Category: Events

From the Rumor Mill: LEGO Star Wars 20th Anniversary Sets and Minifigures Identified

2019 is a special year for the majority of LEGO fans since this year marks the 20th year milestone of one of LEGO’s longest running licensed theme. LEGO has already revealed its intention of coming up with an exclusive line of LEGO Star Wars commemorative sets when it unveiled its special, 20 Years of LEGO Star Wars logo. Needless to say, whatever sets and minifigures that will make it to the cut of this prized, limited-edition anniversary sets will closely be monitored by the excited majority of LEGO Star Wars fans. Thanks to intel gathered by German LEGO fan site Stone Wars, we now have an idea on what these LEGO Star Wars 20th anniversary sets are, and how their minifigures will look like.

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It should be noted that though LEGO has released and rehashed many LEGO Star Wars sets in the past, the LEGO Star Wars 20th anniversary sets are unique in themselves because of certain commemorative minifigures included with them. According to Stone Wars, these are the upcoming LEGO Star Wars sets that will have the special commemorative minifigures.

It is also rumored that these commemorative minifigs will also retain the exact same look of their predecessors from 20 years ago: they will sport the original yellow skin tone (except of course for Darth Vader and Lando), and the same torso and leg prints. Now I understand that devout LEGO Star Wars collectors may be shaking their heads in disappointment considering how their precious collection may depreciate in value because of this. However, LEGO was kind enough to include one very distinctive feature to these commemorative LEGO Star Wars minifigures. They will all have a special print on the back of their torso in big bold characters that say: ’20 Years, LEGO Star Wars’. Collectors will surely welcome this nice gesture from LEGO, and it will definitely help in distinguishing these new LEGO Star Wars minifigures from their original prototypes from two decades ago.

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Image courtesy of lucasbricks via Instagram.

Other than the special print at the back of these minifigures, each of them will also come with a commemorative minifig display tile similar to those included in the LEGO CMF line, the difference will be that the studs from the former are placed near the edge of the tile. The minifigure stand also features the same unique print, and the name of the LEGO Star Wars minifigure emblazoned on the larger part of the tile.

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Image courtesy of lucasbricks via Instagram.

Just a bit of a disclaimer though: as the title of this story suggests, this is all but a rumor until such time that LEGO confirms these LEGO Star Wars 20th anniversary sets and minifigures, or a barrage of official images starts to come in. As of now, we’ll keep our radars open and I’ll update you accordingly as new info comes in. While waiting, be sure to check out this year’s newest LEGO Star Wars sets at shop.LEGO.com

LEGO Teams Up With Chevrolet Once Again to Create the First Life-Sized, Custom LEGO Chevy Silverado MOC

The LEGO Group is teaming up once again with Chevrolet to create another brick feat following its life-sized Batmobile from 2017. If you recall two years ago, LEGO partnered with Chevy to render into bricks its larger-than-life concept car of the Batmobile based from the LEGO Batman Movie Batmobile (70905) set. The outcome is simply breathtaking, and this time, LEGO and Chevrolet are set to wow its fans once again with another brick-built creation that celebrates the next hit brickfilm, The LEGO Movie 2. Check out the following video of this life-sized, custom LEGO Chevy Silverado MOC courtesy of Chevrolet.

Taking a total of 18 master builders and 2,000 hours to build, this life-sized custom LEGO Chevy Silverado MOC is made from a total of 334,544 LEGO bricks and pieces. This brightly red, life-sized creation is based on Chevy’s new 2019 Silverado 1500 LT Trail Boss – a new feat for LEGO considering that this is very first Chevy to be rendered as such. It may not have the ingenious mobility and engineering complexity as that of the fully drivable and life-sized LEGO Technic Bugatti Chiron (42083), but it is still an admirable MOC nonetheless.

The best part of this tie-up between LEGO and Chevrolet is that the LEGO Movie 2 will also feature in the big screen a smaller, brick version of the Silverado High Country, and will make an appearance in one of its scenes. Will this eventually be translated to an official LEGO set? Well, we can only speculate as of this moment. Read on for the complete press release of this life-sized, custom LEGO Chevy Silverado MOC.

DETROIT — Chevrolet and students from the Oxford Community School’s FIRST LEGO® League and Detroit’s Ralph Waldo Emerson Elementary’s A World in Motion Program unveiled the first-ever full-size LEGO® Silverado today at the North American International Auto Show just ahead of the show opening to the public. The model is an exact life-size replica of the all-new 2019 Silverado 1500 LT Trail Boss, and it is the first full-size Chevy vehicle built entirely of LEGO bricks.

The LEGO Silverado continues the partnership between Chevy and Warner Bros. Pictures that began in 2017 with “The LEGO Batman Movie” and the LEGO Batmobile from Chevy. This partnership builds on the Silverado marketing efforts that launched earlier this month.

A custom mini-build of the Silverado High Country will make an appearance in the new big-screen animated adventure “The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part” when it debuts in theaters on Feb. 8. In this fun and action-packed sequel, the heroes of “The LEGO Movie” reunite to save their beloved city from a new threat: LEGO DUPLO® invaders from space.

“Chevrolet is once again thrilled to be working with Warner Bros. to integrate the brand and one of our most iconic products – Silverado – into ‘The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part,’” said Sandor Piszar, director of Chevrolet Truck marketing. “The themes of determination and teamwork in the new movie align perfectly with our Chevy brand values and we are sure that the all-new Silverado has the features, technologies and strength that would help Emmet, Lucy and their friends as they take on exciting new challenges.”

Eighteen specially trained LEGO Master Builders spent more than 2,000 hours hand-selecting and placing each of the 334,544 pieces on the red LEGO® Silverado, which has unique working lights and graphic details.

To learn more about the LEGO® Silverado, please visit Chevrolet.com.

LEGO® Silverado Fast Facts:

  • The LEGO® Silverado model is 72 inches (6 feet) high, 240 inches (20 feet) long and 96 inches (8 feet) wide.
  • Total weight: 3,307 pounds.
  • Total number of LEGO bricks used to build the LEGO® Silverado: 334,544. Each piece was hand-selected and placed by a specially trained builder.
  • Most common LEGO brick used: red 2×8 stud brick.
  • The LEGO® Silverado took 18 builders more than 2,000 hours to assemble.
  • The LEGO® Silverado was designed and assembled by LEGO Master Builders in the LEGO Group’s Model Shop in Enfield, Connecticut.

 

LEGO Movie 2 Welcome to Apocalypseburg (70840) Designer Signing Events

Starting January 16, LEGO VIP members can purchase the mammoth sized D2C set, LEGO Movie 2 Welcome to Apocalypseburg (70840) in any LEGO brand store and at shop.LEGO.com. To make the debut of this set extra special, LEGO has organized a couple of designer signing events where LEGO VIP fans who purchased the Welcome to Apocalypseburg (70840) can meet and greet the designers behind this 3,100-piece set. There are two designer signing events that you may want to consider if you happen to be in London in the UK, or Florida, USA during the next few days.

As mentioned in their Facebook events page, the first designer signing event to happen will be on January 17, Thursday at 12PM to 3PM (UTC) at the LEGO flagship store in Leicester Square London, UK. On the other hand, the second event will cater to LEGO fans in the US on January 19 from 12PM to 3PM (EST) to be held at the LEGO Store in Disney Springs, Lake Buena Vista, Florida. Here’s a quick look at what to expect from these designer signing events.

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Don’t miss your chance to meet Justin Ramsden & Paul Constantin Turcanu – the official LEGO designer team and master minds behind THE LEGO MOVIE 2 ‘Welcome to Apocalypseburg’ set and get it signed.

Open to LEGO VIPs only!
Not a member of our LEGO VIP Loyalty Program? Upgrade your status to VIP for free today and enjoy exclusive benefits and rewards https://LEGO.build/VIP

Please note, there is a limit of only 2 sets per person to get signed.

If you’re not a LEGO VIP member, then this might be a good time to upgrade your account. Other than the Welcome to Apocalypseburg set, Justin Ramsden is also credited for designing the much larger set, LEGO Harry Potter Hogwarts Castle (71043), and other LEGO Marvel Superheroes sets.

 

Here’s A List of Epic In-Store The LEGO Movie 2 Events Happening at Toys R Us Stores in Canada

We’re just roughly three weeks away before The LEGO Movie 2 lands in cinemas, and we can expect a lot more in-store events to happen as part of the film’s promotions. LEGO fans in North America, particularly in Canada are in for a treat at selected Toys R Us stores, where the TRU brand is still going strong. Beginning this Saturday, January 19 up until February 9, Toys R Us stores across Canada will be hosting the following LEGO Movie 2 events that will give kids the chance to build and take their very own LEGO Movie 2 creations. Here’s a rundown of these events as posted in TRU Canada’s event page.

January 19 (11AM to 1PM)

Be an Epic LEGO Builder!

emmet builder

Use your imagination and build your own scene from the movie! Plus take home a FREE movie poster! Recommended for kids ages 4 and up. While they last. Max. 100 per store.

Exclusive LEGO Event – Build Something Awesome Together at Toys R Us Langley in Willowbrook Mall

 On Saturday, January 19th & Sunday, January 20th from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m., come hang out and watch as Canada’s only Lego Certified Professional, Robin Sather, builds a giant model of Emmet’s Dreamhouse! It’s going to be 6 feet tall – you’ll have to come in to see it to believe it!

Plus, kids can get inspired to make and display their own awesome creation and receive a FREE movie poster giveaway!

 

January 26 (11AM to 1PM)

R Club Members Exclusive Event – Parent and Toddler Creative Play Time

lego duplo

Use your imagination to build a LEGO® DUPLO® alien to take home! Registration required. Not an R club member? Join the R club program for exclusive offers and events. Sign-up in-store with your R Club card by Jan. 24. Recommended for ages 1 ½ years or older. While quantities last. Max. 50 registrants per store.

 

February 2 (11AM to 1PM)

Build an Original LEGO Character!

build your own 

Use bricks to build your own original LEGO character and take it home! Recommended for kids ages 4 and up.

 

February 9 (11AM to 1PM)

Build Emmet’s House or Rescue Rocket!

 micro build emmets house

A 2-in-1 Make and Take! Recommended for kids ages 4 and up. Max. 200 builds per store, while they last!

So if you happen to live in Canada and you have a TRU store near you, it pays off to know these events and pre-register as needed. What is interesting is the micro-build of Emmet’s House which will be given away on February 9, though better expect this to run out quickly since it is only limited to 200 freebies per store.

Display at Madrid LEGO Exhibit Criticized by Israeli Diplomat in Spain as “Anti-Semitic”

There have been several instances around the world when LEGO was used as a medium for impressive diorama displays: the anniversary of Australia’s Parliament House, the recreation of an ancient Scottish fort and other historic or artistic exhibits. Sometimes these displays are positively received; other times they could draw controversy. The latter became the case during the Madrid LEGO Exhibit, entitled as “I Love LEGO” building exhibition held this week at Gaviria Palace in Madrid, Spain. One display, a diorama of soldiers accosting a village, was slammed by an Israeli diplomat to the country as having anti-Semitic undertones, despite the exhibit description being a dramatization of anti-Nazi reprisal actions post-WWII.

Titled “Operation Vengeance”, this diorama at Gaviria Palace’s “I Love LEGO” event supposedly captures an event wherein armed soldiers attacked the town of Priuli, northern Italy in 1945 due to it being home of Nazi sympathizers during the German occupation.

Madrid LEGO Exhibit

The minifigure soldiers attacking the townspeople, plus their transport truck, were emblazoned with Israeli flags, something Assaf Moran, Deputy Chief of Mission at the Israeli Embassy in Spain, called out this Tuesday as a historical fallacy.

According to Moran, who visited the Madrid LEGO exhibit, the soldiers who took part in the 1945 attack on Priuli shouldn’t be wearing the flag of Israel because it didn’t exist until 1948; most likely these anti-Nazi soldiers should have been in British uniform. In addition, Moran decried the imagery of “Israeli soldiers” pointing firearms at civilians, Nazi sympathizers or otherwise, as misleading to the public, portraying Israel as a “violent and aggressive nation”.

Following this protest on behalf of the Israeli embassy, the event organizers of the Madrid LEGO Exhibit had the diorama altered to remove the Israeli flags therein. The I Love LEGO exhibit remains on Gaviria Palace for visitors until February 24, 2019.

LEGOLAND LEGO Star Wars Days Rumored to be Cancelled

Some good things never last, and sometimes the end comes all of a sudden. For the majority of LEGO fans who are looking forward to next year’s LEGOLAND LEGO Star Wars Days, then it might be prudent to consider that there is none to expect any more from Merlin Entertainment (owner of the LEGO Star Wars Days hosting locations). A report from LEGO and Star Wars insider Rebelscum mentions the sad news that the much-anticipated celebrations will no longer take place in all LEGOLAND locations, with the very last of these events held last month at the LEGOLAND Discovery Center Westchester, NY.

Rebelscum states that they’ve received official word from Lucasfilm that says, “2018 would be the last year they do them”, referring to the highly attended LEGO Star Wars fan event. Word on the streets has it that Lucasfilm and Disney are now focused on preparing to reset the longstanding franchise, with expenditures being rechanneled so as to minimize and limit Star Wars exposure. It seems to be part of a master plan to somehow help the Star Wars faithful move on from the Star Wars that we used to know, towards new and unchartered territories that will somehow reboot the decades-old franchise.

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WINTER HAVEN, FL — April 5, 2018 — Captain Phasma and Darth Vader preview for LEGO Star Wars Miniland display. (PHOTO / LOCK + LAND, Edward Linsmier for LEGOLAND Florida Resort)

It is also possible that Disney is now consolidating all of its Star Wars related properties and theme parks in order to bring them under one roof. Only time can tell if this will be the path that Disney and Lucasfilm have chosen. But what is sure right now is that fans of the LEGOLAND LEGO Star Wars Days is better off not to look forward to another event like this, that yielded so many attractions such as a large-scale LEGO Millennium Falcon made out of 250,000 bricks, and several hard-to-find minifigure promos.

Here’s Your Chance to Get a Free LEGO Overwatch Ganymede

LEGO has just announced a new promotional to celebrate the release of the LEGO Overwatch theme a couple of weeks from now. If you’re looking forward to visit your local LEGO Store in January, then you may want to mark the 23rd to have the chance to participate in the LEGO Store Overwatch Play Event. Like any other LEGO Store events, participating in this in-store play event will give you the chance to build and bring home your FREE LEGO Overwatch Ganymede brick-built figure.

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This brick-built avian figure is a great companion to the LEGO Overwatch Bastion (75974) set which is also slated to be released on January 1. Here’s the full announcement from LEGO.com.

Some of your favorite Overwatch heroes have been protecting the LEGO® Store and have left their sprays behind. We need your help to search throughout the store to figure out which characters have been here!

Find the sprays and mark each one you find, then show your checklist to a Brick Specialist and build and take home your own FREE LEGO Overwatch Ganymede model!

Event takes place in stores January 23, 2019. To participate, you must sign up in stores beginning January 1, 2019. Builders must be between the ages of 6-14 to participate.

Be sure to drop by any LEGO brand store starting January 1 to register for this LEGO play event. And since this event is running only for a day, expect this free LEGO Overwatch Ganymede figure to run out pretty fast.

 

The LEGO Movie 2 Promotes #BuildToGive Just In Time for the Holidays

As we begin the Christmas holidays, the cast of The LEGO Movie 2 has now joined LEGO’s #BuildToGive campaign for this year. As announced in the November LEGO Store Calendar, LEGO’s Build To Give charity drive seeks to give 500,000 children in need worldwide with their very own LEGO gift this holiday season. The campaign is gaining more and more supporters since its launch earlier this month as shown by the numerous uploads by fans over at LEGO’s Build to Give website. But it’s not only fans who are helping LEGO reach this 500K goal, but Emmet, Lucy, Benny and the rest of The LEGO Movie 2 cast is also pitching in their support for #BuildToGive in this latest promotional video.

This short video features already known The LEGO Movie 2 characters such as Emmet, Lucy, Rex and his dino assistant, Benny, MetalBeard, and  Unikitty. Even the enigmatic Sweet Mayhem couldn’t resist joining in and spreading the love.

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If you wish to help in sharing some brick-building fun to needy kids around the globe, then simply download the instructions available at the LEGO #BuildToGive website, create your own holiday ornament, snap an image of your creation and share it via social media with the caption #BuildToGive.

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These easy-to-follow instructions are made with common LEGO bricks and pieces that you may already have at home. And of course, you’re not limited with these builds and you’re always free to create your own personalized Christmas ornament. Just be sure to add #BuildToGive so a child in need of play can benefit from it. Alternately, you can also visit your nearby LEGO Store and inquire on how to participate in this campaign.

lego build to give 204 min

The #BuildToGive charity campaign is part of LEGO’s Community Engagement Program, while The LEGO Movie 2 is slated to land on theaters in the US on February 8, 2019.

 

LEGO Store in Disney Springs Joins Celebration of Mickey Mouse’s 90th Anniversary

The year 1928 was the year Walter Elias Disney introduced what would become his most iconic creation in popular entertainment to the world: the big cheese himself, Mickey Mouse. This came in the form of the animated short Steamboat Willie, which premiered in November 18 of that year. What do you know, November 18 is this Sunday, and 2018 marks the celebration of Mickey Mouse’s 90th anniversary.

Obviously, the Disney Company is celebrating 90 years of Mickey Mouse. And perhaps the most prominent event in paying tribute to the name bearer of the House of Mouse can be found in Walt Disney World in Orlando. At their Disney Springs commercial complex, special Mickey merchandise and food items are being offered ahead of Sunday.

Even the Disney Springs LEGO Store is getting in on the Mickey Mouse vibe. They’re spearheading a massive brick-building effort to create a tribute mural that will showcase the various milestones of the king of Disney characters, as established in the Kingdom Hearts video game series.

Ahead of Mickey Mouse’s 90th anniversary, LEGO has also released some highly collectible sets in the form of BrickHeadz for not just Mickey (41624) but also Minnie Mouse (41625). The rumors that the BrickHeadz line may eventually be discontinued would only add to the potential value of these two LEGO sets.

LEGO BrickHeadz Mickey Mouse (41624) and Minnie Mouse (41625)

Interestingly, a Steamboat Willie set is up for contention in the Second 2018 Review Stage for LEGO Ideas. The results won’t be revealed until early next year, but that too would’ve been a nice addition to the LEGO contributions for celebrating 90 years of Mickey.

Early LEGO Black Friday Offers Coming This Weekend

News and details of LEGO Black Friday offers are slowly coming in ahead of the year’s super sale event next week. LEGO has sent out word via email that LEGO VIPs are in for a treat this Friday with its early Black Friday shopping event at all LEGO Stores and at LEGO Shop @Home. During the weekend from November 17 to 18, LEGO VIP members will earn double points on any LEGO purchase made during the upcoming weekends.

LEGO Double VIP

LEGO is also throwing in the seasonal gift-with purchase set, LEGO Christmas Box (40292) for free, for every single receipt purchase of any LEGO products worth $99 and more. This is a great head start if you wish to add to those sweet double VIP points while being one of the first of those to bring home the Christmas Box (40292) freebie.

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Of course, it’s a matter of weighing in your choices between the nice incentives that LEGO will be offering this weekend, and between the insanely great discounts that LEGO has in store come Black Friday. Either way around, you’ll still have the better end of the best deals that LEGO has to offer. Be sure to visit shop.LEGO.com for more details.