Bionicle In Theatres

[Alyska]

Hello again everyone! Carrying over from a topic in the old forums, would Bionicle work as a feature film in cinemas? There is a trend for movies based on toy lines at the moment- everything from Stretch Armstrong to Candyland has signed up for a film (Even Lego itself has one in the works). Could Bionicle benefit from this trend at all? Would you even want to see a Bionicle movie? Why or why not? If so, how should they go about it? Would it be marketable to a wide audience? From the old discussion, it turns out that Lego has, in fact, recieved several pitches for a Bionicle film. This didn't happen for a multitude of reasons:* Some of the studioes wanted to put human characters in. Lego refused.* The deal with Tinseltown Toons prevented other studioes from releasing Bionicle DVDs.* Bionicle supposedly does not reach a wide enough audience for brand recognition.* And, finally, the line ended before the contract with Tinseltown Toons expired. But what do you guys think? If things had happened a little differently, would a Bionicle film have worked?

[Erebus]

Yes, definitely, but only if it can be in one film, without humans, and not require previous background of the BIONICLE storyline. So like a standalone movie, in a way.

[Astrotorical]

i would expect it to be made in the way of Avatar or King Kong. preferably use CGI characters, but use a real environment. Mata Nui is an Island Paradise, and i didnt really get that in the Mask of Life. the explosions seemed all "BAM, we just blew up some Foam"But definately, they could get it done.

[Ankarus]

If they used better animation, then I would think that it would be acceptable for theaters. I would like to see the Piraka in a movie.

[Astrotorical]

make it stand alone, as said above. but then it should be set after the current storyline. Set on Spherus Magna, so filmakers can introduce what ever enemies and such they want

[Protodite Karzahni]

During BZPower's downtime, I had plenty of time to develop the series I would produce if ever I got the chance. Of course, I never will, but it's nice to know that I could. And yes, Bionicle in general was quite theatrical, so there would be an easy transition to the big screen if ever it got the chance.

[Bambi]

Wasn't MoL in theaters?

[Terminus]

It could work, movies featuring mostly robots seem to be coming ever so common, I don't see why Bionicle couldn't be, if it's done right.

[Meiko]

It may work, but it might not get the best turnout. I don't know.

Edited October 14, 2011 by Meiko

[Mata Nui's task]

Wasn't MoL in theaters?

Nope. Mask of light was straight to DVD, according to Biosector1OT: I'd really like to see Bionicle on the big screen. However, Bionicle, In my opinion, was created as much more of a miniseries on TV I.E. the original V. Trying to chop down the events of one year into a film hasn't been done though, so I'd like to give that idea a shot, provided it has a good team.

[Meiko]

Of all of the movies, I'd say that either BIONICLE: Mask of Light or BIONICLE: The Legend Reborn would have had the best turn out if the premiered in theaters—I just don't know how well they would do compared to other movies that would premier on close dates.

[Toa Zaz]

The thing about stretch armstrong is they can slap on a star (I think they're using the guy from Twilight), and assure that hordes of fans will flock on over to the theater. You can't really do to much as far as stars go with a semi-expressionless animated robot.

[nuparu51]

It may work, but it might not get the best turnout. I don't know.

Agreed.

[LaputanMachine]

Transformers got 3 blockbusters, why did Bionicle not? I would be the first in the queue if they did make a Bionicle one, but the chances of that happening now are near zero. If they did though that would be great.

[Tarushan]

Robots are a craze. Toy movies are a craze. Heck, they're making BATTLESHIP the movie, so why not Bionicle? A lot of people are saying, "Don't include humans," but I disagree. Would it ruin the continuity of Bionicle? Well, the Bionicle toy line is technically dead (sorry, truth hurts), so not much to continue. And I'm also guessing that a large portion of Bionicle fans that are not on this forums, such as younger kids 5 - 10 years old, wouldn't care less if there were humans are not (only us older fans get picky on such details ). Right now, in my opinion it would make more sense for LEGO to develop a live-action Hero Factory movie. The story can definitely include humans as seen in the ads, and HF is a current LEGO brand (meaning its not dead).

[Meiko]

Transformers got 3 blockbusters, why did Bionicle not? I would be the first in the queue if they did make a Bionicle one, but the chances of that happening now are near zero. If they did though that would be great.

The thing about Transformers is that it had been out in the media in several ways for a long time. They had several cartoons about it, along with comics. Also, the producers of those movies got a lot of advertising from several major companies, by featuring things like a Chevy Camaro that was used for Bumble Bee. BIONICLE never got those huge licenses. Also, it won't very likely for a BIONICLE movie in theaters anymore because the theme ended, so it wouldn't serve the same marketing purpose that the previous movies were partially for.

[GSR]

If someone came up with an appropriate script, it's a possibility, though a very distant one. It's worth keeping in mind that we're in a sort of awkward time period now where releasing anything Bionicle would just be odd ("didn't that end a year or two ago?" "is that still going?"). Even at its height it didn't have as much media saturation as Transformers, so it wouldn't be likely to be picked up by a large studio. And to be viable it would have to be largely unconnected to the previously connected story so that moviegoers aren't scared off, at which point you may as well make it an original story/setting and avoid the trouble of being connected it to a brand to begin with.

[Alyska]

The thing about stretch armstrong is they can slap on a star (I think they're using the guy from Twilight), and assure that hordes of fans will flock on over to the theater. You can't really do to much as far as stars go with a semi-expressionless animated robot.

What strikes me as really odd about Stretch is that, unlike Bionicle, the toy it's based on is completely outdated. I honestly don't think there is any market for a miniature Taylor Lautner made out of stretchy rubber these days. And if there is, I do not want to know who they are and what they intend to do with it. But, in all seriousness, while there may be some degree of brand recognition with 30-40 year old men, I don't think it has the nostalgia factor of being fondly remembered by them. As far as I know, there aren't many Stretch Armstrong fansites out there. While it's true that Lautner's casting may bring a few more teenage girls into the audience, I think teenage and young adult males (y'know, the demographic that action movies are generally aimed at), might actually get put off by his presence.

[Rarity]

I'd go see a Bionicle movie. But not a live action one.

[Reborn King Dr. Cakey]

Transformers got three groups of post-produced clips (I hesitate to call them "movies") but they had humans. And I don't think they had much to do with Transformers. The aforementioned saturation of the Transformers franchise is also a factor.But Bionicle could work very well as a movie. Here, let me show you, courtesy of those handy media tags:EDIT: Or not. Okay, haven't been on a family-friendly website in years. Um, okay, how should I do this? Well, this image also gives you the idea:http://biosector01.c...hu_Mata_Set.PNGAwesome robot + lava + doing stuff = amazing movie. In other words, it would be an action movie, which isn't what Lego would want, but it's what we want, and frankly I think it could do well if marketed exactly right.

Edited February 27, 2012 by -Windrider-

[RetroFangled Kanohi]

I don't think it would be a good idea to make a Bionicle movie. It probably wouldn't turn out the right way. I don't think it would be a financial success either, even if it was big budget and it makes greater sense to make a Hero Factory movie now. Off-topic: Does HF have humans in it? They talk about them on the website (or planet Earth at least) or is that just because of the bit where you can submit your own mission?

Edited October 15, 2011 by RetroFangled Kanohi

[Alyska]

It's probably fair to assume that humans canonically exist in the HF 'verse, so, it could happen. However, HF has more of a cheesy, "Saturday morning cartoon" vibe about it, so it's hard to imagine a movie being marketed to a wide audience.

[RetroFangled Kanohi]

Yeah, you're right about that. It would really have to put itself out there to get a big audience.

[Erebus]

The Legend Reborn was in theaters. At least I saw it in theaters...

[The True Zedd of BZPower]

Transformers got three groups of post-produced clips (I hesitate to call them "movies") but they had humans. And I don't think they had much to do with Transformers. The aforementioned saturation of the Transformers franchise is also a factor.

Humans have always been in Transformers series(due to most cartoons being set on modernEarth, Beast Wars/Machines being an exception), so including them in the movies made perfect sense.

[Harvali]

I could see a Bionicle movie having been shown in theaters, though not any more. But back in the golden years I could have seen a movie easily being made, maybe on the future Toa Inika journeying from Metru-Nui to Toa hood.

[TheSkeletonMan939]

Maybe, but only if - The animation was better- The characters didn't always make sarcastic jokes like they do in the books- It would be dark and scary enough to appeal to more people- It was a new story

[Tarushan]

Transformers got three groups of post-produced clips (I hesitate to call them "movies") but they had humans. And I don't think they had much to do with Transformers. The aforementioned saturation of the Transformers franchise is also a factor.But Bionicle could work very well as a movie. Here, let me show you, courtesy of those handy media tags:EDIT: Or not. Okay, haven't been on a family-friendly website in years. Um, okay, how should I do this? Well, this image also gives you the idea:http://biosector01.c...hu_Mata_Set.PNGAwesome robot + lava + doing stuff = amazing movie. In other words, it would be an action movie, which isn't what Lego would want, but it's what we want, and frankly I think it could do well if marketed exactly right.

I love this image. I remember seeing it on the back of an old LEGO magazine (one with the Alpha team on the front page...the original Alpha team, haha). It completely sparked my imagination.I bought the set a little while later. It came with that awesome mini-CD (who remembers those??? ) that had movies which you unlocked using the code in the back of the mask (that was cool too). And I remember thinking, "Wow, it would be awesome if this was a real movie."Then MoL came out. I enjoyed it, but thought it would've been a lot better if the style was more like the commercials instead of adding mouths and fingers, and changing the color schemes. Edited February 27, 2012 by -Windrider-

[~ShadowBolt~]

It could be done if they approached it like Transformers. Not sure how people would be drawn in to watch it tho.

[Makuta Matata]

Maybe the story year 2006 as a movie? Or a series?

[Just A Dot]

I can see it now. The Legend of BIONICLE (2013)BIONICLE: The Legend of Metru Nui (2015)BIONICLE: The Quest for the Mask of Life (2018)BIONICLE: The Legend Reborn (2021) The story has been made mature enough for more people to appreciate (PG-13), the voice acting is phenomenal, the animation is eye-popping, and the music is composed by Nathan Furst. My life would be complete.

Edited October 15, 2011 by The Beninator

[Mr. Anon1]

OK all major arcs deserve movies imo. This means that if another movie is to be made, it should be of the Inika's adventure.

[Aedai Rivin]

It could be done, but I would want it to be violent and dark enough. These are freaking ROBOTS with elemental powers here! Gali should slice an opponent's body in half with water. Pohatu should brutally crush someone with stone. Stuff like that! Rivin

[jala12]

Unless they can find some way for the audience to relate to, it will be a dud unless it is extremely well recieved and gets recognition through word of mouth.

[VBBN]

Honestly, this is how I see a Bionicle movie on the bigscreen would happen. It would be a hollywood stereotyped franchise. More than likely would end up like transformers, being something live action and would, yes, involve humans. But when you think about it, Hero Factory could very much so pull this off; Remember the trailer for the original 1.0 sets? They had actual humans and earth in them. While it would be an odd concept, Hero Factroy could pull it off. But bionicle would need to be an animated cartoonish style if it wanted to get by without that influence. And therefore would need to be something like by pixar. For a brand to get that kind of revealing would be a longstretch.

[Zarohum]

The thing is, to make a movie for theaters, you have to have a famous director. A famous director would ruin Bionicle, to be blunt. No. I'm fine with the 4 DVD movies. Besides, if they did something like with Transformers, they would have Tahu, Ackar, Norik, Zaktan, and Tiribomba fighting Makuta and his army of giant Fikou. Bionicle would be ruined.

[The CryoMancer]

^^^This, also, Michael Bay directs, script by M. Night Shymalyn, electro soundtrack by Beyonce and starring Robert Pattinson as Tahu and Paul Blackthorne as Vakama.Bzpower does not want a Bionicle movie.Although.... Steven Speilberg, Jon Favreu (?), Globus or E.S. Posthumus, with Ewan McGregor as Kopaka, Angelina Jolie as Gali, Matt Damon (Onua), uhh, Johnny Depp as Makuta, etc....Never gonna happen, but hey, a man can dream.

[Klak]

Maybe, but only if - The animation was better- The characters didn't always make sarcastic jokes like they do in the books- It would be dark and scary enough to appeal to more people- It was a new story

This. A Bionicle movie WOULD be possible, and would knock any Hero Factory movie out of the water. The thing is, it needs a capable director/producer (Steven Spielberg, Michael Bay, Christopher Nolan, Jon Faverau, George Lucas, Cohen brothers, etc.), and a capable cast. Also, they need to accommodate enough of what made the series great into the script, along with a good enough intro story. It would make even better sense if it was released several years from now, sort of as a revival for Bionicle. That way, the old generations can enjoy the tale they grew up with, while newer audiences learn about it. Kind of like the Batman films. If they could pull off THREE Transformers films successfully (yes, I'm a fan of those films, sue me), then Tinseltown might be able to pull it off. Who knows? If any BZP member becomes a filmmaker, they might actually do it! With projects like B:NG out there, I think more people would be interested. All we need is the RIGHT people to be onboard for it to become both cinematically and financially successful. Edited October 22, 2011 by MakutaKlak

[vulpelibrorum]

If Lego had pulled the strings right back when Bionicle was at the height of it's popularity and had the most marketing potential, a Bionicle movie in theaters could prehaps have been possible. The problem is, it costs big money to sell a movie to theaters, and if Lego wasn't totally sure they'd get a big return to go with it, they'd go for the far cheaper and less risky alternative: direct to DVD. Now if Bionicle had been publicized to the hilt, with pictures of Tahu epicly lava surfing apperaring on the sides of buses, Nokama hocking Swiffers and the like, Bionicle would have been in the public spotlight far more. In this situation, Lego could have concevibly sold Bionicle movies to theaters (the rather unfortunaute side effect would be that a number of years and movies later, Bionicle would probably become a sort of undead franchise such as what Star Wars has become, bringing Lego endless amounts of cash but in the process damaging what Bionicle is known and loved for today.) Nowadays, even though an offical Bionicle film is off the table, I'm totally behind all the fan movies I've been hearing about here. However, since Lego still holds the rights, one would have to somehow navigate the corprate bureaucracy to put a fan movie in theaters, but who knows?

[Gorag]

Though this will probably never happen unless a bunch of fanboys get together and spend 2 years of their lives working on this... I'd like to see a low-budget, but well done, live-action Bionicle movie focused mainly on just Tahu crashing on the island, and having to figure out where he is, who he is, etc. Of couse the other toa would also be shown, but Tahu would be the main focus, and maybe one of the others. I'm guessing the movie would be only an hour and a half like the others, and to have a story about 6 amnesiacs washing up on the shore, building themselves, and then fighting off Rahi would be too confusing and you wouldn't have time to get to know all the characters. What'd probably be a better idea is to have a web series like Mortal Kombat Legacy and tell the backstory of each character durring the first season, but that means no theatrical release. On the note of live-action: If they could make the costumes really good and still look like robots, but have humans in the suits (kind of like Predator costume-wise, if you know what I mean), and film it in Costa Rica, they might be able to pull it off.