"All will be revealed in a good time." |
Legends of the Universe is an upcoming animated film based on the massively multiplayer online game LEGO Universe. It is projected to be the longest animated brickfilm in history and is the official end to Project U.
Plot Summary[]
"Stop it! Stop it! You're ruining everything!" |
To Be Expanded...
Production History[]
The earliest version of what would eventually become Legends of the Universe was formulated in 2012, just as production started on New Friends ~ An Environmental Fable. There, Andrew Bermudez and Raul Flores would pitch ideas back and forth for a hypothetical "Mustache Maniacs Film Co. Avengers" film, which would initially feature only a handful of heroes from the different films. However, in order for this to work, all of the films had to exist in the same universe. This led to the creation of the official cinematic universe.
Earlier that same year, the popular, but financially-stricken, MMOG LEGO Universe was shut down after an unsuccessful 16-month run. While Andrew Bermudez never played the game, he saw potential in the game's story line. From there, Legends of the Universe was born, along with Project U as a whole.
The film was officially announced on February 21, 2014 at The Second Mustache Maniacs Film Co. Fan Choice Awards as part of the Project U announcement. While news on the film went quiet to finish the script, which was accomplished in June 2017, filming officially started on July 23, 2015, as one of this film's scenes shares one of the sets for Alpha Team: Mission Deep Jungle. Filming then went on a multi-year hiatus, as work was focused towards the other Project U films that were planned to be released first. During this time, the film saw massive re-writes to add character to the dialogue, as well as ensure that this film officially becomes the longest brickfilm of all time upon its release, as the script was already close to the running time for the current record-holder, The Wars of Darkness (that film is 245 minutes long).
By the time that the 2/1/21 announcement event rolled around, the landscape of Mustache Maniacs Film Co. had shifted due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. With plans to move ahead with new projects and plans to finish Project U, Legends of the Universe was announced at the event to finally have a release date of October 26, 2030, the to-the-day twentieth anniversary of the game's release. While it was confirmed that initial plans would see Twenty Years Young receive priority development, it was determined that Legends of the Universe would officially begin massive production in the fall of 2024, after one last rewrite ensured that the film adhered to the established canon.
To Be Expanded...
Characters[]
- Captain Ace Speedman (unknown)
- AJR7 (unknown)
- Dr. Albert Overbuild (unknown)
- Amset-Ra (n/a)
- Andrew Anderson (n/a)
- Andrea Orange (n/a)
- Arthur Van Helbrick (Daniel Bermudez)
- Astrid Dunham (Teresa Bermudez)
- Babloo (unknown)
- Baron Typhonus (Andrew Bermudez)
- Baron Von Stuka IV (unknown)
- Beck Strongheart (unknown)
- Billy Lugosi (Andrew Bermudez)
- Blaze Firefighter (n/a)
- Bob (unknown)
- William "Billy the Kid" Parker (Al Bermudez)
- The Brickster (unknown)
- Brickzo the Clown (n/a)
- Cam Attaway (Elizabeth Scarheart)
- Captain Jack Knife (unknown)
- Captain Bill Stewart (Andrew Bermudez)
- Career Advisor (Teresa Bermudez)
- Charge (Steve Hoxie)
- Chase McCain (unknown)
- Chief Della Wickfield (n/a)
- Chimp Family (n/a)
- Col. Bow Wow (n/a)
- Cole (unknown)
- Com 50 (n/a)
- Commander Han Nibble (n/a)
- Cosmo Cool (unknown)
- Crunch (Dylan Johnson)
- Cromwell Powell (n/a)
- Dareth (Chad Fischer)
- Dash Justice (Andrew Adkins)
- Diamond Tooth (Daniel Bermudez)
- Digger (Jack Maroney)
- Dracula (Andrew Bermudez)
- Dr. Charles Kilroy (Andrew Bermudez)
- Dr. Cyber (unknown)
- Dr. Hiram Aziz (Steve Hoxie)
- Dr. Inferno (unknown)
- Dr. Jim Carew (Andrew Bermudez)
- Dr. Matthew "Cyborg" Cyrista (n/a)
- Drone Commander 13666 (Preston Whalen)
- Duke Exeter (unknown)
- Eius Draco (unknown)
- Enter and Return (unknown)
- Erik "Demoman" Paulson (n/a)
- First Mate Marlowe (n/a)
- Flex (Dylan Johnson)
- Forrest Blackwell (Nick Douglas)
- Frank Honey (unknown)
- Stromling French Parrot (unknown)
- Friendly Felix (unknown)
- Gallant Guard (n/a)
- Gangster Folio Byrd (Al Bermudez)
- Garbage Man Dan (n/a)
- Garbage Man Grant (n/a)
- Greybeard (n/a)
- Hael Storm (unknown)
- Hank Haystack (n/a)
- Harry Cane (Andrew Bermudez)
- Heimlich Stewblaster (n/a)
- Ice Cream Jo (n/a)
- Ice Cream Mike (n/a)
- Igor (Bryce Bolick)
- Prof. James Digalot (n/a)
- Jay Walker (unknown)
- Dr. Jeff Fisher (unknown)
- Jessica Thompson (Elizabeth Vasquez)
- Jing Lee (Amy Guo)
- John "Six Shots" Parker (Al Bermudez)
- Johnny Thunder (Daniel Bermudez)
- Kai (unknown)
- Kendra Newmore (Ceruleanskylight)
- Lance Spears (Michael Whalen)
- Laura Brick (unknown)
- Legoman (Jim Freeman)
- Leo Rawlins (Raul Flores)
- Lloyd Garmadon (unknown)
- Lord Sam Sinister (Andrew Bermudez)
- Mama Brickolini (unknown)
- General Mao Zedong III (unknown)
- Chief Marion Dunby (unknown)
- Mark Walker (Longjohns)
- Mary Rawlins (Teresa Bermudez)
- Mrs. Wiggins (cut from film)
- Nana (Teresa Bermudez)
- Nexus Astronaut (n/a)
- Nexus Jay (n/a)
- Nick Brick (unknown)
- Numb Chuck (unknown)
- Nya (unknown)
- Officer Spot (n/a)
- Ogel (Dylan Johnson)
- Papa Brickolini (unknown)
- Papa Dodo (Arthur Smith)
- Patrick Hooligans (Garrett Schelske)
- Pepper Roni (Unknown)
- Pippin Reed Thunder (Lauren Adkins)
- Portabello Citizen (n/a)
- Pythor (unknown)
- Questions (Al Bermudez)
- Radia (Lauren Adkins)
- Renee Tombcrusher (n/a)
- Captain Ross Ranger (unknown)
- Dr. Robert Nicholas (Al Bermudez)
- Rusty Steele (n/a)
- Sairento Hato (Marcus Hutchinson)
- Prof. Samantha Rhodes (Teresa Bermudez)
- Sarah Thunder (Alyssia Derenski)
- Sensei Wu (Brian Quexyz)
- Sentinel One (unknown)
- Shaved Schmidt Von Stuka (n/a)
- Sherpa Sangye Dorje (unknown)
- Simon Vincent (unknown)
- Sir Stackabrick (n/a)
- Skales (cut from film)
- Skee Daddle (unknown)
- Sky Lane (unknown)
- Snap Lockitt (unknown)
- Steve Kenlow (J.T. Melia)
- Stuart Cane (n/a)
- Sydney Kaahs (n/a)
- Tee Vee (unknown)
- Terrance Thorgood (Will Peterson)
- Tim Timebuster (unknown)
- Town Crier (n/a)
- Skunkbuster Bill (n/a)
- Stromlings (n/a)
- Ulysses S. Powell (Andrew Bermudez)
- Valscone (n/a)
- Vanda Darkflame (unknown)
- Wacco (unknown)
- Waiter (unknown)
- Dr. Wallace Bishop (Chris Boyer)
- Zac Fernstein (Ian Wood)
- Zachary Virchaus (n/a)
- Zane (unknown)
Locations[]
To Be Expanded...
Credits[]
- Andrew Bermudez - Writer, Director
To Be Expanded...
Tropes[]
"Stop it! Stop it! You're ruining everything!" |
Legends of the Universe contains examples of the following tropes.
- Adapted Out: Being a four-hour movie, there was plenty of room to adapt most of LEGO Universe. Even then, some parts of the game had to be chopped out for narrative reasons. The elements of the game that were cut are:
- The Venture Explorer, a damaged spaceship from the beginning of the game that would have made no sense in the film.
- Nimbus Station, a hub world that was deemed too similar in function to Nexus Tower.
- Pet Cove, a peaceful world of animals that clashed with the film's tone and plot.
- Ninjago Monastery, a Ninjago-based world that couldn't fit into the plot.
- Club Station Alpha, a LEGO Club world that had no place in the film.
- Starbase 3001, a space station that was deemed too similar to Nexus Tower.
- DeepFreeze, an ice world that added nothing to the film but is mentioned.
- Robot City, though it is mentioned.
- Frostburgh, a Christmas world that clashed with the film's tone and plot.
- All of the property worlds, which weren't able to work in the story.
- Many of the characters, though many, like Bob, Renee Tombcrusher, the faction leaders, and more, do appear.
- The general plotline and all of its events, since those are explicitly mentioned to have happened in the past.
- In an inversion of this trope, several ideas that were cut from the game found their way into this adaptation, mainly the worlds of Kingdoms World, Nexus City, Port Plunder, Nimbus Park, YouReeka, Creepy Crawly Forest, and Brick Mesa. Their respective characters also appear in the film in spite of being cut from the game, including the iconic and widely advertised Grumpy Darklings.
- Alternate Universe: Dimension 525 is this.
- Back for the Finale: Who is back at the end of this film, you may ask? Literally everyone from every single past Mustache Maniacs Film Co. movie, play, game, comic, story, book, serial, contest, and short film who is still alive (and even a few who aren't).
- Big Bad: Baron Typhonus is this.
- City of Adventure: Nexus City, while not exactly taking up a massive portion of the film, is shown to be this.
- The Corruption: The Maelstrom is capable of turning any being and anything it infects into a force of chaos.
- Crisis Crossover: This film, being based on LEGO Universe, essentially brings the heroes from almost every single past Mustache Maniacs Film Co. production together to finally finish the story arc that began with the first pod landing in A Friend of the Police.
- Dark Action Girl: The leader of the Paradox Faction, Vanda Darkflame, is this. She's stubborn and untrusting of anyone who seems to be in the Nexus Force for their own gain, though that's a given in her position.
- Dark Is Not Evil: The Paradox faction and XERRD use Maelstrom-based powers but are fighting to save the multiverse like everyone else.
- Ensemble Cast: While Pepper Roni is technically the film's protagonist, the number of speaking roles in this film is well over 100, and a good number of them get ample screen-time. And that doesn't even count the silent cameos throughout the film as well, such as Com 50, Sydney Kaahs, Babloo, Ice Fisherman, Amset-Ra, Cromwell Powell, Zachary Virchaus, Officer Spot, etc.
- Epic Movie: Being the ending of Project U, it comes as no surprise that this film will go out with a bang. Its proposed 4-hour running time is enough to make it qualify for this trope.
- Giant Spider: The Maelstrom Spiders, including the Spider Boss and Spider Queen, are this. Their offspring, the smaller but still huge enemies known as Dark Spiderlings, qualify as well.
- Grand Finale: This film is one to all of Project U.
- Humanoid Abomination: Baron Typhonus was once human, but he's basically the physical manifestation of the Maelstrom now, with his mind commanding the Maelstrom to corrupt and destroy. When he's not in his human form, he can take on a very threatening form made of pure Maelstrom.
- Mythology Gag: Since this film heavily leans into the multiverse, this crops up from time to time. The most notable of these is the design of 525-Johnny Thunder. He wears a black bush hat, green pants with pockets full of tools, and a black waistcoat that exposes his chest, making him look like Crocodile Dundee. While this makes him distinct from 418-Johnny Thunder, this design is actually Johnny Thunder's beta design from LEGO Universe's early development.
- Our Dragons Are Different: There are the typical destructive, evil dragons composed of the Maelstrom that appear throughout the film. There's also Burno, a big, clumsy dragon who sells chili dogs in Nimbus Park.
- Set Right What Once Went Wrong: Once Ogel fuses Dimensions 418 and 525 together, the main plot shifts in this direction.
- Spacetime Eater: The Maelstrom's goal is to turn all of the multiverse into a void of chaos.
- When Dimensions Collide: Basically, the premise of this film.
To Be Expanded...
Trivia[]
- This is expected to be the longest animated brickfilm in history, as it is expected to take the record from the current record holder, The Wars of Darkness.
- The original projected release date, October 26, 2020, was selected because that day is the tenth anniversary of LEGO Universe's launch. This release date has since been retracted due to scheduling and the timing of the cinematic universe. Instead, this day was used for the release of this film's first teaser.