Lord of the Rings Ongoing Discussion

[Mr No]

I actually wonder if the Amazon show will be a hit, if it is then it will reignite interest in the entire franchise and I can see WB and Lego capitalize on that, we still do not have a release date for the anime film from New Line, but I think 2023 or 2024 is not that crazy, sadly it would mean a Lego lOtR theme could come only in 2023 or 2024 when they do that. I am also curious if Lego sees Harry Potter as the fantasy theme and they do not need another one to compete with it. 

[MAB]

14 hours ago, Mr No said:

I actually wonder if the Amazon show will be a hit, if it is then it will reignite interest in the entire franchise and I can see WB and Lego capitalize on that, we still do not have a release date for the anime film from New Line, but I think 2023 or 2024 is not that crazy, sadly it would mean a Lego lOtR theme could come only in 2023 or 2024 when they do that. I am also curious if Lego sees Harry Potter as the fantasy theme and they do not need another one to compete with it. 

If WB wait to see if Anazon's series is a hit, then 2023 and even 2024 seems unlikely given both movie and LEGO set production times. 

[Mr No]

1 minute ago, MAB said:

If WB wait to see if Anazon's series is a hit, then 2023 and even 2024 seems unlikely given both movie and LEGO set production times. 

This was just a guess by me. It's hard to predict when a LotR theme could return. 

[MAB]

8 hours ago, Mr No said:

This was just a guess by me. It's hard to predict when a LotR theme could return. 

It could return any time LEGO want to do it, if they ever want to do it. Waiting to see what the reception of anything new is like ( whether LOTR or a different subject) will probably lead to failure since by the time they develop, design and produce new sets the public has already moved on. 

[Mr No]

On 1/16/2022 at 6:42 PM, MAB said:

It could return any time LEGO want to do it, if they ever want to do it. Waiting to see what the reception of anything new is like ( whether LOTR or a different subject) will probably lead to failure since by the time they develop, design and produce new sets the public has already moved on. 

Probably, I just think LotR came at the wrong time. Like HP returned in 2010 with the DH films, but after 2011 the theme was cancelled, if the line was selling that good it would have continued, only when it returned in 2018 with the FB films it was clear the theme was a hit and a top seller, by that time the HP fanbase grew older and got their own income, including new fans. Fellowship is 20 years older now, so I think bringing the theme back, stronger in 2023 with no Hobbit relation just the trilogy and perhaps what Amazon has sets wise, depending on the deal, though New Line is working with Amazon, it would be the perfect time to bring it back because the fans have their own income now. I think when LotR released in 2012-2013 was just the wrong time, the fans were either during the moment they didn't need toys or didn't have their own income during that time. 

[MAB]

2 hours ago, Mr No said:

Probably, I just think LotR came at the wrong time. Like HP returned in 2010 with the DH films, but after 2011 the theme was cancelled, if the line was selling that good it would have continued, only when it returned in 2018 with the FB films it was clear the theme was a hit and a top seller, by that time the HP fanbase grew older and got their own income, including new fans.

I don't think there is any evidence that the Harry Potter theme was cancelled. It was done and it ended, that doesn't mean it was cancelled. From what I remember it sold reasonably well and if they had only an agreement for a fixed time period that ended, then it makes sense that no more sets came out. Maybe they could have extended the licence but 2011 saw the end of HP and POTC and 2012 saw the introduction of LOTR, and both DC and Marvel got a very large number of sets that year. 2012 also had a large jump in the number of other sets. So maybe they considered keeping HP on longer would be detrimental due to the amount of other products hitting the shelves. For example, Friends was introduced in 2012 and if they knew a decent proportion of the existing girl fans were into HP and they wanted to start to promote minidoll themes to girls, then having HP around too may have been an issue.

[Mr No]

 

https://twitter.com/LOTRonPrime/status/1483816516327915522?s=20

Well, it begins. 

 

[BrickBob Studpants]

Looks promising, but I‘m still baffled they haven‘t managed to get a single well-known actor to star in it  Selling the most expensive show in history based on name recognition alone is a bit of a gamble, let‘s hope it pays out for them

[Megbricks]

11 hours ago, Mr No said:

 

https://twitter.com/LOTRonPrime/status/1483816516327915522?s=20

Well, it begins. 

 

I hope we get sets!!! And “rereleases” of hobbit and LOTR sets

Edited January 20, 2022 by Megbricks

[Mr No]

Looks like the rating is TV-14. 

https://www.amazon.com/Lord-Rings-Power-Season/dp/B09QH98YG1

[KristinnK]

On 1/20/2022 at 8:46 AM, Mr No said:

Looks like the rating is TV-14. 

https://www.amazon.com/Lord-Rings-Power-Season/dp/B09QH98YG1

I don't know if they've changed it since you checked, but I now see it as rated PG-TV. This is equivalent to PG for films, which is even one category below PG-13, the category the films were in. This is great news, the younger the target audience the more likely there will be Lego sets.

[sahidko]

Makes me wonder whether the potential return of this theme is the reason why the last Minas Tirith LEGO Ideas project hasn't been rejected yet but it's still in review.

[Mr No]

5 hours ago, sahidko said:

Makes me wonder whether the potential return of this theme is the reason why the last Minas Tirith LEGO Ideas project hasn't been rejected yet but it's still in review.

Did it actually go in review phase before and then put in another review? Like Sonic? 

[sahidko]

Actually looking at it, it appears that the 2nd review results have not been announced yet so that's probably the reason it's still in review. For some reason i thought it was part of the first 2021 batch.

[RichardGoring]

6 hours ago, sahidko said:

Makes me wonder whether the potential return of this theme is the reason why the last Minas Tirith LEGO Ideas project hasn't been rejected yet but it's still in review.

 

1 hour ago, Mr No said:

Did it actually go in review phase before and then put in another review? Like Sonic? 

It's just part of the regular review cycle - 2nd review of 2021.

LEGO IDEAS - Blog - 34 Product Ideas Qualify for the Second 2021 LEGO Ideas Review

They should be announcing the results of this within the next few weeks, hopefully.

Personally, I can't see them picking this. If they were going to do LOTR, it wouldn't be through Ideas. Especially if the idea is to use the new series as the base for it. Plus, it feels odd to have a microscale Minas Tirith but made into a playset with Minifigs. And if you're going to do a single LOTR set, it would be Bag End, wouldn't it? And two excellent versions of that were rejected very recently.

None of which is to say that I'm right, nor that I wouldn't like more LOTR sets. I just doubt that this is the route they'd take.

[Mr No]

10 minutes ago, RichardGoring said:

 

It's just part of the regular review cycle - 2nd review of 2021.

LEGO IDEAS - Blog - 34 Product Ideas Qualify for the Second 2021 LEGO Ideas Review

They should be announcing the results of this within the next few weeks, hopefully.

Personally, I can't see them picking this. If they were going to do LOTR, it wouldn't be through Ideas. Especially if the idea is to use the new series as the base for it. Plus, it feels odd to have a microscale Minas Tirith but made into a playset with Minifigs. And if you're going to do a single LOTR set, it would be Bag End, wouldn't it? And two excellent versions of that were rejected very recently.

None of which is to say that I'm right, nor that I wouldn't like more LOTR sets. I just doubt that this is the route they'd take.

If they don't do it then we could speculate they work on something for LOTR. For example, James Cameron Avatar ideas set didn't get approved but reliable leakers said we get avatar 2 sets this fall, which means that they were working on it during the time the review stage was going. 

[RichardGoring]

51 minutes ago, Mr No said:

If they don't do it then we could speculate they work on something for LOTR. For example, James Cameron Avatar ideas set didn't get approved but reliable leakers said we get avatar 2 sets this fall, which means that they were working on it during the time the review stage was going. 

Not sure that I agree with the logic that if they reject it from ideas they are working on it themselves. But you said 'could speculate', and that's what 90% of this forum is, so yes, let's definitely speculate!

Things like Avatar and LOTR where there is a current, big budget production in the works, plus a huge range of potential scenes and characters to portray, are eminently suited to a full wave, rather than a single ideas set. Especially if you consider that licensing costs may be higher due to the concurrent linked media and/or that other companies may be vying for a larger license and want exclusivity.

Let speculation commence though. And let's hope it's right!

[MAB]

They have not approved other LOTR submissions through IDEAS reviews, so they must have been working on their own designs for some time. Or maybe they just don't want to do LOTR through IDEAS.

[Mr No]

Possible, last time they did something with the LotR license was with Dimensions. Heard they renewed the Lego LotR game license for re-release. 

[Lyichir]

8 hours ago, MAB said:

They have not approved other LOTR submissions through IDEAS reviews, so they must have been working on their own designs for some time. Or maybe they just don't want to do LOTR through IDEAS.

In general, I think this is a part of why Ideas projects based on existing themes (retired or otherwise) can have a harder time. Any time you do something like that you're going up against prior art, which not only includes the sets Lego DID make, but also any concepts that were considered and ultimately abandoned before they even could become a set. So even something Lego hadn't made before, that "fills in the blanks" of an older theme, might be something Lego already decided years ago didn't test well or wasn't able to be realized effectively in a consumer-facing set.

That's not to say it'd necessarily be impossible to convince Lego to give an old idea another attempt, especially given enough time and a promising enough proposal in both execution and audience reception. But it's something that those kinds of ideas have to overcome that something completely new or unprecedented might not have to worry about.

[Mr No]

https://mobile.twitter.com/LOTRonPrime

New posters

[Mr No]

You know, it would be amazing if Lego made a deal, with Both New Line/WB and Amazon for a LotR theme that has both LotR and Hobbit Jackson trilogies, Rings of Power show and the upcoming LotR anime film licenses in one big theme, like call it Lego Middle earth Collection of World and have all of them like with HP Wizarding World which has Fantastic Beasts too (kinda). That would be so cool, including for the fact that New Line worked on the Amazon show. I just think it will be a missed opportunity to not bring the theme back in fall 2022-early 2023. I hope Lego don't consider HP as a Castle theme replacement. 

[josebricks]

At the very least, I look forward to seeing a whole new generation of LotR MOCs. Jumping back into the archives (2012-2015) just shows what the community was willing to make on their own without Lego providing a completed theme. The art direction for the show has me very excited

[Mr No]

Looks like Weta is working on Rings of Power

 

[Trunkbass]

2 minutes ago, Mr No said:

Looks like Weta is working on Rings of Power

 

For now only Weta Digital (special effects) has confirmed their involvement. I hope Weta Workshop (designs, costumes, props) will follow suit. 
 

On another note, if we would get LEGO sets of the Amazon LOTR TROP show, wouldn’t we have leaks by now? I assume they’d want to release them close to the 2nd of September when the show airs.