Harry Potter 2020 - Rumors & Discussion

[Hot4Voldemort]

1 minute ago, Accio Lego said:

Sure, but that’s very dependent on which country you’re in. I’ve never seen most D2Cs available anywhere else where I am in the US, and they tend to call certain sets ‘exclusive’ for a reason. 

Fair enough. I guess being next door neighbours with Denmark helps...

[sebastian666]

1 hour ago, Modal said:

Does anyone know why previous Diagon Alley builds didn’t have QQS as a pink building? I think part of the reason everyone was a bit surprised was because until now, QQS has been considered red and gold (look at micro scale DA). 

I think this goes back to the larger point about the LEGO Harry Potter series that has been made by myself and several others on here - who is the target audience? LEGO is really trying to attract more girls and women with its LEGO Harry Potter series. The choice to use pastel purple and pastel pink give the whole set a more feminine, fantastical feel. Again, I don’t want to perpetrate problematic stereotypes, but pink is considered an indicator of a “girl’s product” in mainstream marketing. And ultimately, this is not a set about Death Eaters busting through Diagon Alley’s windows in the beginning of HBP and tearing Ollivander out of his shop. It’s a set that is ultimately about shopping and eating ice cream and buying love potions.

[Modal]

6 minutes ago, sebastian666 said:

I think this goes back to the larger point about the LEGO Harry Potter series that has been made by myself and several others on here - who is the target audience? LEGO is really trying to attract more girls and women with its LEGO Harry Potter series. The choice to use pastel purple and pastel pink give the whole set a more feminine, fantastical feel. Again, I don’t want to perpetrate problematic stereotypes, but pink is considered an indicator of a “girl’s product” in mainstream marketing. And ultimately, this is not a set about Death Eaters busting through Diagon Alley’s windows in the beginning of HBP and tearing Ollivander out of his shop. It’s a set that is ultimately about shopping and eating ice cream and buying love potions.

I agree that the new Harry Potter line in general has tried to cater to a more broad audience, but I don’t really see QQS being part of that mindset. I truly believe the set is Just going for 100% movie accuracy. And not to say girls don’t have a historical bias towards pink, but I really don’t think the pink color is any more enticing to girls than a red/gold color. Diagon Alley is pretty universally loved.

[lego_guyon02]

4 hours ago, Modal said:

Still, would be super interesting to see how different themes perform.

LEGO does publish financial reports 1 or 2 times a year showing off the themes that do best

[RODDY]

Have to say, even though Lockhart is not screen accurate in the slightest, I absolutely adore the version we are getting. I think they nailed both his face and hair, and even in the image where they recreate the scene where he takes a photo with Harry, really sells it to me of how awesome it is. 

[dvt]

33 minutes ago, Modal said:

I agree that the new Harry Potter line in general has tried to cater to a more broad audience, but I don’t really see QQS being part of that mindset. I truly believe the set is Just going for 100% movie accuracy. And not to say girls don’t have a historical bias towards pink, but I really don’t think the pink color is any more enticing to girls than a red/gold color. Diagon Alley is pretty universally loved.

Yes, universally loved is the goal, not one side or the other and LEGO does a good job now vs some of their previous (Belville series comes to mind) of not labeling blue vs pink but the appeal is being done with both genders in mind.  (Think Elves and compare early elves vs the later round.  Hmmmm which ones are for girls and which ones were done with boys in mind.... Same reason Tangled was called Tangled, not Rapunzel, and the trailer focus' for the movie was to include a horse chase scene.) In a global setting, grow your footprint/customer. Do not alienate one demographic when your core demographic is established.  This is not an accident.  

[Yellowturnip]

Intrigued by the new AFOL book: Secret Life of Lego Blocks. I wonder if they will actually give any credit to the true original designer of the building block?!

[YetiZombie]

4 minutes ago, Zedro said:

Just want to say that the Lockhart version is very accurate, purple clothes and a inside yellowish gold, is cape is purple on the exterior. In the clip on YouTube seams blue but is ropes are actually purple. 

https://images.app.goo.gl/ANioerWq3XWVAk59A 

I just watched the 4k version of the movie and the robes are pretty clearly blue , but personally I don't mind the colors they used for him. The purple looks nice, and he does say his favorite color is lilac!

Edited August 25, 2020 by YetiZombie

[Vindicare]

1 hour ago, sebastian666 said:

I think this goes back to the larger point about the LEGO Harry Potter series that has been made by myself and several others on here - who is the target audience? LEGO is really trying to attract more girls and women with its LEGO Harry Potter series. The choice to use pastel purple and pastel pink give the whole set a more feminine, fantastical feel. Again, I don’t want to perpetrate problematic stereotypes, but pink is considered an indicator of a “girl’s product” in mainstream marketing. And ultimately, this is not a set about Death Eaters busting through Diagon Alley’s windows in the beginning of HBP and tearing Ollivander out of his shop. It’s a set that is ultimately about shopping and eating ice cream and buying love potions.

Huh? Those buildings’ colors are accurate to the source, not to entice more girls to buy. That set isn’t “ice cram & love potions.” It’s mostly revolves around a book signing encounter, hence the majority of the minifigs being from that scene. And the love potions are just one product of an entire joke shop. 

[chris6507]

14 minutes ago, YetiZombie said:

I just watched the 4k version of the movie and the robes are pretty clearly blue , but personally I don't mind the colors they used for him. The purple looks nice, and he does say his favorite color is lilac!

You are right. Very, definitely blue! Just watched it last night and there is no room for discussion on its colour! Lol.

[B2Brixet]

1 hour ago, Modal said:

I agree that the new Harry Potter line in general has tried to cater to a more broad audience, but I don’t really see QQS being part of that mindset. I truly believe the set is Just going for 100% movie accuracy. And not to say girls don’t have a historical bias towards pink, but I really don’t think the pink color is any more enticing to girls than a red/gold color. Diagon Alley is pretty universally loved.

Totally agree. It’s pink because it’s based on a pink building. The question isn’t why did Lego make it a pink building but why did the filmmakers? I suspect the answer is simple, they wanted to create a colourful/vibrant fantasy scene, and this was the shop that got to be Mr Pink.

People either like the way the first two films portrayed DA or they don’t. If not then this set probably isn’t going to be for them.

 

[stoker86]

I keep hearing this... righttt it's sort of pink in the film... like a very toned down beige, salmon sort of mild pink plaster. In the set its like a hyper neon pink flamingo. I've shown this to multiple people, and they've all said where in the world is there a bright freakin pink building in the HP movies? It's like Umbridge's dress and office sickeningly pink. The only reason there is a discussion is because whatever people think about the film and accuracy, it's as they say a bit much.

Edited August 25, 2020 by stoker86

[Legonaut]

17 minutes ago, B2Brixet said:

People either like the way the first two films portrayed DA or they don’t. If not then this set probably isn’t going to be for them.

 

For me the biggest Problem is that there is No real reason in buying this Set, the buildings are fine, but for me as a Moccer not useful, I really only want 4 of those 14 minifigs and Lockhart isn't even one of them, this Set feels for me More like an overpriced, way too big Starter Set than actually Something for collectors and people 16+. 

[GlacierPhoenix]

7 hours ago, clouette said:

In video game industry, every publisher wants to let people see how many sales they have, to entice others to buy. 
For Lego, its real competitors are Lepin and all the bootleg brands. Showing sales numbers will just let them target which set to copy. 

Those video game companies are public companies, LEGO is a private company. 

[chris6507]

47 minutes ago, Legonaut said:

For me the biggest Problem is that there is No real reason in buying this Set, the buildings are fine, but for me as a Moccer not useful, I really only want 4 of those 14 minifigs and Lockhart isn't even one of them, this Set feels for me More like an overpriced, way too big Starter Set than actually Something for collectors and people 16+. 

Just out of curiosity as a Moccer, what is it that makes you see a set as particularly useful? What about this isn't useful? And what's an example of the sort of sets you find useful? You don't have to answer all the questions, but just genuinely curious. :-)

[sebastian666]

2 hours ago, Vindicare said:

Huh? Those buildings’ colors are accurate to the source, not to entice more girls to buy. That set isn’t “ice cram & love potions.” It’s mostly revolves around a book signing encounter, hence the majority of the minifigs being from that scene. And the love potions are just one product of an entire joke shop. 

Re-read the description of the set that LEGO has written. They only advertise the ice cream and the love potions. The set is designed to attract girls and women. It’s not a bad thing. But the decision to make QQS pastel pink was 100 percent intentional. It’s not an accident. It’s a marketing strategy. 

Edited August 26, 2020 by sebastian666

[Modal]

2 hours ago, stoker86 said:

I keep hearing this... righttt it's sort of pink in the film... like a very toned down beige, salmon sort of mild pink plaster. In the set its like a hyper neon pink flamingo. I've shown this to multiple people, and they've all said where in the world is there a bright freakin pink building in the HP movies? It's like Umbridge's dress and office sickeningly pink. The only reason there is a discussion is because whatever people think about the film and accuracy, it's as they say a bit much.

The one rendered picture with all the buildings separate makes it look more like hot pink, but if you check the video clip with the Weasley twin actors, it definitely looks more like the salmon pink. Definitely would hold complete judgement until Monday!

It really doesn’t bother me anymore, I just love the set so much and can’t wait to have it!

[RedHoodPug]

It’s baffling that people are so hung up about a shop being pink and that it must be a selling point for prospective female customers. English architecture has seen pink as a regular colour since time immemorial, with Suffolk having its own pink since the 14th Century. It was painted on by fabric dyers (mostly men) who weren’t thinking, “this’ll be a nice treat for the wife” but, “what happens if I put berries in the plaster wash?” Honestly if that shop was a neutral colour no one would bat an eyelid. To be contrary, I agree that some of the marketing is targeted towards a female audience, just not the colour of one shop.

[Vindicare]

1 hour ago, sebastian666 said:

Re-read the description of the set that LEGO has written. They only advertise the ice cream and the love potions. The set is designed to attract girls and women. It’s not a bad thing. But the decision to make QQS pastel pink was 100 percent intentional. It’s not an accident. It’s a marketing strategy. 

Ah, yeah...I don’t pay attention to S@H descriptions, perhaps you have a point there then. Weird. I’d say this set is to attract HP fans. HP does a great job, as it is/was, at attracting both genders that I don’t think they need to lean one way or the other. I know the color was intentional, it’s a pink building in the non LEGO model. I mean, if the books/movies can draw in a 20-something(at the time I started) I’d say they can get anyone. 

[dvt]

2 hours ago, RedHoodPug said:

It’s baffling that people are so hung up about a shop being pink and that it must be a selling point for prospective female customers. English architecture has seen pink as a regular colour since time immemorial, with Suffolk having its own pink since the 14th Century. It was painted on by fabric dyers (mostly men) who weren’t thinking, “this’ll be a nice treat for the wife” but, “what happens if I put berries in the plaster wash?” Honestly if that shop was a neutral colour no one would bat an eyelid. To be contrary, I agree that some of the marketing is targeted towards a female audience, just not the colour of one shop.

+1 yes i agree.

[lego_guyon02]

7 hours ago, Yellowturnip said:

Intrigued by the new AFOL book: Secret Life of Lego Blocks. I wonder if they will actually give any credit to the true original designer of the building block?!

So you want them to give credit to themselves? They may have taken the concept from another company but they deserve full credit for the original design of the LEGO brick as we know it

[Bainter-ban]

6 hours ago, sebastian666 said:

Re-read the description of the set that LEGO has written. They only advertise the ice cream and the love potions. The set is designed to attract girls and women. It’s not a bad thing. But the decision to make QQS pastel pink was 100 percent intentional. It’s not an accident. It’s a marketing strategy. 

I don't really get how advertising ice cream is only aimed at girls and women? Or love potions, for that matter. Can't men (or boys) be in love and like ice cream? 

5 hours ago, RedHoodPug said:

It’s baffling that people are so hung up about a shop being pink and that it must be a selling point for prospective female customers. English architecture has seen pink as a regular colour since time immemorial, with Suffolk having its own pink since the 14th Century. It was painted on by fabric dyers (mostly men) who weren’t thinking, “this’ll be a nice treat for the wife” but, “what happens if I put berries in the plaster wash?” Honestly if that shop was a neutral colour no one would bat an eyelid. To be contrary, I agree that some of the marketing is targeted towards a female audience, just not the colour of one shop.

Agreed.

Edited August 26, 2020 by Bainter-ban

[Decat]

20 hours ago, Seaber said:

Flourish and Blotts isn't based on either of its appearances, which makes me think it's structure may be based on the second hand bookshop. I haven't had a chance to check that though. Also, Knockturn Alley isn't the alleyway next to WWW, but combining them creatively has worked well. 

Actually, Flourish and Blotts is based on the first film, but that building became the Second-hand bookshop in the second film, while flourish and blotts moved to where Ollivanders was, as this was the only shop with a full interior. You can pick of Flourish and Blotts from the first film in the book 'harry potter: magical places from the films'.

[Metanoios]

Flourish and Blotts is accurate to the first film however that builidng has a second floor as you can see in the book Magical Places

I will modify my version and add that second floor. WWW lacks also another floor. Increasing the height of F&B and WWW will make it more movie accurate and also take the focus off the pink cube (which then will not be the highest builidng in the street anymore)

Edited August 26, 2020 by Metanoios91

[thenudeorganist]

The problem with the pink cube is that Lego simply does not have a subtler colour option. Pink (or salmon) is an accurate colour but shiny and vibrant plastic bricks cannot really capture the worn-out look of real bricks :D Imo it is not per se aimed at women/girls because the colour is simply as screen accurate as possible. The love potion, on the other hand, could well be aimed at girls because in HBP essentially only female characters were interested in or used love potion (if I recall correctly). Although, once again, it is screen accurate and a big part of WWW's interior in the film.

Speaking of love potions, I love how in one of the pictures Hermione and Ginny, aged 11 and 12 respectively, are buying love potions from the WWW :D It's nothing, but would've been nice to get minifigures that fit in the scene Lego is trying to recreate.