Which film was the first theatrical Lego movie based on an original Lego property?

The first theatrical Lego movie based on an original Lego property was The Lego Ninjago Movie. Released in 2017, it adapted Lego’s Ninjago theme rather than an existing film character or licensed franchise.

The film was the third theatrical entry in The Lego Movie franchise and its second spin-off, following The Lego Batman Movie. Ninjago had already developed into a major Lego theme with building sets, books, video games, and the television series Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu, which helped establish characters such as Lloyd, Kai, Cole, Jay, Zane, Nya, and Master Wu.

A common mix-up is The Lego Batman Movie, because Batman was the first Lego spin-off to reach theaters in 2017. However, Batman is a DC Comics character licensed by Lego, while Ninjago was created as an original Lego property. The Lego Movie itself came first theatrically, but it was built around a broad Lego universe rather than adapting one original in-house theme. The Ninjago film was directed by Charlie Bean, Paul Fisher, and Bob Logan, and features Jackie Chan as Master Wu.