New Licensed Theme Rumor Mill

[Galaxy Explorer]

Monorail! Monorail! Monorail! Mono- D'oh!!

This could be a very cute theme- lots of Town stuff although we won't likely see a Moe's. A flagship set of the power plant would be awesome, and we even have headphones for Otto to wear. I would love to have a Quick-E Mart in my layout, too.

Sign me up for this one, and release the hounds.

[just2good]

Monorail! Monorail! Monorail! Mono- D'oh!!

That episode is one of my favorites. Such an old episode though, I doubt they would make a Monorail set.

[Hinckley]

That episode is one of my favorites. Such an old episode though, I doubt they would make a Monorail set.

I think they would start with the classics.

Here's the full translation (from Google):

Lego Group, according to the Stock Exchange close to making an agreement with the companies behind the globally popular cartoon The Simpsons.

If the successful toy giant agrees with the film company behind the cult cartoon, 20th Century Fox Television, get Lego access to the figures from one of the greatest successes in television history.

The first section of The Simpsons appeared in 1989, and has so far produced more than 500 sections.

Cult Status is an advantage

Lego's marketing director, Mads Nipper, confirms that the company is negotiating with the people behind the Simpsons, but can not say anything about when an agreement is expected to be in place.

- Simpsons has cult status among both children and adults, and it is a distinct advantage. An eight year old boy just think Simpsons is funny, and his mother and especially his father think it's hilarious, says Mads Nipper for Exchange.

great Potential

According to the newspaper becomes Simpsons earliest Lego news in 2014. And claims Lego the right way, it can be a very big success, said toy researcher Richard Martin Steen Teams from the Institute for Futures Studies.

- It depends on how the news followed. If there is not also a story that can build up the figure, it falls together. It is guaranteed to cut, so you get it on the apps (for smartphones and tablets, ed.), Says Jørn Martin Steen Hold Exchange.

Lego has good experience in buying into well-known names such as Harry Potter, Star Wars and Indiana Jones.

The company recently came with the best accounts ever with an operating profit of 7.9 billion out of a turnover of 23.5 billion dollars.

I for one would welcome this. Especially considering we'd probably get some great Town Buildings and some new window molds. I'd love to see a brick-built Lard Lad.

[gylman]

I don't see it.

This is not a kids' theme.

And the Simpsons audience is too old for LEGO for the most part.

Moe's Tavern as a set? Nah.

I can see the Kwik E Mart, though.

I think this will be a very short license.

*(and by the way... the "Excellent...." comment in under my avatar comes from Mr. Burns, so I am a fan of this show)

[XimenaPaulina]

If this was simply an upcoming April fool prank, then why would TLG involve another company (20th Century Fox) with this planned ruse right? I'm inclined to believe this is true, if not then they'd got us fooled big time.

If ever this would materialize, I think it would be safe to assume all characters will require new head molds since the regular minifig head would simply not work (read: old Squidward).

[Vindicare]

Monorail! Monorail! Monorail! Mono- D'oh!!

This could be a very cute theme- lots of Town stuff although we won't likely see a Moe's. A flagship set of the power plant would be awesome, and we even have headphones for Otto to wear. I would love to have a Quick-E Mart in my layout, too.

Sign me up for this one, and release the hounds.

This would be the only redeeming quality for me. Adding the Simpsons home and the Kwik-E-Mart, depending on price and how the set actually looked, would I buy them. As a whole, I'm not too excited by this. I don't really see longevity in this. I suppose that's something for us nay sayers, it'll more than likely be a one and done theme.

In the end, at least I'll have more money for other sets.

[timmyc1983]

this would complete my life

[lightningtiger]

Thinking about it the Kwik-E-Mart (city corner style) and the Simpsons house (Friend's style two storey house) would be an easy set to produce.

[PsyKater]

Wait...

"Lego's marketing director, Mads Nipper, confirms that the company is negotiating with the people behind the Simpsons, but can not say anything about when an agreement is expected to be in place."

They might be not directly referring to a license on The Simpsons. They might just be reffering to a license on an upcoming Fox movie, maybe even a Dream Works movie, which is owned by Fox. But still, I hope for some Simpsons sets...

This is a very good point, I think.

[Lord Rahl of Clannad]

Wait...

"Lego's marketing director, Mads Nipper, confirms that the company is negotiating with the people behind the Simpsons, but can not say anything about when an agreement is expected to be in place."

They might be not directly referring to a license on The Simpsons. They might just be reffering to a license on an upcoming Fox movie, maybe even a Dream Works movie, which is owned by Fox. But still, I hope for some Simpsons sets...

This is a very good point, and it is one that I think is quite logical. There's no guarantee that these negotiations are for a license for The Simpsons. It could be anything that is done by Fox. It surprises me that so few other people on here seem to have picked up that potentially important detail.

Edited March 8, 2013 by Star Wars NutJob 69

[rriggs]

I love the Simpsons. I love LEGO. I love LEGO town based sets (Town, City,Friends, whatever).

So I for one would welcome this and hope there may be some truth behind it. It also means we would have a licensed theme with yellow minifigs!

If it is a misunderstanding or a wind-up then no harm done but I will be keeping my fingers crossed...

Cheers

Rog

[dyntar]

I'd buy the sets even though i rarely watch the show anymore.

The Simpsons would be a pretty easy line to put together. All Lego would really need to do is make some new molds for the heads. The houses in the show already look like they are built out of Lego.

Although The Simpsons is no longer in its prime and probably hasn't been for over 10 years. This line could work as the Spongebob line has. Releasing a few sets every couple of years.

Maybe Lego is just trying to buy the Simpsons franchise before another block company takes it.

Just make the powerplant, Simpsons house, Flanders house, Kwiki mart, part of the school with School bus and Moes [Yes its a bar but Lego has made plenty of Taverns in the castle and POTC lines]

Those few sets ought to cover most of the show.

[Yatkuu]

As much as I would like to see this happen I'm not buying it.

I am aware that LEGO is doing some rope dancing with their standards.. what makes an acceptable set or not, and it's fair enough it's their rules after all. But this, I don't see how they could justify it, no way. I'm not an expert of the show but I have seen enough of it to know that there are countless examples of completely inapropriate stuff in it. Let's just take one: Itchy and Scratchy. This is pure gore, they beat each other to bloody pulp with axes, chainsaws, guns...

Elaborated hoax, April's fools or big misunderstadning... either way I'm with the skepticals on this one.

[gedren_y]

I can see some interesting things coming out of this. I still see back episodes of The Simpsons from the early 90's here sometimes. I would hope for a three-eyed fish. I wonder how they would do Maggie. There are such a range of characters, but Mr. Burns and grounds-keeper Willie would be some definite wants. This would be contingent on standard heads with attatchment for various head shape differences. Do-able, as we've seen with CMF 10 pics. Consider that the drinking in The Simpsons is intended to be seen as bad. Moe's has been mostly shown as a dangerous place (one episode where Marge re-vamps Moe's). Duffman probably won't be made though.

[just2good]

Additionally, for those surprised that LEGO would try to get such an unusual license, I really think this deal was on more on Fox's part. The article said that Fox was doing a marketing campaign for LEGO, so if they paid LEGO a REALLY good amount of money to make these sets, I don't see why LEGO wouldn't make them.

[rriggs]

I'm not an expert of the show but I have seen enough of it to know that there are countless examples of completely inapropriate stuff in it. Let's just take one: Itchy and Scratchy. This is pure gore, they beat each other to bloody pulp with axes, chainsaws, guns...

I don't know why people keep saying that the Simpsons won't happen because it's too risqué or too violent...??

Let's look at the other licensed themes for a moment - The Avengers, POTC, Spiderman, Star Wars, etc all have their fair share of violence not to mention a good smattering of innuendo and jokes which are in there for adults to get which will go over kid's heads. Whether the Simpsons is current enough is a fair argument but in no way could it be considered inappropriate!

Cheers

Rog

[lightningtiger]

Has anyone considered about how Lego will handle........?

[just2good]

Has anyone considered about how Lego will handle........?

{pic}

Smithers is easy- all you need is the spike hair, glasses face, business torso, and teal legs. I bet we'll see him and Mr. Burns in the first wave...

[Yatkuu]

Smithers is easy- all you need is the spike hair, glasses face, business torso, and teal legs. I bet we'll see him and Mr. Burns in the first wave...

lol, I think lightningtiger meant that Smithers is gay.

[PsyKater]

I am not aware that TLG has a problem with gay people...

I'm rather curious about how TLG will handle alcohol, sexism and religion (Flanders). But as it is fictional I don't see big problems here.

[Yatkuu]

Whether the Simpsons is current enough is a fair argument but in no way could it be considered inappropriate!

Seriously?

A little while ago there was a blog post by the CUUSOO team on the LEGO brand standards, here is an extract of what they consider inapropriate for a LEGO product:

Understand that we will not produce products that are related to these topics:

• Politics and political symbols
  
• Religious references including symbols, buildings, or people
  
• Sex, drugs, or smoking
  
• Alcohol in any present day situation
  
• Swearing
  
• Death, killing, blood, terrorism, or torture
  
• First-person shooter video games
  
• Warfare or war vehicles in any situation post-WWII to present
  
• Racism, bullying, or cruelty to real life animals
  

I'm not sure about the warfare bullet point but other than that I'm pretty sure The Simpsons have covered all of the others on countless occasions!

Smithers being a gay character would indeed be a tricky one to adapt.. what about the Reverend and Flanders?

If the rumor is true about the fact that LEGO ended their collaboration with "The Sun" in the UK because of the "page 3 polemic" I can't imagine them taking a chance at adapting the Simpsons, the risk of backlash would be too major.

Again, don't get me wrong I would love to see LEGO tackle some more mature content and not give in to social pressure but that's just how it is I'm afraid.

[strangely]

I don't know why people keep saying that the Simpsons won't happen because it's too risqué or too violent...??

Have to agree on this. The Simpsons is TV-PG (other than a handful of episodes which are TV-14). Granted there was a time when they did push the envelope, but anymore they play it remarkably safe. Its certainly mellowed out over the years and is becoming increasingly geared toward the whole family.

I am not aware that TLG has a problem with gay people...

I'm rather curious about how TLG will handle alcohol, sexism and religion (Flanders). But as it is fictional I don't see big problems here.

Yeah, I don't foresee a problem here. I'm sure Smithers will appear in any set that contained Mr. Burns and I'm doubting Lego would bring it up because they don't generally include a description of characters and everything there is to know about them. (It's not like they'd feature a set with Smithers and his Malibu Stacy collection and his computer with the Mr. Burns screensaver)

The same with sexism and religion, I'm doubting Lego will go out of it's way to handle those subjects just because the entire point of Lego is building, they'd undoubtedly ignore all of the content they didn't feel should be included in a set. As for Moe's Tavern I could see Lego doing a set of it, however with the alcohol it makes me think they'll do one of the other renditions of Moe's like Uncle Moe's Family Feedbag.

[jonwil]

I think there would be no problems for LEGO if they did Simpsons to just not make anything they consider inappropriate like Moe's or Duff or Laramy or Mrs K and Skinner or Gay Smithers or whatever.

Characters I want to see if this goes ahead (and the accessory the character should have)

Frink (with beaker)

Sea Captain (with captains hat)

Hans Moleman (with walking stick)

Homer (with donuts)

Lisa (with saxophone)

Bart (with skateboard)

Kodos and Kang. (with their helmets)

One interesting question is whether LEGO would or wouldn't make set(s) that in some way promote or depict the obesity that is so common in the Simpsons universe (e.g. a Krusty Burger set) given that promoting fattening foods to to kids is not as acceptable as it used to be...

Edited March 8, 2013 by jonwil

[Yatkuu]

Yeah, I don't foresee a problem here. I'm sure Smithers will appear in any set that contained Mr. Burns and I'm doubting Lego would bring it up because they don't generally include a description of characters and everything there is to know about them. (It's not like they'd feature a set with Smithers and his Malibu Stacy collection and his computer with the Mr. Burns screensaver)

The same with sexism and religion, I'm doubting Lego will go out of it's way to handle those subjects just because the entire point of Lego is building, they'd undoubtedly ignore all of the content they didn't feel should be included in a set. As for Moe's Tavern I could see Lego doing a set of it, however with the alcohol it makes me think they'll do one of the other renditions of Moe's like Uncle Moe's Family Feedbag.

I guess what you are describing is a censored or tamed version of the show.

I don't see this happening either, at least not if LEGO wants to remain consistent with their values and line of conduct.

We have seen that projects got turned down on CUUSOO only because of their source material.

Firefly is just a spaceship? No, it's a ship taken from a dark and violent universe - fail.

The Winchester is just a corner modular? No, it's a tavern from an R-Rated movie - fail.

..

[strangely]

Firefly is just a spaceship? No, it's a ship taken from a dark and violent universe - fail.

The Winchester is just a corner modular? No, it's a tavern from an R-Rated movie - fail.

And the Simpsons is a TV-PG show...

Serenity not being made was Lego just being cowardly (Star Wars is just as violent). The Winchester never had a chance just because it came from an R-rated movie (From a marketing standpoint why make a child's product for a movie that has no child audience). Lego ultimately likes to pick and choose what they find acceptable or not, in all of the movie themes Lego does censor elements from the PG-13 movies. They ignore outright violence and sexual content, they strip the movie down into it's most innocent form so they can sell it to kids.

The current seasons of the Simpsons is no more inappropriate than any other movie they've adapted into Lego.