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Warner Bros. Boss Gives Two Cents on Under-Performance of “LEGO Movie 2”

It’s going to be close to a month now since “The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part” arrived in cinemas. And for all intents and purposes it couldn’t capture lightning in a jar like the original 2014 film did. At February’s end its global earnings amount only to $137.5 million.

Why did a numbered sequel to “The LEGO Movie,” which caused a LEGO products shortage in its release year, fail to recapture the original’s magic? Kevin Tsujihara, CEO of Warner Bros. Entertainment, talked briefly about “LEGO Movie 2” with the Los Angeles Times, revealing their animation group and WB Pictures, which co-produced and distributed the film, was just as surprised.

“It didn’t do as well as tracking would’ve suggested, which was a little puzzling,” said Tsujihara, also remarking how audiences and critics found the first movie fresh and different. Ultimately, he thinks that Warner Bros. Pictures and Warner Animation Group need to “rethink the experience.”

From Tsujihara’s quote, an optimistic reading is that this stumbling box office performance by “LEGO Movie 2” will not turn off Warner from making more. What they do need to work on is the “rethinking” of the viewing experience, which may have a good point.

Proposed reasons for “LEGO Movie 2” not clicking with the fandom created by “The LEGO Movie” include franchise fatigue. After all, there were “LEGO Batman” and “LEGO Ninjago” movies before the actual storyline sequel was announced. The studios’ choice of rehashing the original’s marketing campaign may have also significantly contributed.

LEGO Bounces Back from Dull 2017 with Positive Growths in 2018 Annual Results

It’s around this time of the (relatively) new year that major corporations around the world begin to publicize their annual financial reports from the year before. The LEGO Group is no exception, and interested parties have been looking forward to learning what their status is into the new fiscal year.

After all, despite the continuing release of new products and a healthy amount of activity back in 2017, there have been noted shortfalls in their results when The LEGO Group made its annual report then in early 2018. Thankfully, the following financial year seems to have been very good for the company, if their reported revenue growth is any indication.

In a press statement they released after making their annual report for 2018 last Wednesday, February 27, The LEGO Group was proud to announce good growth in revenue, sales and profits; in addition, these positive gains are uniform across three major regional markets: the Americas; Europe, Africa and the Middle East; and the Asia Pacific.

Speaking of the latter, LEGO was also proud to report that their growth in China, one of their most recent marketing frontiers, has reached “double digits,” better than the already-good increases in other well-established locales.

Translated into hard figures, from the 2017 to 2018 reports, The LEGO Group achieved: 4% revenue growth (DKK 36.4 billion), 3% global consumer sales, a strong cash flow (DKK 9.8 billion), and a 4% increase in profit (DKK 10.4 billion).

Niels Christiansen, CEO of The LEGO Group, noted that the company was determined to improve their financial situation for 2018 after reeling from the figures of year 2017. “We are pleased to have achieved this, and to have delivered modest top and bottom-line growth,” he said. “We’d like to thank our talented colleagues who did an outstanding job executing plans during the peak holiday season.”

For a full accounting of the annual financial report from The LEGO Group, you may check out their official press release about the event here.

New LEGO Survey for AFOLs Wants to Know their Leisure Pastimes, Hobbies and Interests

It seemed like out of the blue late last week when LEGO suddenly put out a survey for its customers. And the target market for the questionnaire was a surprise too, as it asked adults about their LEGO shopping experience. The said survey is still on, lasting until March 22.

But The LEGO Group appears to be in a surveying mood lately. Once again, they need input from AFOLs regarding their personal habits. This time however, their new survey is going to be quite substantial in terms of queries, and answering them truthfully (by reading the items carefully) could take about 30 minutes on average.

The general theme of this survey also touches closer to home than the previous one with its inquiries on shopping habits. Now The LEGO Group is asking stuff about AFOLs’ personal habits: what they do to spend leisure time, what subjects interest them and what hobbies they like to pursue.

Interestingly, this survey has several restrictions. For one thing it has a short shelf life, closing on Sunday, March 3. Next, only survey takers from three countries – the US, Germany, and China – will be accommodated by it. Results of the inquiry will apparently be shared by the LEGO Ambassador Network in April. Meanwhile, here are the links for the survey if you’re interested and live in the three aforementioned markets.

US / Germany / China

Stunning LEGO MOC Vignette of Battle of Crait Praised by “Last Jedi” Director

When a LEGO product line is celebrating a milestone anniversary, the brand can be counted on to celebrate that with a wide release of new LEGO sets under that banner. And everyone who has been keeping up with LEGO-related news through us would know that LEGO Star Wars is now a couple of decades old.

But sometimes, some serious commemoration of a LEGO line seems only achievable with an MOC. Let’s consider David Hall, a LEGO builder specializing in the “Star Wars” tie-in products. Ignoring naysayers’ opinion on 2017’s “The Last Jedi,” Hall has recreated that film’s climactic action sequence, the battle on Planet Crait.

In a diorama that he says contains around 100,000 bricks and which took him a year and a half to put together, David Hall made the Resistance’s last stand against the First Order look awesome, with official LEGO Star Wars sets and minifigures fighting on a custom-built Crait’s “red-salt” surface.

Hey @starwars this is my Battle of Crait, 100,000 bricks.. over 13 months to build! #legostarwars pic.twitter.com/sb6ZHIFdsI

— David Hall (@Solid_Brix) February 21, 2019

Such was the intricate details and intensity of the vignette’s combat choreography that Hall’s work went viral not just with LEGO/Star Wars fans but with the showbiz industry, according to Entertainment Weekly where we get this news. It probably helps that Hall’s work caught the attention of the director of “The Last Jedi”: Rian Johnson.

Johnson may be under fire from fanatical “Star Wars” fans who felt he overdid the subverting of expectations and conventions from his movie, but he certainly appreciates any franchise follower who references his film work. In two Twitter posts the filmmaker expressed how awed he was by the Battle of Crait as interpreted by Hall.

The more I zoom the more my jaw drops

— Rian Johnson (@rianjohnson) February 22, 2019

David Hall was just as appreciative, and intimated with Rian Johnson that he too dreams of becoming a film director, with the latter as inspiration. Those are brave words of support for the director of “The Last Jedi,” argued as the most divisive “Star Wars” film in the franchise’s history.

The Battle of Crait shown in Hall’s diorama was the final death knell of the anti-First Order Resistance, which over the course of the movie went from an army to just enough people to fit in the Millennium Falcon. We’ll get to see what happens to them when “Star Wars Episode IX” premieres December 20.

First Official LEGO Minifigure Factory Launched in Leicester Square LEGO Store

When LEGO fans first saw the special set Minifigure Factory (5005356), made to commemorate 40 years of the LEGO minifigure, some might have wondered if “making” one’s own official minifigures as shown here was possible. LEGO answered that question when it began tests of an actual Minifigure Factory, a custom printing service in the vein of their earlier Mosaic Maker.

Over eight months have passed since the LEGO Minifigure Factory was first tested in Copenhagen, Denmark, the home nation of The LEGO Group. Following this intensive trail period, the Minifigure Factory will be made available for the first time in a commercial capacity, in London’s primary LEGO Store: Leicester Square.

As Promo Bricks tells us, the LEGO branded store at Leicester Square shall be the first in the world with a Minifigure Factory for making custom minifigs. This is another “first” honor for that particular retail location, which has seen set unveilings and other events in the past. They also got the first LEGO Mosaic Maker system in the world.

How does the commercial version of the LEGO Minifigure Factory work? First a customer of the Leicester Square LEGO Store must buy a £10.99 Minifigure Factory Pack. This pack is canned at the Factory machine, along with the customer’s name entry, to open a minifigure design interface. They get to choose figure parts to assemble then do a custom design on the torso (only the torso for now). Lastly, they select their custom minifig’s other accessories while it’s being printed.

All in all, the LEGO Minifigure Factory looks to be a popular service for the more discerning LEGO fans with extra cash to spend; after all, almost £11 for a single minifigure does sound steep even if the buyer got to customize and accessorize it. Time will tell when another Minifigure Factory unit is announced, and where in the world it might be located next.

“Adult LEGO Shopper Insights” Being Asked by LEGO Retail Design Team Via Survey

News flash: The LEGO Group needs an adult…LEGO shopper. In fact, they need a lot of grown-up LEGO shoppers and their collective recollection of experiences purchasing LEGO products in stores. The company expressed their needs well with a lengthy message on the LEGO Ambassador Network. Best we read it verbatim:

The LEGO Retail Design team is very excited to hear from adults about their shopping experiences and expectations and how we can make the experience even better! Around the world there are different types of LEGO Stores (LBR and LCS) with the goal of providing an inspiring, interactive, creative and fun experience for kids and adults alike.

Whether you visit a LEGO Store every day or have never even seen one, it is important to know what adults expect and desire from a visit. Your feedback will be considered when designing the future LEGO Store experience.

Working with adult fans of LEGO, the LEGO Retail Design team has created a short survey and with the hope that you can take a few minutes to share your thoughts. Your insights will help to make visiting a LEGO Store a truly memorable event!

Just like a LEGO creation, each person offers a different and unique perspective so, the survey is open to anyone and everyone with the hope that thousands of adults from around the world share their ideas.

Well, that said, you can access LEGO’s adult shopper survey via THIS LINK. No personal data is requested so survey-takers will remain anonymous, and for the benefit of the bourgeoning LEGO market in China, the survey also has a version in simplified Chinese. Interested takers have about a month to answer LEGO’s survey, and it’ll close March 22.

Munich Trade Show Features Massive 1:1 LEGO Volkswagen T2 Van Made by Certified Professional

Full-scale LEGO reproductions are a dime a dozen these days, particularly when it comes to automobiles. We’ve seen brick-built Formula One racing cars and camper trailers, and for the umpteenth time we’ll mention the storied 1:1 scale LEGO Bugatti Chiron that drives like a real car, powered by LEGO-set generators.

Now, a trade show in Munich, Germany will serve as a venue for the showcase of another life-sized LEGO vehicle construct. The project was built by LEGO Certified Professional Rene Hoffmeister with help from Pascal Lenhard, and their replicated vehicle, as befits the German setting, is the Volkswagen T2 camper.

Originating from a digital schematic of a real Type 2 van that was converted into a LEGO brick diagram, Hoffmeister and Lenhard led a building team to realize the plan, constructing some 400,000 different LEGO pieces over and around a supporting metal framework for strength.

One hiccup in the project occurred when the delivery of 20,000 transparent LEGO blocks to be formed into the Volkswagen’s windshield and windows was delayed. By having his team do overtime and weekend shifts, Hoffmeister managed to keep their construction timetable to within the six weeks allotted before the f.re.e. outdoor trade show officially opened this Wednesday on February 20.

For trivia purposes, the physical stats of this LEGO 1:1 Volkswagen Type 2 van are: 700 kilos (1,543 lbs.) 400,000 blocks (20,000 transparent), 5 meters (16.4 ft.) long, 3 meters (9.8 ft.) tall, with functional sliding door and Westfalia roof.

This incredible LEGO Volkswagen T2 will be a star attraction at the f.re.e. trade show in Munich, which runs for four days from February 20 to 24. It’ll be located in hall C5, booth 103, along with the actual T2 that it was modeled from.

Custom Build Wizard Chris McVeigh Becomes an Official Part of LEGO’s Design Teams

It’s always great and inspiring to hear stories of “ascended” fans, people who have been ardent followers of a company or brand and have done extensive work using their products. Eventually they get called up by these same companies and offered their dream jobs, officially becoming part of their organization.

A lot of LEGO fans have enjoyed becoming ascended themselves, whether it’s as small as having their submissions to LEGO Ideas becoming official sets, or actually getting hired by The LEGO Group themselves. The latter has recently happened to Chris “PowerPig” McVeigh, one of the biggest online LEGO builders today.

His building guide website has plenty of nice tech-related brick construction projects, and he also sells some impressive MOCs in his own store. PowerPigs work is plenty spiffy enough to stand next to any official LEGO sets, which might explain why The LEGO Group has extended an invite to him.

McVeigh announced the good news on his official Facebook page this Tuesday, February 19. He will soon be moving to Denmark as a new addition to the design and development teams for the LEGO Creator Expert and Architecture product lines. It was accompanied by the cool minifigure vignette pictured above.

Of course, such a major change will have certain repercussions to PowerPig’s online activities. The most significant is that his online LEGO MOC store, PowerPig’s Builds, will be shutting down effective February 25, so interested customers better make their online purchases before this week’s out. We’re not sure what will happen to his building guides; perhaps they’ll remain on site.

But, Chris McVeigh is now part of the bigger picture with his ascension to the LEGO Creator Expert and Architecture teams. Who knows which future sets from these lines will be made with his input? It’ll be fun to guess.

LEGO Impresses with Exhibits, Displays and New Products Unveiled in 2019 New York Toy Fair

As one of the biggest toy brands in the world, LEGO is guaranteed to have a place of honor in whatever international toy fairs might be happening throughout the world. The ongoing American International Toy Fair, or New York Toy Fair, is no exception to giving LEGO its priority space.

And the company didn’t disappoint either. Since its trademark toys are for building and assembling, LEGO dazzled and excited NYTF attendees and visitors with every display and exhibit they put up in the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. The star of LEGO’s presentation: it’s latest film “LEGO Movie 2,” naturally.

This much was obvious whenever somebody walked through the Javits Crystal Palace Entrance Hall, which had many big LEGO builds. There’s Emmet’s couch for photo ops, the 5-footer Ultrakatty model, interactive building tables and minifig mascots of Emmet and Wyldstyle.

LEGO’s Toy Fair booth, numbered 1335, is no less flashy, with T-Rex and Rabbit models that could rival Ultrakatty’s already-impressive dimensions. The booth also has brick-built models of the “LEGO Movie” main characters, and more locations for selfies/usies such as the booth’s LEGO waterfall backdrop.

As for what events LEGO has in store at their booth throughout the NYTF, look no further than all those sweet new sets they’ve got featured, not to mention other media like videogames and the new “Hidden Side” mobile app. There are also a couple of milestone celebrations in store: five decades of Duplo and two of LEGO Star Wars.

Remember that the 2019 New York Toy Fair goes on until this February 19. The LEGO booth 1335 is open 9 AM to 6 PM this Monday, and up to 4 PM on Tuesday. If you’re in the area, don’t delay and check them out.

Opening of New LEGO Group Offices in Dubai Draws Fans to Admire Brick-Decorated Interiors

If any location in the Middle East could be considered the center of the LEGO experience in that region, it would have to be the city of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). There’s a LEGOLAND Resort there for starters, and it’s the market that recorded the highest sales for the now-retired LEGO Architecture Burj Khalifa (21031) set, as the actual building’s located in the city itself after all.

Even recently, Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority used LEGO bricks to both send a public message and earn a Guinness World Record. Now, to top all of Dubai’s LEGO-centrism, the company itself just opened a new Middle East office there.

UAE newspaper The National reports that The LEGO Group celebrated the launch of their new Middle East office, located at the Dubai Design District, on Thursday, February 14. LEGO GM – Middle East and Africa Jeroen Beijer remarked on the establishment of a Dubai-based LEGO office by describing the city as being very international, and thus a natural place to establish a presence for local partners.

The opening of the LEGO Dubai office certainly drew the presence of the local LEGO-building community, from child fans to AFOLs. The obvious attractions are the usual trappings of any LEGO Group-related workplace: the hundreds upon hundreds of brick constructions decorating halls, desktops and walls.

Fully-assembled official numbered sets and impressive MOCs were everywhere, and the occasion was also graced by the appearance of minifigure mascots of the “LEGO Movie” lead stars Emmet and Wyldstyle.

Dubai AFOLs were undoubtedly pleased at The LEGO Group setting up shop in the city as it could only mean bigger things for the brand’s future direction in the Middle East. In the words of local AFOL Manohar Raju, aged 47, LEGO in Dubai is potentially a better investment than gold, as collecting costs for the brand in the UAE is said to be bigger than other LEGO world markets.