When did Lego Star Wars actually start?

[SpacePolice89]

I know that the first Lego Star Wars sets were released in 1999 but when did Lego and Lucasfilm start discussions about licensed Lego sets and when was the deal finalized?

[Classic_Spaceman]

  On 10/8/2023 at 5:33 AM, SpacePolice89 said:

I know that the first Lego Star Wars sets were released in 1999 but when did Lego and Lucasfilm start discussions about licensed Lego sets and when was the deal finalized?

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Given that it takes LEGO around two years to design and produce a set, and the licensing negotiations would have taken a bit of time as well, I would put the start of the LEGO-Lucasfilm talks in the mid-1990's (~1995-1997). 
 

[Kdapt-Preacher]

The lisencing deal was signed in 1998, according to the Brothers Brick: https://www.brothers-brick.com/2019/04/09/the-story-behind-the-1999-launch-of-lego-star-wars-feature/ That's a short turnaround time for sets by today's standards, but the models they were making then were far simpler.

Edited October 8, 2023 by Kdapt-Preacher

[SpacePolice89]

  On 10/8/2023 at 5:36 AM, Classic_Spaceman said:

Given that it takes LEGO around two years to design and produce a set, and the licensing negotiations would have taken a bit of time as well, I would put the start of the LEGO-Lucasfilm talks in the mid-1990's (~1995-1997). 
 

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I found this Unitron video from Duckbricks where he discusses Lego Star Wars at 14:40 and he mentions 1994-1995. Mid 90s sounds very realistic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZURQ_ikk-YU

  On 10/8/2023 at 5:53 AM, Kdapt-Preacher said:

The lisencing deal was signed in 1998, according to the Brothers Brick: https://www.brothers-brick.com/2019/04/09/the-story-behind-the-1999-launch-of-lego-star-wars-feature/ That's a short turnaround time for sets by today's standards, but the models they were making then were far simpler.

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Thank you for the information. Amazing that the discussions between Lego and Lucasfilm took place during six weeks in 1998 and then the first sets were released in 1999. That is very fast.

[Time77]

  On 10/8/2023 at 5:57 AM, SpacePolice89 said:

Thank you for the information. Amazing that the discussions between Lego and Lucasfilm took place during six weeks in 1998 and then the first sets were released in 1999. That is very fast.

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They probably were already designing models by then anyhow.

[Kdapt-Preacher]

  On 10/9/2023 at 5:02 AM, Time77 said:

They probably were already designing models by then anyhow.

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LEGO wouldn't have gone into the negotiations if they didn't already have at least a vague idea of what the first round of sets would look like, but I think that only applies to the OT stuff. LEGO wouldn't have had any advance knowledge of Episode I before they started talking to LucasFilm, so all the work on the TPM sets has to have happened after that.

[Artizan]

https://faberfiles.blogspot.com/2015/07/flashback-lego-and-star-wars.html

https://faberfiles.blogspot.com/2015/09/flashback-lego-and-star-wars.html

https://faberfiles.blogspot.com/2015/09/flashback-lego-and-star-wars_14.html

https://faberfiles.blogspot.com/2015/09/flashback-lego-and-star-wars_25.html

found more content: 

 

Edited October 9, 2023 by Artizan

[Iperial_Fleet_Commander]

  On 10/9/2023 at 12:12 PM, Artizan said:

 

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Damn, those prototype Snowspeeder and speeder bike designs look better than the ones they ended up with haha.

[Time77]

That ISSD looks epic. That proto y-wing looks pretty good too. That 3rd scout trooper bike (the bottom one) looks really good for the time

Edited October 23, 2023 by Time77