Licensed Horror/Spooky themes that might happen

[Mr No]

Do you think we are going to get a new horror/spooky licensed theme? Because I think we might. Long ago we had Scooby-Doo as that theme, I saw like many did, that Lego has something like a pattern when it comes to horror/spooky like themes, they started it in 2012 with Monster Fighters, then in 2015 we got Scooby Doo. And after that in 2019 we got Hidden Side. The line ended in 2020, now this is all speculation on my part, but we know Lego has the Universal Monsters license since they released one Brickheadz based on Frankenstein. What if the next spooky theme is licensed and based on the Universal Monsters. Lego even made a deal with Universal Pictures for future Lego movies. I think there is potential for such a theme. I guess this might release in 2023, if it were to happen. But what horror license would you want? I would love if Lego gave Ghostbusters more love. 

Releases:

-2012: Monster Fighters (original theme) 

-2013: nothing

-2014: nothing

-2015: Scooby-Doo (licensed theme) 

-2016: nothing big, only 2 Ghostbusters sets

-2017: nothing

-2018: nothing

-2019: Hidden Side (original theme) and 1 Stranger Things set

-2020: Hidden Side (original theme) 

-2021: nothing, only 1 Ghostbusters set

-2022: nothing (yet)

 

[MAB]

2015 had the spooky CMF series 14. 2014 had the IDEAS Ghostbusters set too.

 

If they did horror again I hope they either do non-licensed like MF and the various CMFs that have appeared over the years, or go 18+ and do more modern horror characters.

[Brickroll]

I mean you could count Luigi’s Mansion as a horror theme…

[Karalora]

I've heard Jurassic Park described as survival horror, but I think the label mainly applies to the first movie. The longer the franchise goes on, the more it moves to being purely action-adventure, because no one wants to hate the dinosaurs.

This strikes me a tough market for TLG to break into, because existing horror or kiddie/lite horror works don't tend to include many iconic vehicles, which are the kinds of models LEGO thrives on. Most horror stories revolve around a specific active threat which is generally a recognizable character (a monster or killer), or else a structure such as a haunted house or demonically corrupted cathedral. Scooby-Doo worked because secret doors and passages, hidden traps, and similar are a staple of the series which are also easy to turn into play features. Ghostbusters worked because the icon of the franchise is the Ecto-1. It seems it's actually easier for them to do horror as an original theme because then they can make up vehicles and other playable constructions out of whole cloth.

[MatthewRC]

As much as I would love to see LEGO Scooby-Doo make a comeback one day, I wouldn’t be surprised if @Let Them Fly’s LEGO Ideas Mystery Machine is rejected. No offense to you, Let Them Fly. 

[Lion King]

What about 18+ Fairground set, Haunted House set? I think it was released last year or 2020.

Annually, we get a speical Christmas line, Winter Village! It makes me think that we should get Autumn/Halloween Village. It would be more cooler to collect Halloween-themed set every year the same way we get Winter Village sets. 

[MAB]

Now they are doing many 18+ sets, and people accept that some lego is aimed at adults, I hope it won't be too long before they do popular culture horror figures such as Jason, Freddy, Chucky, etc. 

[BrickBob Studpants]

3 hours ago, MAB said:

Now they are doing many 18+ sets, and people accept that some lego is aimed at adults, I hope it won't be too long before they do popular culture horror figures such as Jason, Freddy, Chucky, etc. 

Not likely. A designer has recently stated in an interview that the 18+ label doesn't mean that they're planning to branch out to "adult" themes 

3 hours ago, DBlegonerd7 said:

What about 18+ Fairground set, Haunted House set? I think it was released last year or 2020.

The thread is specifically about licensed spooky themes 

[Karalora]

"Adult" refers to the complexity of the models and in some cases an intent for display over play (e.g. the Botanicals line). Frankly it's fine with me if LEGO remains light-hearted and family-friendly even when it leans into the spooky side. Stranger Things was really pushing it IMO.

[Lion King]

42 minutes ago, BrickBob Studpants said:

The thread is specifically about licensed spooky themes 

True, duh me! I’m not sure why Mr. No did mention Monster Fighters which that is an in-house theme. Same for Hidden Side in his original post here. it may be little difficult to have spooky licensed theme for general audience (both adults and children).

I think 18+ spooky licensed sets will do good. 

[Mr No]

Just now, DBlegonerd7 said:

True, duh me! I’m not sure why Mr. No did mention Monster Fighters which that is an in-house theme. Same for Hidden Side in his original post here. it may be little difficult to have spooky licensed theme for general audience (both adults and children).

I think 18+ spooky licensed sets will do good. 

Because they started this kind of trend with Monster Fighters, it's more about the possibility of the next theme to be licensed and perhaps it is Universal Monsters.. 

[williejm]

17 minutes ago, Mr No said:

Because they started this kind of trend with Monster Fighters, it's more about the possibility of the next theme to be licensed and perhaps it is Universal Monsters.. 

I’d quite like to see some sets around classic series like X-Files and Supernatural

[Lion King]

9 minutes ago, williejm said:

I’d quite like to see some sets around classic series like X-Files and Supernatural

Ooo Supernatural! That would be very cool for sure. 

[MAB]

12 hours ago, BrickBob Studpants said:

Not likely. A designer has recently stated in an interview that the 18+ label doesn't mean that they're planning to branch out to "adult" themes 

Yeah, for now, but things change when there is money to be made. That is why the 18+ label exists, there is now money to be made targeting adults. Who knows where they will go in 5/10 years. And despite being from a horror movie, would cartoonised versions of characters like Freddy and Jason when converted to minifigure form really be any scarier than a vampire or zombie? There is a lot of money in collectable characters, whether Funko-pops, minifigures or brickheadz.

12 hours ago, Mr No said:

Because they started this kind of trend with Monster Fighters, it's more about the possibility of the next theme to be licensed and perhaps it is Universal Monsters.. 

MF shows why they don't need a license to do horror/spooky - they can do many generic characters such as The Monster from both CMF and MF, vampires (again CMF and MF), zombies (CMF and MF), swamp monster (MF and TLM2), mummy, wolfman, ... without needing to go for licensed. Does anyone look at things like The Monster and think that is different to (Universal's version of) Frankenstein's monster, even if not named? Or a vampire and think it is not Dracula, who was popularised by Universal films. They are such strong popular culture icons now, that people often think of Universal version of them, even if Universal do not own the rights to those characters (and just their depictions of them).

 

[Lion King]

I’m not a huge fan of any horror movies here but I do like adorablely spooky stuffs like Casper the Friendly Ghost, Scooby Doo, Halloweentown, and Nightmare Before Christmas

Regardless of what I said, I don’t think Lego would do any “bloody/gruesome” licensed sets like Saw, Friedy the 13th, Nightmare on the Elm Street, You’re Next,  I Know What You Did Last Summer, etc. I guess we will see if designers can do some 18+ sets in future. 

[scottypavarotti]

Way at the top of my list of LEGO sets I'd most like is an Addams Family mansion.  I was really disappointed that despite making it through to the Ideas review stage a couple of times, it didn't get picked.  I adore the original paintings and avidly watched the classic tv show as a kid.  You can say what you like about the content/plot of the more recent movies, but I do think the character designs were astoundingly good, and that first movie was popular.  I was a little surprised the Ideas set didn't make the cut.

 

Oh well.  I was certainly hoping that we get more out of the Universal Monsters license than just that single Brickhead figure.  I was immediately hoping for a Bride to go with him.  It'd be disappointing if LEGO only had some sort of limited license there...

[Tariq j]

Yeah  especially given how long the season was. They could've definitly done something like Creel House. 

[Capybara554321]

The universal monster IP was severely wasted on a brickhead. They could've done a Dracula castle, Frankenstein Lab, Creature swamp, not sure about invisible man. 

[Murdoch17]

1 hour ago, Capybara554321 said:

The universal monster IP was severely wasted on a brickhead. They could've done a Dracula castle, Frankenstein Lab, Creature swamp, not sure about invisible man. 

They did an invisible man Brickheadz... it was just invisible. 

But seriously, I agree 100% about the sets... and don't forget the wolfman in your list!

[MAB]

4 hours ago, Capybara554321 said:

The universal monster IP was severely wasted on a brickhead. They could've done a Dracula castle, Frankenstein Lab, Creature swamp, not sure about invisible man. 

They already did 3 out of 4 in Monster Fighters without needing the license.