Rumored 2018 LEGO Star Wars The Last Jedi UCS-Like Set Might Be Based On A… Porg?!

After the release of the creative retelling of The Last Jedi in a 2-minute brick-built video, LEGO fan forums were set ablaze once again with a rumored topic that seemed to came out of the left field. Reliable LEGO insider Sir von Lego dropped a bomb of a rumor when he unequivocally announced the arrival of the next LEGO Star Wars set that is all too “cute and famous” to pass.

Announced via Eurobricks, Sir von Lego, to quote, says:

We will see a buildable “UCS-like set” (like BB-8) this year, comes from E VIII and is quite cute and famous.

Now speculations were rife that what Sir von Lego was alluding to was none other than a buildable Porg figure probably similar to the likes of what we saw at key places in London last December as part of LEGO’s promotional campaign. After all, as many would say, what is even cuter and famous than a wide-eyed Porg? Other Eurobricks members were quick to ride on the rumor band wagon, with almost everyone assuming that this UCS-like set will indeed be a tribute to Chewie’s favorite snack.

lego porg statues 1
The brick-built Porgs that were used to promote the LEGO Star Wars The Last Jedi sets in London last December.

Now for the record, I understand the mania over this cute avian species of Ahch-To, but we must clarify that Sir von Lego did not specifically mention that this next LEGO Star Wars set will actually be these cute and famous Porgs. In fact, he did not even mention that the set was referring to a creature or living thing of sorts. There were some fans that even interpreted it as a code to what was first initially thought to be as a reference to Cloud City – instead, there’s a new theory that the code ‘CC’ may now refer to a ‘Cute Creature’ instead.

Truth be told, I’m not much of a Porg fan, and if I will follow the rumor trail for what it is, I am compelled to say that there are a handful of new creatures and characters that were introduced in Star Wars canon that may fall under the cute and famous category. One in mind is the canine-like Vulptex referred to by the Resistance as Crystal Foxes, which were prominently featured towards the end of the film. They were even instrumental in the escape of the remaining Resistance forces as Luke tries to buy them some time.

crystal

Another candidate is the majestic Fathiers of Canto Bight. Used primarily as race horses to feed the gambling urges of the patrons of the casino-like planet, the Fathiers aided Rose and Finn with their escape from the police forces of the posh planet. We actually had a cool cameo to these Fathiers in LEGO’s recently released video. If you recall, there was a part on that short video where a bigfig of a Fathier was introduced in the scene.

LEGO TLJ

Finally, you have another candidate who is also a native to planet Ahch-To. Dubbed as the Caretakers, they are actually female Lanai that serves as a sort of maintenance crew for the island where the first Jedi Temple was built on. Unlike the Porgs which is seen more as a cute nuisance, the Caretakers have a more significant role of preserving the old way of life on Ahch-To, and to make sure that everything is running smoothly on the solitary planet.

Caretakers

These are just some of the ideas that come to my mind under the cute creature category of The Last Jedi. Nevertheless, it is wise to consider all these things for what it is – a rumor – until such time that LEGO gives an official statement.

So what do you think? Are you inclined to believe that this may indeed be a LEGO Star Wars Porg set, or do you have any candidates on what could this cute and popular creature might be? Share what you think in the comments below.

What’s Next for LEGO Sets and Exclusives With Toys “R” Us Closing Its US Stores

From its humble origins as a Washington, DC children’s furniture store in 1948, Toys ‘R’ Us became one of the biggest retail giants for toys and other children’s products in the world. But that was a long time ago, and the reality now is that TRU’s closing all its stores.

With all of their stores in the US shutting down operations within a few months, one must wonder what’ll happen to the products they still have on shelves and in stock. Liquidations are already underway to clear them out, but certain products were put by TRU on a “NO” list.

That list also happens to include LEGO, in particular the latest sets that have just started releasing. Rather than included them with the ongoing product liquidations (seeing them go for so much less), TRU will now be returning their LEGO stocks to LEGO, without any attempt to sell any sets.

The above however doesn’t quite answer what’ll become of the LEGO Toys “R” Us exclusives such as certain polybags or the Bricktober sets, many of which would’ve already been planned for by LEGO throughout 2018. Since LEGO Bricktober is tied to TRU, giving them to other retail chains won’t do.

An alternative for LEGO’s TRU exclusives now that the US stores they would’ve been shipped to will no longer be, might be to re-label them or release the sets and polybags in their own stores. This is similar to Funko which had started selling their TRU-exclusive flocked Geoffrey figure themselves.

Liquidation of most other products in the US Toys “R” Us stores will be kicking off as early as this week. It’s a sad day indeed for the old toy giant, though there’s been talk that they might possibly sell their name and logos to interested buyers for legacy branding.

LEGO Star Wars Solo Imperial TIE Fighter (30381) Polybag Arriving Soon

It looks like we’re getting another polybag anytime soon. Though I have to admit that I may not be that excited for this one as compared to the prospect of landing on a LEGO Marvel Guardians’ Ship (30525) polybag, I’m still looking forward on grabbing this one. Rebel Scum has shared the news that a new LEGO Star Wars Solo Imperial TIE Fighter (30381) polybag may hit stores next month, coinciding with the release of its larger LEGO Star Wars Solo cousins.

30381

It has been customary for LEGO to also offer miniature replica of its larger sets each time a particular theme is released – we have the likes of the LEGO Ninjago Movie’s Ice Tank (30427), the LEGO Marvel Royal Talon Fighter (30450), and the most recent LEGO Marvel Infinity War The Guardians’ Ship (30525) just to name a few. The LEGO Star Wars Solo Imperial TIE Fighter (30381) comes in at 42 pieces and will retail approximately for $3.99 USD.

30381 2 30381 1

We haven’t received any updates yet on when and where this latest polybag might be found, but some have been suggesting an April 20 (tentatively) release date, alongside with the official release of the LEGO Star Han Solo sets.

Know The Secrets Behind The LEGO Hulkbuster: Ultron Edition (76105) Straight From Its Designers

In keeping up with its series of designer videos, LEGO has opted to share the story behind its latest, massive set that pays tribute to the mighty Hulkbuster: Ultron Edition (76105). In conjunction with the set’s initial release, LEGO Designers Justin Ramsden and Adam Corbally have shared the details of this towering Iron Man armor. After its official reveal last month, the LEGO Hulkbuster: Ultron Edition (76105) is now available online via shop.LEGO.com and in-store at the LEGO brand store nearest you. This set comes in at 1,363 pieces and retails for $119.99 USD.

You can watch the designer video after the set’s official image, and product description below.

LEGO Marvel Super Heroes The Hulkbuster: Ultron Edition (76105)
Ages 14+. 1,363pieces.
US $119.99 – CA $149.99- DE 129.99€ – UK £119.99 – DK 1199DKK

76105 Front 01

Create and show off the mighty Hulkbuster!

Build The Hulkbuster: Ultron Edition, with a punching jackhammer arm and LEGO® light brick in the chest, and display it on the platform with attachable robotic construction arms.Includes an Iron Man, exclusive minifigure.

Build and display this superhero toy—a highly detailed LEGO® brick version of the Hulkbuster mech, featuring a rotating torso, posable fingers, arms, legs and feet, and glow-in-the-dark elements. Choose from 2 interchangeable left arms, including a jackhammer arm with punching function, and activate the LEGO light brick in the chest. This LEGO Marvel Super Heroes The Hulkbuster: Ultron Edition set also includes a display platform with alternate attachment points for posable robotic construction arms and a desk, plus a new Iron Man Mark 43 exclusive minifigure.

  • Hulkbuster features a flip-up head, rotating torso, posable fingers, arms, legs and feet, LEGO® light brick in the chest, 2 interchangeable left arms—a standard arm or jackhammer arm with punching function and 12 glow-in-the-dark elements.
  • Activate the chest light by pressing the button on the Hulkbuster’s back.
  • Includes Iron Man Mark 43 exclusive minifigure.
  • Platform features a flip-up Hulkbuster information plate, plus 8 alternative attachment points for 2 posable robotic construction arms and a desk with 2 attached computer screen elements and space for the buildable hotrod car and buildable Veronica satellite.
  • Clip the spare Hulkbuster arm to either of the robotic construction arms for neat display.
  • Also includes a fire extinguisher element.
  • Hulkbuster measures over 9” (25cm) high, 3” (10cm) long and 8” (22cm) wide.
  • Platform (without attachable arms/desk) measures over 7” (19cm) wide, 8” (21cm) deep and under 1” (2cm) high.

 

First Look At The LEGO Juniors Incredibles 2 Elastigirl’s Rooftop Pursuit (10759)

Following the reveal of the LEGO Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom T. Rex Transport (75933) over at eBay, we now have another upcoming set that made its early debut over at the popular reselling site. If you recall during this year New York Toy Fair, Brian was able to cover some LEGO Juniors tie-in set that features the superhero family of the Incredibles in their next high-powered Disney Pixar film. Unfortunately, back then, we were not allowed to take photos for obvious reasons. Though we have already seen the official images of two of these recent sets, one is still kept under wraps, perhaps because of being too spoilery.

But if you don’t mind the mild spoilers, then you might want to check out what eBay reseller littledanish0714 has posted online. After giving us our first glimpse of the T. Rex Transport (75933), we now have a first look at the LEGO Juniors Incredibles 2 Elastigirl’s Rooftop Pursuit (10759) as you can see below.

10759 1

10759 2

The set features Elastigirl (aka Mrs. Incredible) with the same bendy arms as that of Ms. Marvel in Captain America Jet Pursuit (76076), and a new robotic-like character. I’m not sure if this new character is a friend or foe (I’m more likely inclined to believe the latter) to Elastigirl, but what I find interesting is the new minifigure mould that goes along with it. It looks the same as that of the hairpiece that goes with Robin in The LEGO Batman Movie with his googly green eyes, though it is different at the same time especially when mounted on a robot-like helmet. The LEGO Juniors Incredibles 2 Elastigirl’s Rooftop Pursuit (10759) comes in at 95 pieces and is expected to arrive in stores sometime next month or May, retailing for $19.99.

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom Gets The LEGO BrickHeadz Treatment

Earlier this month, we got hold of a rumored list of LEGO BrickHeadz sets that are based on popular themes such as Disney, Star Wars, and Justice League – with some of these expected to be available sometime in April. I’m looking forward to most of these sets, and I have to admit that some of these sets, if per chance true, will probably be LEGO’s best BrickHeadz sets ever.

Eventually, it looks like we have our first images from this rumored wave of brick-built collectibles. Over the weekend, it was revealed that we will have another LEGO BrickHeadz combo pack similar to the likes of the LEGO Star Wars BrickHeadz Rey and Kylo (41489). Just in time for the film’s release in June, official images of the LEGO Jurassic World BrickHeadz Owen and Blue (41614) has been released, courtesy of our friends over at Brothers Brick. Check this out.

41614 4

This set features the film’s main character and his head dino, which is by far, our very first non-humanoid character in LEGO BrickHeadz form. Since the launch of BrickHeadz two years ago, this is the first time that we are getting a non-anthropomorphic BrickHeadz character, so I guess we just have to wait and see how fans will respond to this. Frankly speaking, though Owen’s BrickHeadz rendition is typically the same as that of other sets in the theme, Blue’s version kind of looks more like a flightless bird rather than a Raptor. I understand that LEGO wants to establish the BrickHeadz theme with a kind of distinct aesthetic, but I think this is one of the challenges that LEGO BrickHeadz designers must hurdle with regards to future sets – the balance between coming up with a quirky build that has that distinct BrickHeadz vibe, but still having that close semblance of the character it wishes to portray, humans or not.

41614 5 41614 3

As always, this particular LEGO BrickHeadz set comes with unique printed parts such Owen’s signature shirt and brown jacket, and Blue’s raptor scales. The set comes in at 234 pieces with an expected price range of $19.99 in the US. It is not clear yet as of this posting if the LEGO Jurassic World BrickHeadz Owen and Blue (41614) set will be another store exclusive, but will keep this under our radar and update you accordingly as soon as more related news comes in.

LEGO Teases on the LEGO Ideas TRON: Legacy (21314)

LEGO Ideas’ social media channels have released a teaser video announcing the arrival of the upcoming LEGO Ideas TRON: Legacy (21314). We already know what to expect from the set thanks to the first image that we have of its box art. The set features two iconic light cycles based on the follow-up sequel TRON: Legacy released in 2010.

This set was conceptualized by BrickBros UK, and garnered the necessary support of LEGO fans, and approval of the LEGO Ideas Team during the first 2017 LEGO Ideas Review Stage. As typical of these kind of teasers, LEGO was scant on the details, but we can expect some official images anytime soon before its release next month. Will keep you posted anytime soon so be sure to keep us under your radar.

 

Another LEGO Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom Set Surfaced – T. rex Transport (75933)

It looks like we have another brick dino on the loose. After the reveal of two, additional LEGO Jurasssic World: Fallen Kingdom sets, it seems that LEGO has another one in store for us. Posted via eBay, we now know that there will be another set slated to be released sometime next month or mid-May. The LEGO Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom T. rex Transport (75933) comes in at 609 pieces, and particularly highlights that scene in the film where the team of Zia Rodriguez (played by Daniella Pineda) tries to restrain the mighty T. Rex. Thankfully, littledanish0714 managed to post several images of the set on eBay. Take a look.

LEGO Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom T. rex Transport (75933)

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The set comes with a T. Rex big fig,  a baby dino microfig, Zia Rodriguez (with dual molded legs) and two transport Guards. Though the trailer truck isn’t exactly on minifig scale, and the T. Rex’ cage is not that big as it looks as we saw from the trailers, it still looks decent with its blue and gray colors. The set also comes with a computer workstation and some accessories that we really don’t know the purpose, until we see them used in the film.

75933 1

This particular LEGO Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom T. rex Transport (75933) set is listed in an inflated cost of $120 over at eBay, but it is expected that this set will retail in stores for around $70 USD. As a side note, the T. Rex in this set may also look the same as that of the T. Rex featured in the LEGO Juniors T. Rex Breakout (10758), but a closer comparison reveals that these Jurassic bigfigs have different printings. So if you’re a completionist and would like to have all of these dinos under this theme, then I suggest that you keep an eye on this new one as well.

 

 

First Look At the LEGO Ideas TRON: Legacy Lightcycle (21314)

Last week, LEGO’s Italian store calendar teased on the arrival of the next LEGO Ideas set that will grace the shelves of LEGO Stores in April. This time, we have our first look at the ‘unofficial’ box art of the LEGO Ideas TRON: Legacy Lightcycle (21314) which was shared by one of the readers of Candid Bricks.

LEGO Ideas TRON 1

I opted to call it ‘unofficial’ because a closer inspection of the above image reveals that the uploader tweaked on some portions of the box art – the edges of the box were roughly covered up, including the details beside the LEGO Ideas logo on the bottom right of the box. However, multiple sources have confirmed that this is definitely the box art for the TRON set, regardless if the image were modified or not.

What thrills me the most about this upcoming LEGO Ideas set is the fact that we will be getting not just one, but two Light Cycles and both are in minifigure scale. The box art image also suggests that the light trail from the back of the lightcycle will actually be a LEGO piece and not just an added prop for the box art. The identity discs from the films were also faithfully replicated using existing lifesaver moulds but with a different color scheme and a cool prints.

We do not have additional information as of the moment regarding details such as pricing and piece count, but we’ll sure to update you once new info comes in. So what do you think of the LEGO Ideas TRON: Legacy Lightcycle (21314)? Will this be a Day 1 pick for you?

LEGO Collectible Minifigures Series 18 (71021) Box Distribution and Checklist

Now that the cat is out of the bag regarding the official reveal LEGO Collectible Minifigure Series 18 (71021), it’s time to ask that ever nagging question: what are the odds of getting my faved minifigure from the series? As you all know by now, this 40th anniversary LEGO minifigure commemorative series comes with 17 minifigs to collect, and like other CMF series, knowing how much of each minifig inside the box will help you understand the odds of feeling your way through each of them.

A couple of days ago, The Brick Fan managed to grab hold of an entire Series 18 box and here’s what we know regarding how this minifigure series is distributed. For starters, each Series 18 box contain 61 blind bags – and if you find it odd why LEGO has arranged it as such, because they opted to throw in a sort of ‘chase’ figure within the batch. Before we go with the disctribution, here’s how the minifig checklist looks like.

CMF Series 18 checklist
Image courtesy of The Brick Fan.

Though the checklist highlights all of the 17 minifigures in this series, as expected, not all of them are distributed equally inside each box. LEGO even went as far this time of adding only ONE blind bag for a particular minifig. Check out the box distribution below.

5 in a box
  • LEGO Red Brick Suit Guy (#2)
  • LEGO Blue Brick Suit Girl (#3)
4 in a box
  • Elephant Suit Girl (#1)
  • Fireworks/Rocket Guy (#5)
  • Red Dragon Suit Guy (#7)
  • Spider Suit Guy (#9)
  • Birthday Cake Guy (#10)
  • Flowerpot Girl (#14)
  • Cowboy Suit Guy (#15)
  • Blue Unicorn Knight (#17)
3 in a box
  • Elephant Suit Girl (#1)
  • Party Clown (#4)
  • Birthday Party Girl (#7)
  • Cactus Girl (#11)
  • Cat Suit Girl (#12)
  • Race Car Guy (#13)
  • Birthday Party Boy (#16)

And finally, as you may have noticed already, the chase minifigure is the Classic Policeman minifigure which is only found once per box. Though younger LEGO fans will probably not mind the generic policeman minifig, older AFOLs sure understands the value of this classic little guy which is a re-release of the minifigure included in LEGO Classic Town Police Car (600-2) in 1978. Interestingly, 1978 also corresponds to the year when the first LEGO minifigures were introduced. So if you’re looking forward in collecting the entire Series 18 range, then you should be open to the possibility that grabbing the Classic Policeman in this series might be extremely difficult. The fact is, the only way to be assured of having the Classic Policeman, is if you will opt to buy the entire box set.

If you’re not the completionist type and is comfortable with the idea of having the rest of the Series 18 minifigs less the Classic Policeman, then you’ll be glad to know that you can come up with at least 3 sets of the other 16 minifigs to share with your friends, and with a couple of more to spare.

So what do you think about LEGO’s move of adding a sort of chase minifigure in this series? Are you OK with this? Share what you think in the comments below.