LOTR & The Hobbit 2013 Set Discussion

[Seaber]

The characters who visit Orthanc in LOTR are:

Gandalf the Grey (FOTR)

Gandalf the White (ROTK)

Aragorn (ROTK)

Legolas (ROTK)

Gimli (ROTK)

Merry (ROTK)

Pippin (ROTK)

Theoden (ROTK)

Eomer (ROTK)

Gamling (ROTK)

Treebeard (TTT/ROTK)

Saruman (FOTR/TTT/ROTK)

Wormtongue (TTT/ROTK)

Lurtz (FOTR)

Sharku (TTT)

There are also many Orcs (FOTR/TTT), Uruk-Hai (FOTR/TTT), Wild Men (TTT), Wargs (TTT) and Ents (TTT/ROTK).

Finally, there is an Eagle and the moth. (FOTR)

I doubt Lego will put in any characters who never visited.

I think The Two Towers and Return of the King give more interesting minifigs, as well as the possibility of Ents.

[Gryphon Ink]

Generally, I agree with you but their inclusion of Tom Bombadil in the video game makes me think it is very possible that they could give us a nod at the books sooner or later.

I wouldn't say you can rule it out altogether, but the rules are very different for unlockable characters and bonus levels in a videogame, as opposed to actual minifigs in a production set. It's not only legal issues, which are significant, but the cost of making physical minifigs is a lot higher. To make Tom Bombadil as an unlockable game character takes a designer a couple of hours and adds very little to the total game development time, unless that character has weird powers that are totally different from any other character in the game. Manufacturing unique figures for a real set diverts a lot of resources.

This sucks because I'd love to have Bombadil and Goldberry minifigs even more than the other exclusives people here were wishing for, but such is life.

[Deathleech]

Also Warner Brothers (the ones who published the video game) were sued by Tolkien Estate for 80 million in Novemeber 2012. There were a number of reasons listed, but I am sure the Lego video game having parts strictly from the book didn't help matters.

[Brickadiergerard]

Also Warner Brothers (the ones who published the video game) were sued by Tolkien Estate for 80 million in Novemeber 2012. There were a number of reasons listed, but I am sure the Lego video game having parts strictly from the book didn't help matters.

80 million! Wow...

I reconciled myself to scenes that were only in the books never making it into official sets. I made a Bombadil using a blue top, yellow legs, Sorting Hat with the face rubbed off with Brasso and a blue feather attached, and Santa beard painted brown. Goldberry I made using the green princess body from the Knights Kingdom Joust, fleshie arms and face, and blonde hair. Both work for me. The Collectable MFs knight makes a decent base for an Imrahil too - replace the visored helmet with a silver great helm, add a white plume and fleshie head, and a great sword and you have a passable Prince of Dol Amroth. Not worked out how to get a decent Swan shield though.

Edited March 2, 2013 by Brickadiergerard

[Str0ngbad]

Also Warner Brothers (the ones who published the video game) were sued by Tolkien Estate for 80 million in Novemeber 2012. There were a number of reasons listed, but I am sure the Lego video game having parts strictly from the book didn't help matters.

I never heard about this. This duality of the Tolkien Estate and the movies doesn't make a lick of sense to me in the first place but that definitely changes the way that I've been looking at things.

@Brickadiergerard: Thanks for sharing what you did for Goldberry. I'll have to check those pieces out.

[deskp]

Also Warner Brothers (the ones who published the video game) were sued by Tolkien Estate for 80 million in Novemeber 2012. There were a number of reasons listed, but I am sure the Lego video game having parts strictly from the book didn't help matters.

The lego game did nothing wrong, they had the lisence for the books aswell, and they had communications with the overall tolkien lisencing people. "Middle earth enterprises" i think its called.

[TheLegoDr]

The only thing I could find out about that was them suing over some online casino games. It didn't mention anything involving LEGO or the video game.

[Deathleech]

The online casino game is singled out, but it mentions other breaches of contract (though does not specify any others). I could of sworn I heard a few months ago the game was cited as one of the breaches, though I may be mistaken.

Regardless Lego has a license with WB to make sets based on the movie, not Tolkien Estate to make them based on the book so if it's not in the movie we will not see it in Lego form.

[Leo604]

Regardless Lego has a license with WB to make sets based on the movie, not Tolkien Estate to make them based on the book so if it's not in the movie we will not see it in Lego form.

Well that basically just rules out half the stuff we've just been discussing. XD

[BlueberryWaffles]

Regardless Lego has a license with WB to make sets based on the movie, not Tolkien Estate to make them based on the book so if it's not in the movie we will not see it in Lego form.

Lego did put the palantir stand in Weathertop.

[Leo604]

Lego did put the palantir stand in Weathertop.

It's possible that addition was trivial enough for the Tolkien Estate to ignore it; I doubt they'd get frustrated over that small a detail.

[Mr_Malfoy]

It's possible that addition was trivial enough for the Tolkien Estate to ignore it; I doubt they'd get frustrated over that small a detail.

The fact that they sued for $80 million dollars over something in a video game makes me doubt it. They just seem to be concerned only about money.

[Mahtion]

Tolkien estate are a bunch of self absorbed protectionists afflicted by dragon sickness and the dwarven rings of power. They complain about commercialization but then demand additional royalties. It is silly that their biggest gripe with PJ is due to them demanding more money. It is one thing to uphold intellectual property and its integrity but another to use it as an excuse to to demand increases in monetary value. They are no better or worse than others involved in Tolkien affairs.

[WEREWOLF]

who else is expecting for the Orthanc set to look like the Orthanc from the game?

[Mr_Malfoy]

who else is expecting for the Orthanc set to look like the Orthanc from the game?

Since the set is 28" high and 8" wide, the version in the videogame is wwwaaayyy too small.

[Good Cragger Fan]

There had better be a decent number of minifigures in the Orthanc set, especially if the price point is $150.00 US or more, as I don't like large sets with few (or God forbid!) no minifigures. This is because minifigures really bring the set model to life, and without them, I find the model unappealing to me and so probably won't want to buy it, especially at Canada's outragous manufacturer's suggested retail prices, or even at the US's manufacturer's suggested retail prices. I might not even buy it at all, unless it was AT LEAST 50% off the US's manufacturer's suggested retail price, but only if there was decent amout of Historcial themed parts that I can use as acessories in my minfigures' hands. Therfore, I don't buy sets, such as the Architecture line, that do not contain any minifigures.

Edited March 4, 2013 by Good Cragger Fan

[Lord Rahl of Clannad]

There had better be a decent number of minifigures in the Orthanc set, especially if the price point is $150.00 US or more, as I don't like large sets with few (or God forbid!) no minifigures. This is because minifigures really bring the set model to life, and without them, I find the model unappealing to me and so probably won't want to buy it, especially at Canada's outragous manufacturer's suggested retail prices, or even at the US's manufacturer's suggested retail prices. I might not even buy it at all, unless it was AT LEAST 50% off the US's manufacturer's suggested retail price, but only if there was decent amout of Historcial themed parts that I can use as acessories in my minfigures' hands. Therfore, I don't buy sets, such as the Architecture line, that do not contain any minifigures.

On the contrary, I think that the Orthanc won't come with many minifigures because of its high price point and guaranteed exclusivity. I'm sure it will come with a couple of minifigures (Saruman and Grima perhaps). As for minifigures bringing a set to life, that is true in almost every case these days. With big sets like this one, minifigures are less important and are not necessarily needed to bring the model to life, because sets at such prices are supposed to focus on the model over the minifigures, as a general rule.

[KristofBD]

Well, there are a lot of more expensive sets (e.g. Diagon Alley) that do have quite a number of figs. And let's face it: the Orthanc by itself is not really an interesting building: it is just a tall tower. I do hope it has a nice interior and some exclusive minifigures!

[Lord Rahl of Clannad]

Well, there are a lot of more expensive sets (e.g. Diagon Alley) that do have quite a number of figs. And let's face it: the Orthanc by itself is not really an interesting building: it is just a tall tower. I do hope it has a nice interior and some exclusive minifigures!

I suppose I should have mentioned that it's generally non-licensed sets at these higher price ranges that have fewer minifigures. Large licensed sets, on the other hand, do often have a decent amount of minifigures. Naturally, there will always be exceptions to these "rules". That's just the way it goes. In this case, I wouldn't mind what they do as I'm not likely to get Orthanc due to its high price, which is out of my low budget for LEGO.

[Darth Malgus]

If the set came with 6 minifgs I'd be happy although I'd expect that number to be the minimum number used, hopefully one of them is an Ent...

Edited March 4, 2013 by Darth Malgus

[deskp]

If the set came with 6 minifgs I'd be happy although I'd expect that number to be the minimum number used, hopefully one of them is an Ent...

An ent wouldnt be a minifigure.

[Artanis I]

An ent wouldnt be a minifigure.

We certainly hope not anyway! Although it would be a cool minifig, just not very suitable for its purpose.

[Jargo]

"Brrharroom. There have been no Entings for a terrible long count of years."

A minifig Ent would be silly. As they've taken the time to design brick built ones for the game I imagine that's what we'd get in a set.

[BlueberryWaffles]

I think that an Ent would be in a different set. My estimations for the figs are Gandalf the Grey, Saruman, Grima, an Eagle, armored Lurtz, Theoden on Snowmane, Merry, Pippin, and the White.

[Leo604]

My guesses for the Orthanc, if there are any, would be Gandalf the White, Saruman, Grima, and a bunch of Fellowship members since I doubt all of them would be included in a single set.