As we all saw yesterday, a teaser trailer for the teaser trailer (yep, I know that’s a tongue twister) was released for the LEGO NINJAGO Movie. And now, we have the full Teaser Trailer!
The movie, starring the voices of Dave Franco, Michael Peña, Jackie Chan, Justin Theroux, Kumail Nanjiani, Zach Woods and Abbi Jacobson (…woah that’s a big cast…) opens this September, the second LEGO movie this year following this months LEGO Batman Movie. This also means that we can be sure to expect some awesome sets based off of the film later in Autumn/Fall.
TLBM fever is now on its peak! With UK fans being treated to an early preview of the film over the course of the weekend ahead of its worldwide release on February 10 as reported by Brickset, US residents are also prepped and ready with Walmart and Toys R Us rallying the crowd.
The two retail giants team up with LEGO and Warner Bros for simultaneous building events that will happen today and next week Saturday. Walmart stores across the US will be hosting a The LEGO Batman Movie building event scheduled today, February 4, 2017 from 11:30AM until 4PM local time. This event is intended for children ages 6 and up, and you can find the list of participating Walmart Stores by heading over at their Facebook page. FBTB took the extra mile of organizing these Walmart stores by state for easy search and reference. We don’t have any details yet on what Walmart has in store as it’s TLBM give away, but if you’re eager to find out, be sure to check their list of participating stores and pay them a visit this morning.
Even after the world premiere of The LEGO Batman Movie, Toys R Us still has plenty of TLBM stuff to share to its loyal patrons. TRU will be hosting a Make & Take Home TLBM Building Event on February 11, at all TRU stores nationwide. Children ages 6 and above will not just get a chance to participate in the Arkham Asylum Breakout Hunt, but will also get to bring home for FREE Emmet’s Bat-car. Similar to other TRU LEGO events, this building event is only for 2 hours, from 1PM to 3PM and all giveaways and event materials are available while supplies last.
If you’re a fan of brick-built, original LEGO creations, chances are, you’ve read a thing or two about the name Tyler Clites. Best known for his out-of-the-box, creative builds, Tyler is fond of creating MOCs that are humorous and highly expressive such as the adorable builds of the Resistance Fighters from Star Wars the Force Awakens, and the iconic showdown between Iron Man and Captain America in MCU’s Civil War, given a cute, chibi twist. These are just a few of his many creations that caught the eye of many LEGO fans online and around the globe. If you want to take a look at his entire range of LEG-inspired masterpieces than you may check out his Flickr page, which he goes by the name of Legohaulic.
This time around and as a way of paying it forward to the larger LEGO fan community, Tyler has launched an all-new, unique website, The Creation Nation, which aims to inspire budding LEGO master builders to become more creative, resourceful and how to be better problem solvers using LEGO as his medium. Watch the video below to have a better understanding on how young builders can benefit from The Creation Nation, followed by Tyler’s official press release.
The Creation Nation is a membership website where we want to build a nation of creators. With cell phones and video games, kids are losing their creativity. We want to encourage and challenge kids to be more creative. There is no better way to be creative than with Lego. It is vital that we show kids that there is an endless supply of creative ideas out there. Kids should to be challenged to put down the instructions that come with a set and build creations using their own ideas.
There is so much more to Lego than just being a fun toy. Right now, there is an incredible need to teach kids how to think creatively to solve problems, develop new ideas, and be resourceful. Video games cannot teach this, but we can.
How do we teach creativity?
Idea Generation – Generating a variety of ideas within a specific set of parameters.
Idea Selection – Selecting the best idea to work with and exploring it further.
Idea Realization – Bringing an idea into reality.
Members of the site will have access to our entire library of videos. These videos are designed to demonstrate the creative process in a fun way. New videos are added each week which add up to over an hour of new video content each month.
Visit TheCreationNation.com now and check out our free videos and sign up for our newsletter.
Those of us who grew up on LEGO understand very well the importance of the social element in building. Simply put, as a child, it’s more fun to create your brick-built world together with your friends and like-minded enthusiasts. It is this social bond with others that makes the LEGO play experience more engaging and unique. With the recent launch of the LEGO Ideas Test Labs as an online venue geared towards a more advanced (aka older) league of LEGO builders, The LEGO Group has launched another social media platform that brings the benefits of LEGO’s social play among young kids in a virtually safe, online environment.
At first, the LEGO Life app seems to be more like a brick-themed app which is, primarily, a social media app. It has all the standard elements: a profile, newsfeed, and the ability to like and comment. But digging deeper into LEGO Life’s functionalities reveals how LEGO’s core values and priorities are integrated into the app’s overall environment: TLG has setup the LEGO Life app in such a way that the online safety of its users is its utmost concern without missing out on the fun.
If you wish to try the LEGO Life app either for you or for any KFOL that you may know, then you may download the app for FREE both in iOS and Android. Please take note that the LEGO Life app is not available in certain regions, but let’s hope that LEGO will offer this eventually on a larger scale. You may also want to browse through TLG’s official announcement below to have a better idea about the LEGO Life app.
LEGO Group Launches LEGO® Life, a Safe Social Network for Kids Under 13
– LEGO Life Extends Play Through an Evolving Community of Inspiration that Adheres to the Highest Standards for Child Safety Online
– New LEGO Emoji Keyboard and Themed Feeds Innovate on the Best of Today’s Social Network Features to Allow Kids and Tweens to Share and Communicate with Thousands of Other LEGO Fans –
BILLUND, Denmark (January 31, 2017) – Building on its experience with nurturing communities and extending its expertise in developing quality, child-friendly digital play experiences, The LEGO Group today announced the launch of LEGO® Life, a safe social network for kids under the age of 13. The app-centered digital experience allows young LEGO builders of all levels and interests to connect with a community of like-minded peers to express their creativity, share their LEGO creations, interact with LEGO characters, and inspire one another. The experience launches today in the U.S., U.K., Canada, France, Germany, Denmark, Austria and Switzerland, with additional markets launching in 2017 and 2018.
“The LEGO Group aims to develop digital experiences that complement and enhance LEGO play,” said Rob Lowe, head of LEGO Life. “LEGO Life creates a platform that amplifies the joy of building and pride of creation that kids experience with tactile play through the digital world in a safe way – further unleashing creativity among kids and tweens on a much broader scale.”
LEGO® Life Increases the Sociability and Personalization of LEGO Play
LEGO Life bridges physical and digital play experiences, innovating on the best of today’s social network features to add a social layer to LEGO play. After seeing millions of kids share their pride of creation in the “Cool Creations” section of LEGO Club Magazine and use LEGO.com message boards to share stories and photos about LEGO building, a richer, more dynamic social media platform such as LEGO Life is a natural next step in the evolution of LEGO community engagement.
“LEGO Life provides the platform where kids and tweens can take their LEGO creations and stories and give them the audience they deserve,” added Lowe.
The LEGO Life app lets kids personalize their LEGO experience through direct interaction with their favorite LEGO characters, exclusive content, an in-depth 3D LEGO minifigure avatar creator, and fun building inspiration and challenges. LEGO Life also introduces a custom LEGO Emoji Keyboard with which kids and tweens can communicate about what they create in LEGO form, as well as comment on what their peers share.
“LEGO bricks are already established as a global visual language that kids understand and use to express themselves,” explained Lowe. “The LEGO Emoji Keyboard takes this personalization one step further with a keyboard of recognizable emojis augmented by stickers and phrases that let kids engage safely within LEGO Life.”
According to global research that informed the development of LEGO Life, 90 percent of kids surveyed are aware of emojis and their use in communication. When asked if they use emoji icons, approximately 40 percent of kids said “yes.” By infusing a LEGO look and feel into familiar emoji vernacular, the LEGO Emoji Keyboard helps kids and tweens inspire and support each other even though their spelling and typing skills may be still developing.
LEGO® Life is a Constantly Growing Source of Inspiration
Similar to mainstream social media platforms, LEGO Life delivers a newsfeed customized to user preferences. The app encourages kids and tweens to identify and “follow” topics of interest so that their feed is populated with relevant images, challenges and more. For example, kids can choose to follow groups dedicated to certain animals, vehicles, heroes, specific LEGO themes, seasonal programs or regional topics that they find most relevant.
Additionally, LEGO Life provides kids and tweens with inspiration and mentorship in fun and engaging ways. LEGO Master Builders will share creations and issue a variety of building challenges within LEGO Life to encourage building and sharing among the community. Characters such as Master Wu from LEGO NINJAGO, Emma from LEGO Friends and LEGO BATMAN™ will share building inspiration and will appear within the app to comment on member builds. New features will be continually added to the experience.
As the network grows and expands, users will find other ways to customize their LEGO experience, such as earning rewards for their engagement in LEGO activities and the ability to inventory their LEGO collection, among many other things. LEGO Life will also be available through many other LEGO touchpoints to enable as many LEGO fans as possible to experience its potential.
LEGO® Life is Safe and Secure
LEGO Life is a safe social network for kids under 13. It is designed to be a child’s first digital social experience, taking users by the hand and introducing them to some of the core concepts of a social network, all through the trusted values associated with the LEGO brand. As detailed in the Digital Safety section of LEGO Life, participants’ safety is assured in several ways.
No Personal Information
LEGO Life prevents kids from sharing personal information, images, or anything that could allow users to identify and locate one another. For example, when a user creates an account, he or she uses the random name generator to create a silly 3-word mix for a display name, such as “DukeCharmingShrimp” or “ChairmanWilyDolphin.” In place of real or facial photos for LEGO Life profiles, users create their avatar by selecting the LEGO minifigure or minidoll of their choice, adding clothing, hair and more to create their virtual persona.
Moderated Content
All content and comments on LEGO Life are monitored by LEGO employees who specialize in moderation to ensure that it is LEGO Life-appropriate and child-friendly. All moderators go through brand and child safety training, and the moderation team is located in LEGO offices around the world to ensure quality, always-on service. Use of the LEGO Emoji Keyboard replaces actual text when commenting on user-generated content. Commenting is tightly controlled and pre-moderated while emoji comments are post-moderated, keeping communication simple, universal, positive and fun.
Adherence to the LEGO Safety Pledge and UNICEF Standards
The LEGO safety pledge is a method for parents to talk to their children about digital safety while establishing a shared commitment to ground rules for online social behavior, and LEGO Life policies and procedures adhere to these ground rules. Additionally, LEGO Group has an ongoing partnership with UNICEF through which the company received guidance as to how to ensure child safety in developing LEGO Life. UNICEF and LEGO Group also partnered to develop a tool which enables companies to assess their current efforts around children’s digital safety.
So what do you think about LEGO’s new social media app? Have you downloaded it already and gave it a spin? Feel free to post your comments below, or share your feedback on our Facebookpage.
Blocks Magazine Issue #28 is already out and this time, the highly circulated LEGO fan magazine has a treat for all Bat-crazy fans out there (including myself). If you’re still eyeing on having a piece of the LEGO Batman Movie, then you’ll be happy to know that Blocks Magazine is running a contest where you can have a chance to win three of the TLBM sets which they are giving away for FREE. Simply post your very own MOC of any Bat vehicle of your fancy (it could also be your very own, original Bat-creation) and get the chance to have your creation selected as the winning build. Here’s Blocks Magazine’s official announcement.
Win The LEGO Batman Movie prizes with the Blocks Bat Build Contest
In the LEGO Batman Movie, the title character has an entire Batcave full of crazy unique vehicles… but can he ever have enough awesome rides? He doesn’t seem to think, and neither do we! In Blocks Issue 28, our talented Mod Squad converted a selection of LEGO sets to fit in with Batman’s unique vibe.
Turn this……into this!
As our Mod Squad team has kicked things off, we now want to see what Blocks readers can convert for LEGO Batman. A Bat-Race Plane? A Bat-Airship? A Bat-Gift Delivery van? (yes, naming them is the easy part). Once you have built your Batman conversion, come up with a few sentences explaining why LEGO Batman converted this vehicle for his collection. Our judging panel – including The LEGO Batman Movie Senior Design Manager Michael Fuller as a guest judge – will select the winning builds.
There are some awesome The LEGO Batman Movie prizes up for grabs – first place wins 70909 Batcave Break-in, second place wins 70908 The Scuttler and third place wins 70904 Clayface Splat Attack. What’s more, all three prize winners get a copy of Blocks Issue 28 signed by the movie’s director, Chris McKay and producer, Dan Lin.
To enter, post your build to our Facebook page, Tweet your entry to @blocksmagazine or e-mail your image to graham@blocksmag.com. The deadline is midnight on February 27 (GMT). Keep your ‘puter checking Blocks social media channels for build tips from our experts.
Blocks Issue 28 – which includes an exclusive behind the scenes look at the making of The LEGO Batman Movie – is on sale now. To buy a digital copy or set up a subscription, visit http://www.blocksmag.com. For competition Terms and Conditions, please visit www.blocksmag.com.
Blocks Magazine is available both in print and digital formats, and may be purchased from Barnes & Noble in US, WHSmith, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Waitrose, Morrisons in the UK, and other retailers worldwide.
The McDonalds Happy Meal website has now been updated to include their latest line of promotional toys in celebration of The LEGO Batman Movie. Same as with McDonalds’ The LEGO Movie Happy Meal promotions back in 2014, we still have our usual fare of drinking cups and other toys for the little tots to tinker with.
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If I may address the elephant in the room so to speak – we know that this info has been teased or rumored on various LEGO-fan websites for several days already and like most of us, you might have also secretly hoped that this time, McDonalds might throw in an exclusive LEGO set or a free minifigure. But as we can see, it is quite far from what we wished for. Based on this image, we can see a pair of 3D viewers, a puzzle mat, and a sort of sticker/bookmark collection but no LEGO pieces.
Though the non-inclusion (again) of promotional LEGO sets might be disappointing for most LEGO fans, I guess McDonalds have the safety of its younger patrons in mind. It’s very, very bad PR (if you can call it that way) on the part of McDonalds and LEGO if you’ll be reading in the papers that someone choked on the Happy Meal toys that they’re giving away to children.
In any case, these toys may still prove to be attractive to younger kids given the film’s appeal. We’ll find out soon enough once these items are released in more than 14,000 McDonalds stores in the US and Canada.
After announcing its Contest Time – Build Your Own Adventure Time Character contest, LEGO Rebrick launches another one that challenges you to build your favorite LEGO Creator 3-in-1 set and come up with a 45-second, stop-motion video of its building process. The LEGO Rebrick Build and Rebuild Contest highlights the latest LEGO Creator sets while encouraging participants to share their building and video editing skills. Other than building a LEGO Creator set, contestants are also encouraged to come up with their own original creation This is one exciting contest that will certainly appeal to older kids and even adult LEGO fans, not just for the challenge of coming up with a stop-motion video while building the set, but also the appeal of the prizes at stake. Now before you dive in and have your cameras ready, take time to go through the Contest Description below.
Show us how you build and rebuild in this LEGO Creator 3in1 stop motion contest! We invite you to show us how you build your models by creating a stop-motion video of the process. LEGO Creator is all about building, and we want to see what you will create. Take any LEGO Creator 3in1 set and build it in a video into the model of your choosing – either from the Creator 3in1 set you’re using, our an original model. Upload your video onto a video hosting site of your choice and add it on LEGO Rebrick for your chance to win!
Entry Deadline
Submit your entry no later than March 24th 2017 at 10:00AM EST.
If you’re not sure what time zone you’re in here’s a time zone converter.
Judging
A panel of judges from the LEGO Creator team will select one grand prize winner and two runner up winners. They will judge entries upon:
– Overall coolness and originality in video entry: 25%
– Most inspired details in video entry: 25%
– Attention to contest theme: 25%
– Best use of LEGO elements: 25%
How to enter
a. Take a Creator 3in1 set of your choosing
b. Create a stop-motion video under 45 seconds showing the set being built into a model (either another one from the Creator 3 in 1 set or your own original model) c. Upload your video to the video hosting site of your choice, such as YouTube
d. Enter the contest by going to the “submit entry” page on LEGO Rebrick and submit maximum 5 screenshots from your video. Make sure to also add the link to your video before you submit
e. Use the description field to describe your entry and what LEGO Creator 3in1 set you’re rebuilding
f. When you receive a “Success!” pop-up notification after clicking “submit” on the entry submission page, your entry has successfully been submitted. Our moderation team will review it within 1-3 working days to make sure it fits all the contest rules.
As mentioned earlier the winners (1 Grand Prize winner and 2 Runner-Ups) of the LEGO Rebrick Build and Rebuild Contest will receive the following excellent prizes, which includes the full 1st half, or 11 of the 2017 LEGO Creator sets, all worth more than USD 200.
Blue Express (31054)
Red Racer (31055)
Green Cruiser (31056)
Air Blazer (31057)
Mighty Dinosaurs (31058)
Sunset Street Bike 31059
Airshow Aces (31060)
Robo Explorer (31062)
Beachside Vacation (31063)
Island Adventures (31064)
Park Street Townhouse (31065)
This is one contest for those who are into collecting LEGO Creator sets and brickfilming. But regardless of what theme or genre you’re into with regards to your LEGO interests, this LEGO Rebrick contest is undeniably tempting. Be sure to check out the rest of the contest rules and ask for an adult’s help if needed.
Similar to last month’s Issue #27 of Blocks Magazine where we saw and celebrated the Rebellion in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, this month’s issue of the widely circulated LEGO fan magazine now puts into the spotlight the hero of brick-built Gotham. Blocks Magazine Issue #28 is now available, with the black-and-yellow superhero taking on center stage to celebrate its highly anticipated film of the year, The LEGO Batman Movie. Read on for Block Magazine’s official press release.
Subscribers are already enjoying the latest issue of Blocks magazine, on-sale Thursday, January 19. The team has gone bat-crazy to celebrate the latest cinematic LEGO release with an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the making of The LEGO Batman Movie. We switched on the LEGO Bat-signal to call upon key talent to share their experience of working on the most eagerly anticipated animated movie this year.
Hollywood stars Will Arnett and Michael Cera discuss voicing characters as iconic as Batman and Robin while Director Chris McKay and Producer Dan Lin explain how The LEGO Batman Movie came to be. LEGO VP of Design Matthew Ashton and LEGO Senior Design Manager Michael Fuller discuss the unique opportunities and challenges that come when designing products alongside a LEGO movie. An exclusive first look at concept art and early designs from The LEGO Batman Movie illustrates this behind the scenes extravaganza.
The Mod Squad have a special project assigned to them by LEGO Batman, converting a selection of official sets into something worthy of the Dark Knight’s extensive collection of vehicles with some awesome results. As well as sweet rides, the character needs somewhere to brood too – so we have built him an immersive Batcave, with tips on expanding your own version to incorporate movie-inspired features.
This issue would not be complete without a trip to the LEGO Store Leicester Square, so includes our report on the opening of the largest official store yet with insight from the people who made it happen. Of course, there’s also our ever popular Techniques section, which shows how to enhance the dynamic poses of your minifigures.
If you don’t have a butler named Alfred to pick up each issue of Blocks for you, then become a subscriber at www.blocksmag.com and get each issue early.
We’re exactly a month away before we bask under the awesomeness of The LEGO Batman Movie which hits theatres on February 10. Understandably, if you have a movie as grand and big as this one, expect tons of promotions, products and other cool stuff. Other than perhaps the array of excellent LEGO sets dedicated to the film, one particular category of TLBM must-haves that has caught my attention recently is the range of fun and funky posters released by various outlets. So let’s take a moment and breathe in this fine, jazzy work of art beginning with the very first character posters released by Warner Bros online. Some of these posters are now available from local retailers or via Amazon, while some of it we hope to see as a free promotional across LEGO stores, shop.LEGO.com and movie theaters. More info as you scroll down.
The LEGO Batman Movie Character Posters from Warner Bros.
Announced online by Warner Bros last December 19, these posters feature portrait shots of the film’s main characters: Batman, Joker, Robin, Batgirl, Harley Quinn, and Alfred.
The LEGO Batman Movie Posters from Pyramid International
Announced last December 18 and were released just last week. These posters are currently available for purchase online via Pyramid’s website, or at your local toy stores or stationary shops. They come in various sizes and formats, such as Mini (40cm X 50cm) and Maxi (61cm X 91.5cm) sizes, and Canvas Prints (30cm x 30cm, 40cm x 40cm or 60cm x 80cm). If you noticed, one of the posters shows a bigfig version of Bane as he is seen in the film, aboard his 4×4 vehicle. Hopefully, this is exactly how we will have Bane’s set as we earlier reported. Some of these posters also feature the reported exclusive minifigures such as the Tartan Batman, Kiss Kiss Tuxedo Batman, and Batman Battle Pod. Will LEGO release more minifigures of our hero in his other Batsuits? Only time can tell. All images are copyright of Pyramid International. All images are copyright of Pyramid International.
The LEGO Batman Movie Posters from Trends International
Announced last January 3, Trends International has come up with 11 poster variants measuring 22.375” x 34”, featured in a mystery box packaging. They are currently available at Amazon retailing at $11.49 each, and from Trends International’s website. All images are copyright of Trends International.
The LEGO Batman Movie Graffiti Posters
This latest lineup of posters were unveiled by Entertainment Weekly last January 4 and features 12 characters of the film rendered in a cool, graffiti wall art effect over on a yellow baseplate. There is no word yet on when and how we can avail of these posters. On a personal note, this range of posters is the ones that I like best, both for its graffiti effect and the use of a LEGO baseplate for its backdrop.
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What is your personal favorite among these hip poster arts? Which do you think is the most ‘batastic’? Share us what you think in the comments below or join in the conversation at our Facebook page. The LEGO Batman Movie will fly into theaters on February 10, both in 3D and IMAX.
It is without a doubt that LEGO started well this 2017, with a huge stash of sets unveiled to all of our hearts’ content. Now that the news is out (as well as the juicy, official images that goes with it) regarding LEGO’s sets slated to be released this winter and the good first half of the year, one is tempted to think, “what’s next”?
Thanks to the efforts of Price Vortex and online Dutch shop SinQel, we now have a partial list of set names for the many LEGO sets slated to be revealed this Summer. You may remember that we already shared the names of 14 of the LEGO Ninjago Movie sets that will be revealed just in time before the next LEGO animated film hits theaters in September, including as well a good number coming from the 2017 LEGO Star Wars Summer sets. With the Toy Fairs getting ready for their big, annual events, we hope to catch a glimpse of these sets anytime soon.
