Group. © 2016 The LEGO Group. Used with permission. All rights reserved.
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