Wizarding World 2022 - Rumors & Discussion

[Retro Brick Reviews]

1 hour ago, Roebuck said:

Yes I think a curveball is most likely this year as well

The reason that isn't as likely is because this is the most expensive set yet, meaning it's essentially going to be the new flagship set of LEGO Harry Potter. It has to be something incredibly iconic to fans and casuals alike, which leaves relatively few options, and none that are crazy.

[mirkwoodspiders]

39 minutes ago, Retro Brick Reviews said:

The reason that isn't as likely is because this is the most expensive set yet, meaning it's essentially going to be the new flagship set of LEGO Harry Potter. It has to be something incredibly iconic to fans and casuals alike, which leaves relatively few options, and none that are crazy.

I am optimistic this is the case, but have learned to temper expectations over the last couple of years. On the bright side, there are so many other high priced sets I am interested in this year, if the $470 HP one is a flop (which I have a difficult time imagining it will be), it's $470 saved!

[Darth Shadowthrone]

Yeah I’m actually hoping the Harry Potter set is not Diagon Alley related just because I don’t want it to be that expensive to get Gringotts .

Sadly it makes sense that a set with the most popular Diagon Alley shop (and an accompanying dragon ) would be one that Lego could think they could charge more than the already expensive set. 
 

I think including two shops with it to flank it on either side and feature the dragon breathing fire on the top like the theme parks could make it a really eye-catching and pivotal set. 

[Roebuck]

2 hours ago, Retro Brick Reviews said:

The reason that isn't as likely is because this is the most expensive set yet, meaning it's essentially going to be the new flagship set of LEGO Harry Potter. It has to be something incredibly iconic to fans and casuals alike, which leaves relatively few options, and none that are crazy.

I do not think the price is so important in regards to what the set is, it could have been 400, but the set in question probably needed 470. If last years Icons set had needed 470 to pull it off they probably would have given it that. We are basically getting a new HP flagship set every year so I do not think the designers take the "highest price ever" much into consideration when they decide what to make

[Lion King]

I hope that expnsive set will be Gringotts with some side builds an/for Leaky Cauldron…

[Accio Lego]

5 hours ago, Salix said:

After last year's curveball, I honestly have no idea what it will be. I have ideas though as mentioned earlier.

That’s the thing, literally nobody was expecting some sort of big sculptural set until the named dropped, and even once we knew it was buildable objects I don’t think anybody truly expected Hedwig to be the crowning glory of the whole thing just one year after we’d gotten her as a $40 kinetic sculpture. 
 

So everyone saying it can’t be another sculptural set just one year after the Icons one might want to avoid putting money on it. 

[brick3up2across]

Double VIP is live in America. Ordered Diagon Alley and got the Jane Goodall GWP as well!

[Bugbot20082]

For anyone not aware: the brown printed owl (same one with the book with Lucius Malfoy) is available on bricks & pieces for a bargain price ~£0.50!

[MaxHeadroom]

I keep checking in, writing half an in-depth post, and then giving up halfway through once a month lol.

An idea that inspired me to check and post here; have we considered that the D2C could be a slightly expanded rerelease of the 2018 Hogwarts Castle set? Similar to what went down with the Death Star a few years ago where it was briefly discontinued before returning with some slight revisions and a $70ish price increase. Considering that set was the opposite of the current play scale Hogwarts (adult focused, exterior based, visually appealing, tiny interior) I could see LEGO still wanting it or something similar on the market.

[Prometheus87]

42 minutes ago, MaxHeadroom said:

I keep checking in, writing half an in-depth post, and then giving up halfway through once a month lol.

An idea that inspired me to check and post here; have we considered that the D2C could be a slightly expanded rerelease of the 2018 Hogwarts Castle set? Similar to what went down with the Death Star a few years ago where it was briefly discontinued before returning with some slight revisions and a $70ish price increase. Considering that set was the opposite of the current play scale Hogwarts (adult focused, exterior based, visually appealing, tiny interior) I could see LEGO still wanting it or something similar on the market.

Problem with that logic is that the 2018 Castle microfigure-scale set is still being produced and sold. The Death Star analogies had almost a year gap between them. This is an entirely different set. If they redo it, it would come the earliest next year. 

[Retro Brick Reviews]

2 hours ago, MaxHeadroom said:

I keep checking in, writing half an in-depth post, and then giving up halfway through once a month lol.

An idea that inspired me to check and post here; have we considered that the D2C could be a slightly expanded rerelease of the 2018 Hogwarts Castle set? Similar to what went down with the Death Star a few years ago where it was briefly discontinued before returning with some slight revisions and a $70ish price increase. Considering that set was the opposite of the current play scale Hogwarts (adult focused, exterior based, visually appealing, tiny interior) I could see LEGO still wanting it or something similar on the market.

There are a plethora of reasons that's incredibly unlikely. Firstly, as was stated above, the original Death Star was already a couple years out of print when the new set came out, while the D2C Hogwarts isn't set to retire at all this year.

Secondly, that Death Star actually had something major to update- the minifigures, which were very outdated by the time that original version retired. There's nothing in the 2018 set that's outdated like that.

Thirdly, the Death Star remake happened for two specific reasons. Firstly, it was released to tie in with Rogue One, a movie all about the Death Star. Secondly, it was one of the most popular and famous LEGO sets ever made, so a rerelease seemed natural. The D2C Hogwarts has neither of these going for it.

The last and perhaps most obvious reason, though, is that the 2016 Death Star was a FAILURE. It was met with widespread backlash, sold poorly, and was retired only a few years after it released and has yet to be replaced. LEGO wouldn't want a repeat of that, even if there were any actual reason to remaster a D2C Hogwarts that's only a few years old.

Edited March 13, 2022 by Retro Brick Reviews

[Tommy9]

I just got the hospital wing and I’m not sure if anyone has pointed this out yet. But the instructions are really fun now. When you finish a section there is a spot light effect and there’s a small Harry at the bottom to show how far in the build you are. I’m about to order the trunk, divination book and one of the ‘the Batman’ sets so maybe the other sets will have a different version of Harry at the bottom because this version has the Pos Harry from the set. I am also very much looking forward to how the hospital wing fits in with Dumbledores office and the dark tower. 

[Clone OPatra]

9 minutes ago, Tommy9 said:

But the instructions are really fun now. When you finish a section there is a spot light effect and there’s a small Harry at the bottom to show how far in the build you are.

Pretty much every 2022 set has this. Some have just a circle on the progress bar instead of a character though.

[BrickBob Studpants]

There’s an additional reason a remake of the microscale Hogwarts wouldn’t make any sense: This is the HP designer team we’re talking about  The same team that consciously avoided any unnecessary remakes 5 years in. And even in the rare cases something is remade, there are still a lot of new and worthwhile elements to it.

So a pointless remake like that would be extremely out of character

Edited March 13, 2022 by BrickBob Studpants

[sebastian666]

Any clues on when we might start seeing leaked parts or images from the 2022 sets?

I had a dream that a Lupin werewolf minifig leaked and he was glorious. He had the Wizard of Oz flying monkey legs in gray:

and he had a new headmold that was reminiscent of the Anubis heads from the old LEGO Pharoah’s Quest sets - sleek and scary - but gray with small pointy ears and bright yellow eyes…

I’m dying to see how LEGO tackles this minifig to the point that it has now entered my dreams! 

Any thoughts on how Lupin as a werewolf will look in his newest iteration? I think reusing the old werewolf head that is all furry and wild and almost comical looking is not an option. 

Do folks think we may actually get a new “animal” mold for him instead of a modified minifig? Or, dare I say it, a brickbuilt werewolf? Or - even worse - is there really a chance we will not get a werewolf Lupin in the Shrieking Shack set at all?

[BrickBob Studpants]

1 minute ago, sebastian666 said:

Any clues on when we might start seeing leaked parts or images from the 2022 sets?

Could be any day now  Of course they’ve been cracking down on leaks, but the Thor 4 and Boba’s Throne Room leaks prove they’re still a thing 

If previous years are any indication, we should see the Thestral foal among the first batch of leaks.

4 minutes ago, sebastian666 said:

Do folks think we may actually get a new “animal” mold for him instead of a modified minifig? Or, dare I say it, a brickbuilt werewolf? Or - even worse - is there really a chance we will not get a werewolf Lupin in the Shrieking Shack set at all?

I think a modified minifig is the likeliest option, followed by an Gollum-like single mould. Brick-built can 100% be ruled out, he’s way too small for that  Not including him would be supremely silly. It‘s the Shrieking Shack, so they can‘t avoid including its namesake 

[Lion King]

@sebastian666, I think they could come from an unknown new in-home theme?

The rumor is that there will be 4 sets AND BrickHeadz released in April. We think it may be Mythica. The thread is already created. 

And I think they won’t be available on Lego Shop website.

 

 

Edited March 13, 2022 by DBlegonerd7

[sebastian666]

4 minutes ago, BrickBob Studpants said:

Could be any day now  Of course they’ve been cracking down on leaks, but the Thor 4 and Boba’s Throne Room leaks prove they’re still a thing 

If previous years are any indication, we should see the Thestral foal among the first batch of leaks.

I think a modified minifig is the likeliest option, followed by an Gollum-like single mould. Brick-built can 100% be ruled out, he’s way too small for that  Not including him would be supremely silly. It‘s the Shrieking Shack, so they can‘t avoid including its namesake 

Nice! I’m so freaking excited. I have a feeling we are all going to be pleasantly surprised with this year’s sets and minifigs… I suspect that there are several LEGO designers who lurk on this forum to collect our feedback and bring it back to LEGO.

So many of the items we have wish-listed on this forum are finally becoming a reality this year. Even obscure items like the Thestral foal. And the overall tone of the sets also feels much darker and less focused on the dollhouse / fancy dress party themes of 2018-2020. For bricks’ sake, we are even getting a giant Ministry of Magic set (possibly) based on Deathly Hallows!

My excitement for LEGO Harry Potter definitely declined after the D2C Icons set was revealed, but the anticipation for a potential D2C Gringott’s set this year has me back in obsession mode. For $470, I would honestly be happy with just Gringott’s and a badass Ukrainian Ironbelly. Give us Borgin and Burke’s and the Leaky Cauldron (or Pottages or Eeylop’s Owlery or Madam Malkin’s) and I will be a very happy man.

[krimimimi]

On 3/11/2022 at 5:58 PM, Retro Brick Reviews said:

It has to be something incredibly iconic to fans and casuals alike, which leaves relatively few options, and none that are crazy.

If we go with the word "iconic" (not that I'm convinced we have to), as we've had an amazing castle already, I think for me that's the Hogwarts Express, either at King's Crossing or on the viaduct (or perhaps both?), or that image of Gringotts that you always see on the theme park adverts.

I still think they wouldn't release Gringotts only at that price point, and I don't think they'd do it before releasing a more affordable variant so as not to upset the kids and their parents, so I imagine it would then have to be the Express. (Here's hoping for DA2 instead... ) 

1 hour ago, sebastian666 said:

I suspect that there are several LEGO designers who lurk on this forum to collect our feedback and bring it back to LEGO.

Goodness I hope not. We're terribly negative.  (I hope they ay that person well...)  

That said, an unsolicited word of praise on the DADA Moment set: while I'm rubbish at sticker placement (and I wish they were better able to be repositioned), I really like the way they included stickers for the reverse sides of panels to increase the playability of the build. (Also I adore whoever does their sticker design; they're just lovely bits of art. ) 

 

Considering the likelihood of DA2, things I was wondering, do we have any insight into the success of releasing high ticket sets while others are available vs waiting with a space of time in between (as in the Ninjago City / Gardens sets)? @Retro Brick Reviews when you say a set was a failure, by what metric? How can we tell how they're selling?

Also, is there a site that tracks a set's historic availability at the S@H? Subjectively, I feel like DA has been sold out in the US every time I've looked; I was interested in seeing how often it actually was. 

[Retro Brick Reviews]

39 minutes ago, krimimimi said:

I still think they wouldn't release Gringotts only at that price point, and I don't think they'd do it before releasing a more affordable variant so as not to upset the kids and their parents, so I imagine it would then have to be the Express.

Not like they released a more affordable variant of the first Diagon Alley set before putting out that $400 behemoth. There's no reason to think that Gringotts would be any different. Just another premium playset to milk wallets.

[krimimimi]

19 minutes ago, Retro Brick Reviews said:

Not like they released a more affordable variant of the first Diagon Alley set before putting out that $400 behemoth. There's no reason to think that Gringotts would be any different. Just another premium playset to milk wallets.

I think they've been very good about not making the HP D2Cs 'necessary' for collections. We had a good Great Hall in 2018, and we even had an affordable Hedwig before the Icons set. By contrast, DA isn't strictly necessary - how many scenes took place in those shops, and how much of the books or movies did they comprise? - and if you feel it is, then you'd expect to pay more. For the most part, I see it as a 'nice to have' that provides more scenery for my HP lego collection, but not having it wouldn't leave a gap like not having the Great Hall or 4 Privet Drive would. 

Edited March 13, 2022 by krimimimi

[Retro Brick Reviews]

4 minutes ago, krimimimi said:

I think they've been very good about not making the HP D2Cs 'necessary' for collections. We had a good Great Hall in 2018, and we even had an affordable Hedwig before the Icons set. By contrast, DA isn't strictly necessary - how many scenes took place in those shops, and how much of the books or movies did they comprise? - and if you feel it is, then you'd expect to pay more. For the most part, I see it as a 'nice to have' that provides more scenery for my HP lego collection, but not having it wouldn't leave a gap like not having the Great Hall or 4 Privet Drive would. 

And the same goes for Gringotts. It has two scenes in the first movie (both of which are depicted in the 2021 Advent Calendar) and one extended sequence in the last movie (which can't really be replicated in a Gringotts with an exterior). It could be a centerpiece to your collection if you can afford it, but the fact that we're on the theme's fifth year and we're still debating if we'll get a Gringotts is testament enough that it isn't strictly necessary.

[krimimimi]

15 minutes ago, Retro Brick Reviews said:

[...]but the fact that we're on the theme's fifth year and we're still debating if we'll get a Gringotts is testament enough that it isn't strictly necessary.

I'm not debating 'if'. If the series lasts long enough, I'm certain we'll get it eventually. For me the only question is 'when'. 

1 hour ago, krimimimi said:

@Retro Brick Reviews when you say a set was a failure, by what metric? How can we tell how they're selling?

Also, is there a site that tracks a set's historic availability at the S@H? Subjectively, I feel like DA has been sold out in the US every time I've looked; I was interested in seeing how often it actually was. 

Also: nudge.

[Retro Brick Reviews]

1 hour ago, krimimimi said:

Also: nudge.

The 2008 Death Star was one of the longest-produced and best-selling LEGO sets of all time (not to mention having a much greater cultural impact than any other licensed LEGO set), and the 2016 set was retired after only a couple years and has yet to see any replacement. That speaks to the likely fact that it did poorly, or else it would have lasted as long as the original set.

Edited March 13, 2022 by Retro Brick Reviews

[NoOneOfImportance]

5 hours ago, Retro Brick Reviews said:

The 2008 Death Star was one of the longest-produced and best-selling LEGO sets of all time (not to mention having a much greater cultural impact than any other licensed LEGO set), and the 2016 set was retired after only a couple years and has yet to see any replacement. That speaks to the likely fact that it did poorly, or else it would have lasted as long as the original set.

Frankly, the 2016 suffered in part because it didn't have anything different beyond minifigures, and it was $500, so it didn't make sense as an "upgrade" for people who already had the old set, which was an incredibly large part of the market. It was also preceded by an abundance of speculation of how they could make it "better" - none of which happened, which made people more upset (even though there was no expectation of upgrading in the rumors). All in all, people were hurt by their own expectations for the DS 2016, and it didn't have a large market after the old one had just retired. If they made a new set this year (maybe the $530?), I'm sure it would do well, but it would still suffer the same issues as the 2016 (market-wise).

Anyways - back to HP discussion... 
I do expect Gringotts sometime soon. In what form is the question.