Lord of the Rings Ongoing Discussion

[wesker]

3 hours ago, Roebuck said:

What failed last time was kids not buying the sets, so would not be surprised it the theme only get one big D2C a year

54 minutes ago, BrickBob Studpants said:

That’s exactly the problem. A theme consisting of playsets is not sustainable if kids don‘t buy them, which is what happened last time. Also, playsets appeal to us AFOLs, but your average LOTR fan may not be enticed as much. A range of highly detailed prestige D2C sets however…

This is why we need more affordable display models.

Dioramas and sculptures are a great way to provide more LOTR sets at a lower price range while still keeping the theme targeted primarily at adult collectors.
 

 

[BrickBob Studpants]

2 minutes ago, wesker said:

This is why we need more affordable display models.

Dioramas and sculptures are a great way to provide more LOTR sets at a lower price range while still keeping the theme targeted primarily at adult collectors.

True. The only issue I see here is the number of new moulds that may be necessary, depending on what scenes or creatures they pick. Dioramas and brick-built creatures don‘t usually introduce new parts. Then again, none of the sets in those categories required them so far 

Personally, I would love to have dioramas based on the Balrog and Witch King duel scenes

[wesker]

39 minutes ago, BrickBob Studpants said:

True. The only issue I see here is the number of new moulds that may be necessary, depending on what scenes or creatures they pick. Dioramas and brick-built creatures don‘t usually introduce new parts. Then again, none of the sets in those categories required them so far 

Personally, I would love to have dioramas based on the Balrog and Witch King duel scenes

I don't think new molds should be an issue. The upcoming Indiana Jones diorama looks to have completely redesigned a new piece for the Fertility Idol.

Definitely agree on the Balrog and Witch-King scenes. Those two should be the first ones released right out the gate.

[Balrogofmorgoth]

Dioramas would be fine but I hope they stay away from the brick built sculptures. They’re cute for HP but they’re intentionally unrealistic and cartoony and always disproportionate. Wouldn’t fit LOTR 

[Arjo]

Hi everyone, I went back to the store where the set was still split in two. That said, the 360 degrees video on shop&home shows both sides align, i.e. no awkward angle I could not account for.

By my count, the set is only about 28-30cm deep (using stretched fingers and fist to approximate so not hard science). I have no idea how TLG came up with a 50cm depth measurement. In any case, the set still looks brilliant (and unlike other display models, it is continuously guarded by 2 members of staff so it looks like they're afraid someone might run away with parts, or figs, when they can't seem to be bothered by other sets crumbling under their own weight due to poor customer behaviour e.g. Jazz Club).

 

ps: just double checked the 360 video and in fact the right side of the build is indeed "forward" compared to the main build, even so I think 50 is a stretch too far. Split apart (in two sections) no problem whatsoever to fit on a regular shelf a la modular

Edited February 15, 2023 by Arjo

[BrickBob Studpants]

40 minutes ago, wesker said:

I don't think new molds should be an issue. The upcoming Indiana Jones diorama looks to have completely redesigned a new piece for the Fertility Idol.

The quality of that picture is so terrible, we will only know for sure whether Bellow’s pith helmet and the idol are new pieces once we get a better look

[mtrsteve]

3 hours ago, wesker said:

This is why we need more affordable display models.

Dioramas and sculptures are a great way to provide more LOTR sets at a lower price range while still keeping the theme targeted primarily at adult collectors.
 

 

You could almost just build that horntail with black pieces instead of brown and call it a fell beast 

Edited February 15, 2023 by mtrsteve

[Lordhelmet]

20 minutes ago, mtrsteve said:

You could almost just build that horntail with black pieces instead of brown and call it a fell beast 

I would pay way more for them to do something like Smaug or Dinosaur models vs. something like that.  The brick built would not look nearly as good as something like Smaug would for the fell beast.  I don't care if they treat it like Jurassic world sets and they cost more per part.  They should really treat them like big animal figures would be treated.

 

Diorama sets would be excellent for the series, at least as a way to get cheaper sets.  I think it would be best to include them along side of play sets, but I think both could happen next year (sad it does not sound like anything is happening this year).  

 

[GoldenNinja3000]

5 hours ago, Altair1 said:

I don't know about viewership, but what is certain is that HotD has much better audience ratings than RoP: IMDB 8.5 vs 6.9, RT 82% vs 38%, etc...

LEGO doesn't make sets based on critical reception, though. If that was the case we'd never see a Star Wars prequel set...

[mtrsteve]

48 minutes ago, Lordhelmet said:

I would pay way more for them to do something like Smaug or Dinosaur models vs. something like that.  The brick built would not look nearly as good as something like Smaug would for the fell beast.  I don't care if they treat it like Jurassic world sets and they cost more per part.  They should really treat them like big animal figures would be treated.

I'm with you there, if it's going to be in a set it should be molded. Same for me with a balrog, ideally I want that in bigfig form. I guess the above comment was if they did a sculpture style set, which would obviously have to be brick built.

[QuiggoldsPegLeg]

I don’t think the issue about getting Lego sets based on the Rings of Power is how good the show is perceived to be. 
 

The issue is that Amazon seems like they don’t really care to make any merchandise for the show, nor do they care about marketing to children. Which doesn’t make Lego sets very likely, unless Lego goes out of their way to try to get this done. 
 

But due to the fact that it’s a TV show on a streaming service that isn’t the most prominent, it would be much easier for Lego to make sets based on the Peter Jackson movies. Since kids know about them and there aren’t any barriers to merchandising. 

8 minutes ago, mtrsteve said:

I'm with you there, if it's going to be in a set it should be molded. Same for me with a balrog, ideally I want that in bigfig form. I guess the above comment was if they did a sculpture style set, which would obviously have to be brick built.

You could probably do a moulded head, but the Balrog is too big to be a big fig. Plus the surroundings are pretty lacklustre, so you wouldn’t get a Balrog unless it is the main build of the set. 

[mtrsteve]

14 minutes ago, QuiggoldsPegLeg said:

I don’t think the issue about getting Lego sets based on the Rings of Power is how good the show is perceived to be. 
 

The issue is that Amazon seems like they don’t really care to make any merchandise for the show, nor do they care about marketing to children. Which doesn’t make Lego sets very likely, unless Lego goes out of their way to try to get this done. 
 

But due to the fact that it’s a TV show on a streaming service that isn’t the most prominent, it would be much easier for Lego to make sets based on the Peter Jackson movies. Since kids know about them and there aren’t any barriers to merchandising. 

You could probably do a moulded head, but the Balrog is too big to be a big fig. Plus the surroundings are pretty lacklustre, so you wouldn’t get a Balrog unless it is the main build of the set. 

Is it though? The LotR wiki says they were likely 14-16 feet tall. Don't have a bigfig handy to measure, but they're plausibly about twice the height of a minifig.

[kill will]

In anticipation for the Rivendell set I've been rewatching the films and playing through the Lego LotR game with my girlfriend, it's been an absolute blast! At this point I'm not sure which one of us is more excited for the return of Lego LotR sets. I know it's unreasonable to compare the 2012 wave (and game) to any current sets but I have found it pretty jarring how much is skipped in the game and corresponding sets. We've been watching half a (extended cut) film and then playing the respective parts of the game but often times 2 hours of the film will be condensed down to a single level. Bilbo's party doesn't exist and Lothlorien was breezed over in less than a minute! And even more is skipped in the translation from book to film, I can't quote the exact page length at the moment but I remember almost half of Fellowship taking place before Rivendell in the book with a lot of great world building and imaginative locations I'd love to see realized in Lego.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that the previous LotR line only focused on action heavy parts of the series and neglected the peaceful world building parts that for me are the most enjoyable. It's kind of an unfortunate double distillation where the sets only represent the most bombastic set pieces from films that have already been trimmed down to the most dramatic scenes from the books. With the return of LotR focusing on Rivendell where no combat happens at all I'm somewhat hopeful but it's also only one of two possible locations where the entire fellowship is present. I would prefer to at least get sets for the Shire, the Prancing Pony, and Meduseld as they're lived in and more "grounded" locations with their own histories that could be explored rather than just the exact moments the fellowship passed through them in the films. It seems like a very distant pipe dream that we'll ever get sets based on book only locations like the scouring of the Shire and Barrow Downs but perhaps now the designers will feel less tied down to films that came out twenty years ago. But even if Rivendell is the only thing we ever get at least we'll have the minifigs (and ferns) to create a huge number of our own MOCs!

[Retro Brick Reviews]

2 hours ago, GoldenNinja3000 said:

LEGO doesn't make sets based on critical reception, though. If that was the case we'd never see a Star Wars prequel set...

You say that, but remember that after the initial 2002-03 Attack of the Clones sets LEGO avoided that movie like the plague for the next decade. Not to mention how as soon as they finished with Rise of Skywalker there have been no sequel sets in years...

[mtrsteve]

2 hours ago, kill will said:

It seems like a very distant pipe dream that we'll ever get sets based on book only locations like the scouring of the Shire

Maybe they'll do a D2C bag end with two sets of finishing touches: Bilbo's birthday party and the scouring. Bit like how you can change out the foliage on the treehouse ideas set ;)

[Balrogofmorgoth]

15 minutes ago, mtrsteve said:

Maybe they'll do a D2C bag end with two sets of finishing touches: Bilbo's birthday party and the scouring. Bit like how you can change out the foliage on the treehouse ideas set ;)

Best we’ll ever get are Easter eggs and small references to the books, like the Gondolin, Vingilot, and forging of the Rings stickers, which are all based on unused Alan Lee artwork that were going to be featured in Rivendell in the films but didn’t make it, if I recall correctly. I’m terrible at getting images to post here but you can look them up, they’re based directly on those pieces by Alan Lee

[mtrsteve]

13 minutes ago, Balrogofmorgoth said:

Best we’ll ever get are Easter eggs and small references to the books, like the Gondolin, Vingilot, and forging of the Rings stickers, which are all based on unused Alan Lee artwork that were going to be featured in Rivendell in the films but didn’t make it, if I recall correctly. I’m terrible at getting images to post here but you can look them up, they’re based directly on those pieces by Alan Lee

Fine I'll get started on a MOC ;)

Also kudos for the Gondolin and Vingilot references, I am not lore versed enough to have figured those out! I like their inclusion even more knowing that!

[MAB]

2 hours ago, kill will said:

It seems like a very distant pipe dream that we'll ever get sets based on book only locations like the scouring of the Shire and Barrow Downs but perhaps now the designers will feel less tied down to films that came out twenty years ago. But even if Rivendell is the only thing we ever get at least we'll have the minifigs (and ferns) to create a huge number of our own MOCs!

I doubt it is up to the designers what they do. All the last sets had the Warner  and New Line logos on the boxes. The latest Rivendell is from the movies and also uses the movie logo. So I doubt we'll get anything that isn't in Warner's movies, no matter how long ago they were.

[Balrogofmorgoth]

 

[kill will]

57 minutes ago, MAB said:

I doubt it is up to the designers what they do. All the last sets had the Warner  and New Line logos on the boxes. The latest Rivendell is from the movies and also uses the movie logo. So I doubt we'll get anything that isn't in Warner's movies, no matter how long ago they were.

You raise a good point, I had neglected to consider the incredibly fragmented state of the licensing rights to the franchise. Gotta love intellectual property laws! No reason to postpone making my own interpretation of Barrow Wights then 

[GoldenNinja3000]

4 hours ago, Retro Brick Reviews said:

You say that, but remember that after the initial 2002-03 Attack of the Clones sets LEGO avoided that movie like the plague for the next decade. Not to mention how as soon as they finished with Rise of Skywalker there have been no sequel sets in years...

Very true 

A Bag End D2C is an incredible idea, actually! I would love that. The original set is so perfect, I'd love to see a D2C version with LEGO's modern, hyper-detailed approach. I think they'd be able to do one pretty successfully at a $150-200 price point with plenty of figures. 

[zoth33]

13 hours ago, BrickBob Studpants said:

The beard piece and elven hairpiece are also new

That’s exactly the problem. A theme consisting of playsets is not sustainable if kids don‘t buy them, which is what happened last time. Also, playsets appeal to us AFOLs, but your average LOTR fan may not be enticed as much. A range of highly detailed prestige D2C sets however…

Ever heard of review bombing?

I mean the ROP, Willow, and Witcher Blood origin were all bad in my opinion and a lot of people I've seen and talked to personally don't like any of those shows.  As for the review bombing there was also people giving ROP 5 stars, etc so I'm not sold on the review bombing as those shows were actually bad and deserve those ratings and yes I watched them all.  

As for as LOTR hopefully we keep getting sets and like I said earlier I don't think lego has a licensing agreement with Amazon so ROP probably won't happen.  But some smaller LOTR sets would be great especially to get figs and scenes we didn't get last time like Gondor, Meduseld, Easterlings, Bree(prancing pony), Minas Tirith, Balrog, felbeast, etc.  

[QuiggoldsPegLeg]

2 hours ago, zoth33 said:

I mean the ROP, Willow, and Witcher Blood origin were all bad in my opinion and a lot of people I've seen and talked to personally don't like any of those shows.  As for the review bombing there was also people giving ROP 5 stars, etc so I'm not sold on the review bombing as those shows were actually bad and deserve those ratings and yes I watched them all.  

As for as LOTR hopefully we keep getting sets and like I said earlier I don't think lego has a licensing agreement with Amazon so ROP probably won't happen.  But some smaller LOTR sets would be great especially to get figs and scenes we didn't get last time like Gondor, Meduseld, Easterlings, Bree(prancing pony), Minas Tirith, Balrog, felbeast, etc.  

Judging by the ridiculous amount of racism and misogyny the show was met with before it even released, I’d be extremely surprised if ROP wasn’t review bombed. 

[sebastian666]

4 hours ago, zoth33 said:

I don't think lego has a licensing agreement with Amazon so ROP probably won't happen.

Just a reminder that the official LOTR theme page on LEGO.com makes specific mention of the Rings of Power show, so I think the chances that we will be getting sets based on this show are pretty high:

Build and recreate iconic moments from Middle-earth with LEGO® Lord of the Rings™ sets. Whether you’re a new fan, a super-fan, or somewhere in between, join the epic battle of good vs. evil. The fantasy world of Lord of the Rings™ is filled with legendary books, movies and the new The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power TV show.

Rings of Power has already been bankrolled for five seasons. It’s here to stay and, as others have already stated, it’s probably the reason that we are getting Rivendell (in my opinion the most beautiful LEGO set released to date), Barad Dur, and hopefully many more sets over the next five years. “And that is an encouraging thought.”

[hikouki]

58 minutes ago, sebastian666 said:

Just a reminder that the official LOTR theme page on LEGO.com makes specific mention of the Rings of Power show, so I think the chances that we will be getting sets based on this show are pretty high:

Build and recreate iconic moments from Middle-earth with LEGO® Lord of the Rings™ sets. Whether you’re a new fan, a super-fan, or somewhere in between, join the epic battle of good vs. evil. The fantasy world of Lord of the Rings™ is filled with legendary books, movies and the new The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power TV show.

Rings of Power has already been bankrolled for five seasons. It’s here to stay and, as others have already stated, it’s probably the reason that we are getting Rivendell (in my opinion the most beautiful LEGO set released to date), Barad Dur, and hopefully many more sets over the next five years. “And that is an encouraging thought.”

Oooh, exciting times!!!