Category Archives: News

Stay current on the latest news and information about LEGO, from sales & deals to new set announcements. We also cover LEGO events and conventions all over the world.

Last eight finalists of LEGO and BrickLink’s AFOL Designer Program revealed [News]

The second half of AFOL Designer Program finalists have been revealed, bringing the total and final number of designs to 16. (Take a look at the first eight finalists here.) The initiative was launched by LEGO in cooperation with BrickLink to bring fan designs to life.

Crowdfunding for finalists will begin on February 1st, and if a set reaches its pre-sales goal, it will then be produced and shipped by BrickLink. Voting will take place on BrickLink’s AFOL Designer Program homepage, which also features more photos of each of these finalists.

Click to see the AFOL Designer Program finalists

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70839 The Rexcelsior revealed as 21st set from The LEGO Movie 2 [News]

LEGO revealed 70839 The Rexcelsior as the 21st set in its LEGO Movie 2 lineup today at the London Toy Fair. The set features Rex Dangervest’s ship, The Rexcelsior, and comes with 1,826 pieces, two minifigures, two microfigures, five micro-raptors, and a six-missile rapid blast functionality.

The Rexcelsior will retail for $149.99 US, 199.99 CA and £139.99 UK, with availability beginning May 1 after the movie hits theaters.

Edit: The Rexcelsior is now available in the US and Canada.

Click to get a closer look at The Rexcelsior

The Lego Movie 2’s biggest set: 70840 Welcome To Apocalypseburg [Review]

The LEGO Movie 2’s range of sets has got us excited, not least because of Classic LEGO Space astronauts in multiple colours. But what really set hearts aflutter and pulses racing here at Brothers Brick was the reveal of the massive 70840 Welcome To Apocalypseburg — a shanty town built around a fallen Statue of Liberty, apparently Emmet & Co.’s new home town in the forthcoming film.

70840 Welcome To Apocalypseburg includes 3,178 pieces and 12 minifigures. The set is available now for LEGO VIPs, and is on general release February 1st, 2019 from the LEGO Shop (US $299.99 | CA $399.99 | UK £279.99).

Read our hands-on review of 70840 Welcome To Apocalypseburg

TBB Weekly Brick Report: LEGO news roundup for January 20, 2019 [News]

In addition to the amazing LEGO models created by builders all over the world, The Brothers Brick brings you the best of LEGO news and reviews. This is our weekly Brick Report for the third week of January 2019.

Eighteen builders spent more than 2,000 hours hand-selecting and placing each of the 334,544 pieces in this LEGO Chevy Silverado. Read on to find out more.

TBB NEWS & REVIEWS: The LEGO Movie 2 is storming into theaters soon, and we have some Star Wars and BrickLink news for you too.

Review of LEGO Star Wars 75225 Elite Praetorian Guard Battle Pack – Read to find out how these figures differ from their previous iterations and why is there a stormtrooper.
First eight finalists of LEGO and BrickLink’s AFOL Designer Program revealed – Which of these projects from the AFOL Designer Program are you most interested in?
The LEGO Movie 2 Collectible Minifigures series unveiled, available Feb. 1 – The collectible minifigure series from The LEGO Movie 2 has been unveiled in detail. including a trip down the yellow brick road.
70840 Welcome to Apocalypseburg from The LEGO Movie 2 is now available – This 3,000-piece post apocalyptic product is an impressive motion picture mammoth of a set, and is available for purchase today.

OTHER NEWS: There were quite a few other interesting LEGO news articles from around the web this week. Here are the best of the rest:

Chevy uses 300,000 LEGO pieces to construct full-size pickup truck, GeekWire – What was the most common brick used in making this 3,307-pound vehicle? The red 2×8 brick.
The Hot New Asset Class Is LEGO Sets, Bloomberg – In a paper titled “LEGO — The Toy of Smart Investors,” 2,300 sets sold from 1987 to 2015 are analyzed to measure their price-return.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg makes star appearance in Lego Movie 2, USA Today – DC Super Heroes will be making cameos in the film, but now the US Supreme Court is in da’ house.
The People From The LEGO Movie 2 Really, Desperately Want You To Like Their New Song, Gizmodo – Good luck not getting this song stuck in your head.

Crazy city living

These two beautifully built urban houses appear unassuming at first glance, but don’t be fooled. Builder Koala Yummies has sprinkled them with all manner of imaginative ideas. Let’s take the tour and see what’s hidden behind the façade.

Around the back there are luscious climbing plants, bee’s nests and a birdhouse attached to the wall. Continue reading →

First eight finalists of LEGO and BrickLink’s AFOL Designer Program revealed [News]

Back in September, LEGO launched a new initiative in cooperation with BrickLink called the AFOL Designer Program where fans could submit custom designs with the possibility of being produced and sold by BrickLink. Out of the 443 submissions received, 16 were selected as finalists and the first half of those have now been revealed.

The digital submissions were test-built for stability and reviewed by both BrickLink and LEGO designers to determine the finalists. Crowdfunding for each of the finalists will begin on February 1st, and if a set reaches its pre-sales goal, it will then be produced and shipped by BrickLink.

Without further ado, let’s take a look at the first eight finalists.

Click to see the AFOL Designer Program finalists

The LEGO Movie 2 Collectible Minifigures series unveiled, available Feb. 1 [News]

LEGO has unveiled the complete collection of collectible minifigures from The LEGO Movie 2 including the main characters from the sequel, a subset of figures from the Wizard of Oz, and a few new colorful costumed minifigs, all on new white minifigure stands.

The minifigures will be available for purchase from LEGO starting February 1st for $3.99 each, though some other retailers have already begun stocking them on store shelves.

Click to see close-up photos of each new minifigure

70840 Welcome to Apocalypseburg from The LEGO Movie 2 is now available [News]

The huge 70840 Welcome to Apocalypseburg! set from The LEGO Movie 2 is available today for LEGO VIPs (membership is free for anyone who signs up). Clocking in at 3,178 pieces and twelve minifigures, the hero set is the largest of the 20 LEGO sets based on the upcoming sequel. Welcome to Apocalypseburg! retails for US $299.99, CA $399.99, and UK £279.99.

(Note on timing: VIP early access sets in the US are typically available from the LEGO Shop online starting at 8am ET time, though there has been some variability in the past.)

TBB Weekly Brick Report: LEGO news roundup for January 13, 2019 [News]

TBB NEWS & REVIEWS: 2019 is off to a great start with new LEGO Star Wars sets and the finale our our helicopter building series.

Review of LEGO Star Wars 75229 Death Star Escape – The Death Star Escape is an iconic scene from Star Wars: A New Hope. Does this LEGO playset meet the mark? Get your grappling hooks ready and swing right in to find out.
Review of LEGO Star Wars 75235 X-Wing Starfighter Trench Run – We take a look at the debut of the X-Wing from the new 4+ range of series catering to a younger audience. Does it need to be in your complete Star Wars collection?
FEATURE: How to build a Pave Low helicopter with LEGO: Part 3 – In the final installment of his three-part series, TBB’s Builder in Residence Ralph unveils his completed LEGO Pave Low helicopter. We can finally “get to the choppa!”

OTHER NEWS: There were quite a few other interesting LEGO news articles from around the web this week. Here are the best of the rest:

Giant LEGO Ninjago City created by 30 people, YouTube – Beyond the Brick’s Joshua Hanlon talks with Daniel Fortine about the LEGO Ninjago City collaboration organized by The Brothers Brick at BrickCon 2018.
Meet the biggest LEGO experts and super-builders in the world, SyFy – TBB’s Editor in Chief Andrew Becraft tells us about his LEGO journey in this SyFy podcast, from being a kid playing on his bedroom floor to author and master builder and LEGO fan community member.
Madame Tussauds-owner Merlin to build Legoland Park in South Korea – CNA Lifestyle –Madame Tussauds-owner Merlin Entertainments has entered into a partnership agreement to build a Legoland theme park in South Korea by 2022.
Meet the world’s fastest LEGO Bughatti Chiron, YouTube – Donut Media souped up the LEGO Technic Bugatti Chiron to go faster than the real thing (accounting for scale).

LEGO Star Wars 75229 Death Star Escape [Review]

There are only so many Star Wars scenes that are prominent enough to become a LEGO set, so it’s refreshing to see something that hasn’t been done before. Most LEGO Star Wars fans would probably agree that the Death Star escape scene has been long overdue in becoming a set. Despite receiving 3 minutes of screen time, it is one of the most memorable scenes from the franchise. Now, we finally get to see it built in LEGO-form. The 75229 Death Star Escape consists of 329 pieces and retails for $29.99 USD (CDN 39.99 and GBP 24.99). Does it hold up to the memorable scene from Star Wars: A New Hope? Read on to find out more.

Click to read the full review of the Death Star Escape

LEGO Star Wars 75235 X-Wing Starfighter Trench Run [Review]

A number of things have changed in the way LEGO has begun marketing its sets in 2019, and one of them is the Juniors line of branding. The “Juniors” branding has been replaced by boxes with a huge “4+” number at the bottom left corner. This year, for the very first time, the LEGO Star Wars theme enters the newly branded 4+ (formerly “Juniors”) age group and one of our favorite vehicles makes its debut, the X-Wing Starfighter. We don’t typically review sets meant exclusively for younger kids, but with Star Wars, how could we say no? 75235 X-Wing Starfighter Trench Run is available now, retailing at $29.99 in the US (CDN 39.99 and GBP 24.99), and we wanted to let you decide for yourselves as we dive into the details.

Read our full review of 75235 X-Wing Starfighter Trench Run

TBB Weekly Brick Report: LEGO news roundup for January 6, 2019 [News]

TBB NEWS: Ushering in 2019, a flood of new LEGO sets hit stores and we have your complete guide. We also got a peek at of The LEGO Movie 2 with minifigures and a massive set.

The LEGO Movie 2’s largest set revealed as 70840 Welcome to Apocalypseburg! – Coming in at 3,178 pieces and 12 minifigures with an epic Lady Liberty, the apocalypse is nigh.
Your guide to 112 new LEGO sets now available for 2019 – We compiled an extensive list of all the new, cool LEGO sets available starting January 1st.
LEGO Collectible Minifigures 71023 for The LEGO Movie 2 officially revealed – We have your first look at all the characters from the upcoming sequel, Wizard of Oz included.
Farewell Nancy Grace Roman, you are now truly one with the stars – We pay a tribute and last respects to Nancy for inspiring people all around the world.

TBB REVIEWS: We take a look at some of the 2019 releases from two popular themes and an exclusive: Speed Champions, Star Wars, and the Chinese New Years Eve Dinner, respectively.

Review of 80101 Chinese New Years Eve Dinner – We got our hands on the Chinese Spring Festival Special Edition LEGO set to show you all the printed pieces.
Review of 75892 Speed Champions McLaren Senna – Going full throttle into the new year, we go in depth with the McLaren Senna.
Review of 75228 Star Wars Escape Pod vs Dewback Microfighters – The first of release of Microfighters that features a creature, we are overcome by cuteness.

TBB EDITORIALS & FEATURES:

This LEGO Volkswagen Beetle is a Bumblebee in disguise – A truly transformable creation in the most classic sense from our very own Builder in Residence, Ralph Savelsberg.
Brothers Brick LEGO Creation of the Year 2018 – We reveal our LEGO Creation of the Year by Eli Willsea and Grant Davis with their epic Star Wars Jakku Star Destroyer Scene.
Brothers Brick LEGO Builder of the Year 2018 – Coming out right on top for the Builder of the year is Chi Hsin Wei and his versatile and amazing creations in 2018.