I really disagree. At least, for your type of intrigue.
The LEGO Movie’s nod to Bionicle is on-par with its not to Fabuland, taking up equal time and being put directly next to each other. Really, it’s ridiculous to interpret this as disrespectful when the film had absolutely nothing to do with either theme.
And the concept really deflates your argument here - that Bionicle got so far as to almost have a main character in a rather large role in the second LEGO Movie, that role being on-par with the raptors of Rex. Yes, it was cut, but the very fact that it was even considered shows LEGO still cares and is acknowledging Bionicle more than they used to.
Who works for LEGO…
Which begs the question:
Possibly three people sitting around a conference table eating steak and wiping the corners of their mouths with Bionicle money?
LEGO is a business first, a toy company second. They’re quite possibly the most powerful toy company in the world, and definitely the most powerful with the least production or resources in China. LEGO is a household name and a household product shared and purchased by nearly every age in every demographic. Upholding that is more important that appeasing a few thousand people on the internet demanding necromancy be committed.
Not to mention that some of the largest portions of the community (in LEGO’s eyes, anyway) are repetitive cesspools of toxicity which most people avoid, but LEGO doesn’t. Until they die out, or LEGO finally drops them altogether, the rest of the fanbase is stuck with the label of self-centered hypocrites.
This information your ex-LEGO employee’s cited is entirely true. As well, Kjeld stepped down as president of LEGO directly before that, and hired someone outside the LEGO family to run the company.
Hm… What if LEGO decided to bring Bionicle back, with less of a story emphasis and much more of an emphasis on making good sets? sure, they won’t all be perfect, but it’ll be a generally good line, and if people like it, it can go past the three year mark. Well?
I recall hearing the same thing from likely a different source. There’s no hiding that Bionicle was a real moneymaker and an absolute success in its early years. And, as you suggest, possibly too great. Before 2008 that is 
Do you, David, recall how long it took to make the T rex set they just put out? It’s heavily implied it took the majority of five years, and was entirely thanks to an employee’s MOC. It takes time to make individual sets, and even more to plan out six waves of a single theme just in the product pitch.
And yet people will, because they need LEGO now. Not tomorrow, now.
I completely disagree. Solely based off the Takanuva concept art, it’s evident someone was thinking of a way to translate that small of as Bionicle character into LEGO format. And if Nick Vas is a LEGO employee, then LEGO is thinking about constraction, and more specifically, Bionicle.
LEGO will never satisfy you if your demands are to do G1 over again, or continue where it left off, or whatever. That Bionicle is never coming back. In kind words, get over it and move on.
Am I saying to move on from Bionicle? maybe. You can keep moving forward in Bionicle, heck, even move forward with G1. But clinging to your crib only makes it harder to let it go. G1 is never, ever, EVER COMING BACK - I can repeat it in bold if you’d like - the exact same as how anything else long gone will never come back. Bionicle G1 is a mix of what it actually was and the conceptualized, flawless version everyone has in their heads, which is different. If LEGO somehow managed to perfectly match one person’s dream with a return they would crush everyone else’s; it isn’t going to happen. If G1 came back exactly the same as it was when it started the charm would be lost, and it wouldn’t be the same G1 you had.
If Bionicle comes back a third time - and given how ranting and raving brought it back once, and nobody here is going to stop anytime soon - please, please don’t be so greedy for something that will never come back. Be happy with what you get; a third chance may be our last.
As for if LEGO’s disrespecting Bionicle? They dedicated an entire section of their gigantic museum to the theme. It’s forever engraved in LEGO’s lengthy history of successes and failures. And it will be a double-sided curse to the company for the rest of its days because surely it’s gonna happen again at some point, right? can’t it happen all over again, LEGO?
LEGO is no more disrespectful to Bionicle and its community than we are to LEGO. Not even giving it back to us could please us.