AFOLs will definitely find this either obnoxiously cute, or a heartfelt must have – and I’m inclined to gravitate towards the latter. Zusammengebaut brought to our attention the next series of LEGO keychains for 2018 (whose official images were uploaded recently via LEGO servers) and one of these is not the typical keychain that you might have expected. I have a couple of LEGO keychains myself, mostly of minifigures that I really like such as the Gingerbread Man, but this time, I will definitely want this included in my must have checklist. Because as an AFOL who has just risen from his dark ages, the Brick Separator will be the symbol of my return to the hobby. Check this out and hopefully, never lose your LEGO brick separator again!
LEGO Brick Separator Key Chain (853792)
Now isn’t that a sight to behold. I know some of you will vehemently react with disdain on such an idea, thinking that whoever thought about this is either lazy or just simply believe that we live in a LEGO brick world, thus the need for a handy brick separator everywhere we go (ok, that sounds too far-fetched). But for some reason, I am drawn in wanting to have it – really, seriously.
Anyways, but for those of you who doesn’t want to have a dangling brick separator hanging on your backpacks, then you’ll be happy to know that LEGO has also uploaded two new keychains based on LEGO CMF Series 17’s Butterfly Girl and Corn Cob Guy.
LEGO Corn Cob Guy Key Chain (853794)
LEGO Butterfly Girl Key Chain (853795)
We don’t have a price tag yet for these newest set of LEGO gears, but knowing that they are now uploaded to LEGO servers means that we will see them soon at LEGO shop@Home.
Now pardon me, I still need to find my trusty brick separator and see if I can bore a hole through it…
This week, we reported on the possibility of seeing the LEGO Harry Potter theme return in 2018, and this time, Brick Fanatics stumbled upon some further information that gives us a better picture of what to expect from the brick-built wizarding world of Harry Potter. Expectedly, J.K. Rowling’s Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald will also be receiving the LEGO treatment with two sets slated to be released ahead of the film’s November 16, 2018 debut.
According to intel gathered by Brick Fanatics, the rumored 2018 LEGO Harry Potter sets will be a reference to some of the memorable places and figures in the Harry Potter series. First off, we have a rumored set that includes Harry, Ron Weasley, and the infamous Acromantula from the Forbidden Forest, Aragog. Introduced in the Chamber of Secrets, there has been in particular, two LEGO Harry Potter sets that included the fearsome magical creature: we have the Aragog in the Dark Forest (4727) way back from 2002, and 2010’s Hagrid Hut’s (4738). Now if this rumor is indeed true, I couldn’t help but a little unhappy with this yet to be named set, since there are literally tons of materials that LEGO can find inspiration with. I know that a lot of AFOLs have different thoughts about re-releases, but in my opinion, a re-release or rehash is only justified or reasonable when there is something new that you can bring unto the table, either as a remarkable improvement such as in scale, size or added play features (in the case of UCS and D2Cs), or there is simply not enough material to explore anymore with regards to the theme. But obviously, the latter is not the case in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Like how Brian succinctly described it in his latest rumor round up videousing the rehashed LEGO Star Wars Death Star (75159) as an example, such re-release may perhaps be warranted.
LEGO Harry Potter Hagrid’s Hut (4738) from 2010.LEGO Harry Potter Aragog in the Dark Forest (4727) from 2002.
Second is the Flying Ford Anglia with the Weeping or Whomping Willow from Hogwarts Grounds. Once again, the Flying Ford Anglia, the one modern vehicle that saved Harry and Ron’s neck from danger a couple of times in Chamber of Secrets, is not particularly new in LEGO. It appeared in brick form three times in various sets beginning 2002 until 2016 with Escape from Privet Drive (4728), Hogwarts Express (4841), and as a LEGO Dimension set, Harry Potter Team Pack (71247). What is new here, if ever this will be an actual LEGO set, is the setting where we can find the classic, blue car. This rumored set is at its best, a representation of that scene right after Harry’s escape from Privet Drive and as they unfortunately landed on the wrong side of Hogwarts Grounds where they were greeted by the unwelcoming, enchanted tree. This is definitely one of the iconic scenes in the film where the duo was attacked by the Whomping Willow, and it will be kind of interesting to see how LEGO designers will render this inhospitable tree in LEGO pieces.
A scene from Harry Potter: Chamber of Secrets showing the Flying Ford Anglia trapped within the branches of the Whomping Willow.
Lastly, for the rumored 2018 LEGO Harry Potter sets, we have a rendition of the Hogwarts Great Hall. Now, I would like to imagine this as a D2C set that may be larger than the most recent Hogwarts Castle (4842) released in 2010. By far, the former is the second largest LEGO Harry Potter set ever made coming in at 1,290 pieces, overshadowed by the D2C set, Diagon Alley (10217) from 2011. As most LEGO fans are aware already, it is not a long shot to consider another LEGO Harry Potter D2C in the form of the Hogwarts Great Hall. I imagine this to be THE grandest LEGO Harry Potter set ever with, all the luxurious interiors of the hall, including, among many others, a vignette of all the notable teachers and professors of Hogwarts, students from the four houses, and some of the memorable scenes from the film that happened inside the castle similar to what LEGO did with the Disney Castle (71040). I know I sound like pushing the envelope here, but considering LEGO’s proven track record of releasing ridiculously large sets, then I wouldn’t be surprised if the grandiose Great Hall becomes a LEGO reality.
The Great Hall inside Hogwarts Castle.
Moving on, especially that J.K. Rowling’s Fantastic Beasts are getting the attention of moviegoers, it is but reasonable to assume that LEGO is moving beyond offering LEGO Dimension sets, to regular ones, particularly the next two rumored sets one of which I believe is a good choice of becoming a LEGO set. Latest rumor has it that there will be two LEGO sets slated for the latest instalment for the film, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. The first is described as Newt Scamander’s Suitcase believed to be a buildable suitcase which is then filled with brick-built creatures from the film.
Now it is not hard to imagine the exterior design of the suitcase since it can be a pretty straightforward build. But like in the film, what is interesting is what you can find inside. Since we already have Niffler and the Swooping Evil in their LEGO brick forms in LEGO Dimensions Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: Play the Complete Movie (71253) and the Tina Goldstein Fun Pack (71257) respectively, it is not hard to imagine how these creatures will look like if ever they are included in the rumored set. Nevertheless, it will be a pretty neat set if it can contain all the notable creatures in the film.
Finally, we have a yet to be revealed set that is directly tied-in with the upcoming sequel. No information was given (aka leaked) about this confidential set which probably has a direct reference to a particular scene in Crimes of Grindelwald. Just like in the previous Harry Potter books and films, there are a lot of potential materials, scenes and characters that can be included in this future LEGO set. We still need to see the main villain of the film, Gellert Grindelwald, the younger version of Albus Dumbledore, and Tina’s sister, the charming Queenie Goldstein in their LEGO minifigure forms.
All in all, the future looks nice for the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts theme, and LEGO having a good feel on the pulse of the LEGO community, then I believe LEGO is in the right direction with this one. Only time can tell if this revival of sorts will hold the interests of fans for a considerable amount of time. As for now, we’ll simply have to wait for the theatrical release of Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald on November 16, 2018, and perhaps get a glimpse of the official sets come September.
Thanks are in order once again to Brick Fanatics for sharing this info.
This was just out courtesy of BrickFanatics: It seems that LEGO has more great surprises in store for the summer of 2018. These come in some possible new sets for two of their product lineups, that of their Disney tie-ins as well as for the girls-oriented LEGO Friends label.
We’ve already done a coverage of the latest LEGO Friends sets coming out early next year, and those sets as well as the LEGO Disney ones are already available on shop.LEGO.com, and eventually, LEGO has some nifty follow-up ideas that will be making their debut several months later on in 2018.
The LEGO Disney additions for summer 2018 is fairly small, but quite in tune with the latest trends. Reportedly they are two sets based on Tangled: The Series, based on the ongoing Disney channel TV series spinoff of the 2010 animated film. The series is highly praised for its engaging storyline and typical Disney humor, as well as retaining its primary voice talents, Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi.
As for LEGO Friends, rumor has it that it will be receiving a subtheme of its own. There’s not a lot of info regarding that, other than it might involve certain elements of go-kart racing, with the all-girl Friends cast getting into the thick of fast-paced action on various cars and racing sets. In addition, certain other LEGO Friends sets will have life-sized accessories, such as a microphone shaped like a mobile phone.
All in all they sound like a lot of things to look out for when you’re a LEGO Disney or LEGO Friends collector. We’ll have to wait until 2018 comes to get more concrete information.
Ok, I promise to be a bit moderate with these reveals (aka leaks) for now. After the reveal of the LEGO Ideas Ship in a Bottle (21313), the 2018 Summer LEGO Technic sets, and the uber cool LEGO Creator Roller Coaster (31084), here comes another collection of LEGO sets to watch out for in June, 2018. Frankly, this has been floating around the Internet for quite some time and thanks to various sources, we now have a somewhat better idea of what to expect from the Summer LEGO Ninjago Masters of Spinjitzu sets next year. Please pardon me for the deliberately horrendous blurred images; but if you’re already in the know, then I’m sure you wouldn’t mind seeing them like this.
Similar to the spinners which are essentially part of the LEGO Ninjago Masters of Spinjitzu theme, LEGO opted to have a rehash of these spinners and give them a dragon master twist. The box art for set numbers 70644 to 70649 seems to suggest that these spinners will somehow include a vertical flying play feature which is kind of cool for a LEGO set. Please take this with a pinch of salt since this is just my observation based on my initial impression on the design of the box art and in keeping up with the dragon storyline with LEGO Ninjago’s Season 9.
It is also interesting to note that the grayed out box for set 70657 is rumored to be another D2C LEGO Ninjago Movie set similar in scale to the grandiose LEGO Ninjago City (70620). Again, these are just speculations given set 70657’s predicted price point, however, things might be different once LEGO gives their official statement. Lastly, bear in mind that these are preliminary titles so chances are LEGO might revise the names of these sets as they see it fit.
Master of the Golden Dragon (70644) – Expected retail price: $14.99
Cole Master of Dragons (70645) – Expected retail price: $14.99
Jay Master of Dragons (70646) – Expected retail price: $14.99
Kai Master of Dragons (70647) – Expected retail price: $14.99
Zane Master of Dragons (70648) – Expected retail price: $14.99
Nya Master of Dragons (70649) – Expected retail price: $14.99
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Pursuit in the Air (70650) – Expected retail price: $39.99
Confrontation in the Throne Room (70651) – Expected retail price: $39.99
MPBricks (aka mariopower.56over at Instagram) have released what seem to be official images of upcoming 2018 LEGO polybags set to be released in January. We reported about these polybags last November, though the images we gathered were very much downgraded; but we now have these crisp images that gives us a clearer idea on what to expect from these polybags. Some these were also officially revealed a few days ago like the LEGO City Hot Dog Stand (30356) which is currently offered as a gift with purchase at LEGO Stores in the UK, and the upcoming LEGO City Dragster (30358) which is the January Store LEGO promotional in the US.
Check out the rest of these polybag and set images.
LEGO Creator Yellow Flyer (30540)
LEGO Creator Cute Pug (30542)
LEGO Star Wars Kylo Ren’s Shuttle (30380)
LEGO Marvel Super Heroes Black Panther Royal Talon Fighter (30450)
LEGO Robot and Vehicle Free Builds (30499)
LEGO City Dragster (30358)
LEGO City Road Worker (30357)
LEGO Disney Ariel’s Underwater Symphony (30552)
Other than the Hot Dog Stand and Dragster, we don’t have information yet on which of the rest of these polybags will be offered either for sale or as a similar promotional item. However, what we can be sure is that we will be seeing these anytime soon at any LEGO stores at shop.LEGO.com.
It looks like we have another brick-built picture frame to display that Throwback Thursday photo. Thanks to mc_survival_man, this first image of the LEGOLAND Pirate Frame (40389) has surfaced, and it looks like this piece of memento is exclusively available only at LEGOLAND Florida. Coming in at 171 pieces, the set retails for $14.99 and has a pirate themed, buildable figure included.
The LEGO Photo Frame has been regularly released and re-released throughout the years as a LEGOLAND exclusive since 2002. I love the inclusion of the buildable pirate, but I feel that adding a pirate minifigure, plus some thoughtful redesigning by including certain sea creatures and other elements will be way better, similar to the LEGOLAND Picture Frame – Florida Edition (40081) released in 2013. Another good example of a properly designed frame is the Classic Picture Frame (850702) also released in 2013.
Another nice image that was shared by mc_survival_man via Instagram is the LEGOLAND Micro Castle (40306), which we reported a week ago. The previous photo that we posted is seriously blurry, and thankfully this box art shot gives us a better look at how the Castle-themed set is designed, as it is patterned after the LEGOLAND Castle Hotel in the UK.
Similarly, this set also comes as a LEGOLAND Store exclusive, consisting of 220 pieces, and retails for $19.99. The build itself may not be that impressive to some, but being a fan of small replicas built in LEGO, I wouldn’t mind picking up this micro-scaled rendition of the LEGOLAND Castle Hotel if given the opportunity. The only point for improvement that I have about this build is the fact that everything rests on the inclusion of that dragon head to give this set its identity. I mean, remove it and you probably have no idea what it is. Perhaps LEGO could have thrown in a printed tile, or just even a sticker, that specifically labels it as the LEGOLAND Castle, in a similar vein as that of LEGO Architecture sets.
So if you’re anywhere near LEGOLAND Florida and wish to add these sets to your LEGO collection, then you may want to opt to visit the LEGO Store in the area. Thanks again to mc_survival_manfor sharing these images.
We’re no less than 50 days away before the premiere of MCU’s Black Panther on cinemas this coming February. Play-sets tying into the film have already been announced as part of the LEGO Marvel Super Heroes line. Some of these sets are coming out first thing in January next year too.
For those who are still holding on to that next LEGO Superheroes purchase, then you might be glad to know that the LEGO Marvel Super Heroes set Rhino Face-Off (76099) is now available for pre-order on Amazon with a whopping 20% off of its regular price. This means an Amazon pre-order of set 76099 will only be $15.99, quite a deal for a new set based on an MCU film.
Included in the Rhino Face-Off set (76099) are minifigures of T’Challa/Black Panther and two of his nemeses in the film: rival tribal chief Okoye and ambitious Wakandan exile Killmonger. Okoye rides into battle with a heavily-armed cyborg rhino, while Killmonger tries to make off with a minecart filled with vibranium, set on roller-coaster tracks. It’s up to Black Panther to take them both down.
Whenever LEGO decides to make big building sets, they really sell how size matters. Look no further than the LEGO Creator Downtown Diner (10260) which is so chock-full of intricate details while having plenty of room for its accompanying minifigures to roam around in. It’s amazing how many things can go on both inside and outside.
If you’d like to know a little bit more about the Downtown Diner (10260) set, LEGO has just put up online its Designer video, featuring the diner’s creator, senior designer Mike Psiaki. The late December release of the video, when set 10260 was first announced last November, appears to be LEGO’s new policy, changed from originally putting out an upcoming set announcement and its designer vid simultaneously.
It’s interesting to note however that Mike Psiaki’s designer video for the LEGO Creator Downtown Diner (10260) doesn’t quite delve into the set’s details in all its entirety. A portion of the video has Psiaki talking out about himself and his work as a senior designer for LEGO.
The LEGO Creator Downtown Diner (10260) will come out on January 1, 2018 and will retail for $169.99.
Master Builders Tyler and Sean are back with another series of LEGO MOCs inspired by the recent release of Star Wars The Last Jedi. These LEGO Star Wars character busts are based on a stylized, cartoony version of Luke Skywalker (based on old man Luke from TLJ), Yoda, Darth Maul, and a First Order Stormtrooper. I simply couldn’t overemphasize the degree of complexity and advanced building techniques that went through the creation of these character busts. As Tyler noted, these custom LEGO Star Wars Character Busts may look simple on the outside, but the building magic really happens on the inside.
Particularly, I like the way how Luke’s gray hair was conveyed using light and dark gray slope pieces. The way Yoda’s eyes were recreated and the angle of his eyebrows gives this Jedi Master character bust a certain degree of personality. Additionally, the use of lime green color for Yoda was really spot on.
Darth Maul is really in a class of his own. As my favorite Sith Lord from the Star Wars prequels, I certainly won’t mind giving him some space in my LEGO Star Wars collection. The red and black color scheme really fits his character, not to mention Tyler and Sean’s excellent use of those white tooth pieces to replicate his iconic horns. This is one Sith character bust that you definitely don’t want to mess with.
Finally, we have what I feel is the epitome of Tyler and Sean’s brick-building skills. This LEGO Star Wars MOC First Order Stormtrooper bust clearly showcases the depth of their building skills. The helmet design, and the way the LEGO pieces are aligned in such a way to give the bust a smooth, and sleek appearance is really awesome. Admittedly, this is the toughest model that Sean and Tyler ever made in this series.
If you wish to have these LEGO Star Wars Character Busts added to your collection, then you’ll be glad to know that Build Better Bricks is running a promo where you can get all the four building instructions to create these character busts for a discounted price of $15. You still have the option of purchasing each individual set of instructions per character bust for just $5, but at 25% discount to get all four, that is one nice bargain you don’t want to miss.
To know more about these latest custom LEGO Star Wars Character Busts, check out Tyler and Sean’s reviews over at our YouTube channel, or head over at Build Better Bricks to view the rest of their cool creations.
Do you have a particular Star Wars character bust that you want to be rendered in LEGO bricks? Let us know in the comments below, or head over at Build Better Bricks’ official Facebook page and drop us a post.
The 2018 LEGO City sets have recently gone live at UK’s shop.LEGO.com and in LEGO brand stores in the region, and the best part is, it comes with a neat, LEGO City polybag promotional.
The LEGO City Hot Dog Stand (30356) comes as a free gift with purchase of any 2018 LEGO City sets, due to be out next week in LEGO brand stores in the US, but is now apparently available in the UK and the rest of Europe.
The Hot Dog Stand is one of the free 2018 polybag promotionals – some of which were released already – expected to be given away starting next week in the US. According to the UK LEGO Shop@Home site, this promotional will be available in the region from December 27 until March 4, 2018 or until supplies last. Coming in at 43 pieces, the polybag features a minifigure scale hot dog stand, a dark green dust bin accessory and a minifigure chef.
As a fan of this theme’s polybags, I am actually looking forward on having this one. Furthermore, we also have another LEGO City polybag – LEGO City Dragster (30358) – slated to be released in January as mentioned in the LEGO Store January Store Calendar for the US.
Frankly, I prefer the Hot Dog Stand over the Dragster, so I hope the former will also be available in local LEGO Stores eventually. Thanks to BrickFanz for the heads up.
