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.

LEGO Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them 75952 Newt’s Case of Magical Creatures [Review]

The first in a new series of movies set in J.K. Rowling’s “Wizarding World,” Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them was released in 2016. Many LEGO fans were disappointed that the movie wasn’t accompanied by more LEGO sets — and reminded us that it had been many years since the last Harry Potter sets. Two LEGO Dimensions sets were in fact released, but many builders and collectors may have chosen to pass them up due to the high price of video game tie-ins in which you’re paying for new downloadable content as much as physical bricks. But with the sequel Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald set for release on November 16 this year, LEGO has resurrected the Harry Potter theme overall, along with several new Fantastic Beasts LEGO sets. Available on August 1st, we’ll be reviewing both of the new Fantastic Beasts sets, starting with 75952 Newt’s Case of Magical Creatures.

Newt’s case includes 694 pieces and four minifigures, and retails for $49.99 ($64.99 in Canada | £44.99 in the UK).

Read our hands-on review of 75952 Newt’s Case of Magical Creatures from Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

The Brothers Brick is funded by our readers and the community. Articles may include affiliate links, and when you purchase products from those links, TBB may earn a commission that helps support the site.

Redesigned LEGO Architecture 21047 Las Vegas revealed [News]

It’s rare that LEGO sets are directly affected by the tragedies that happen in the real world. But just as the first photos were turning up online of a new LEGO Architecture set depicting the Las Vegas skyline, a gunman opened fire on October 1st, 2017, firing down onto a packed concert venue from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay hotel casino. The gunman murdered 58 people, injuring hundreds of others. In light of this tragedy, LEGO never officially unveiled the Las Vegas set, originally scheduled to be released alongside 21039 Shanghai in January 2018. LEGO has finally revealed the redesigned (and re-numbered) set, 21047 Las Vegas on Amazon.fr.

The French Amazon website doesn’t list a price or part count, but we expect it to be in the same range as Shanghai (597 pieces for $59.99) and New York City (598 pieces for $59.99). We’ll update you as we learn more, though thus far LEGO has been keeping this set fairly low profile.

See more photos of 21047 Las Vegas skyline, along with the original version

Bacta tank Luke returns in LEGO Star Wars 75203 Hoth Medical Chamber [Review]

Luke Skywalker gets roughed up quite a bit in The Empire Strikes Back, first by a giant Yeti-beast and later by his own dad, who cuts off his hand just for mouthing off and refusing to obey! As a result, Luke spends quite a bit of time in Rebel Alliance medical facilities, both on Hoth and aboard the Nebulon-B medical frigate. While LEGO Star Wars fans have clamored for a UCS or even microscale medical frigate for years, LEGO has instead focused twice on the bacta tank treatment scene, most recently with 75203 Hoth Medical Chamber. Available August 1st, this set includes 255 pieces with 3 minifigures and retails for $29.99.

Read our hands-on review of 75203 Hoth Medical Chamber

TBB Weekly Brick Report: LEGO news roundup for July 29, 2018 [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 last week of July 2018.

TBB NEWS: Harry Potter stole the show this week with the reveal of the massive “microscale” Hogwarts Castle, along with a few winter themed sales to whet your LEGO whistle.

Harry Potter Hogwarts Castle is 2nd-largest LEGO set ever – With more than 6,000 pieces, this “microscale” castle is one of the biggest sets ever created.
LEGO Voltron now available – Speaking of big sets, the largest ever LEGO Ideas set 21311 Voltron is now on sale for LEGO VIPs, coming in at $179.99 for 2,321 pieces.
Get a free Nutcracker during LEGO’s Christmas in July sale – Today is the last day to grab some winter-themed LEGO sets on sale to cool you down from the summer heat.

TBB REVIEWS: Are you ready for a brand new wave of sets coming in August? We have your early reviews right here to get you ready.

Review of LEGO Star Wars 75218 X-wing Starfighter – The classic white X-wing is back after appearances in orange and blue, coming in at 731 pieces and four minifigs for $79.99 USD.
Review of LEGO Star Wars 75216 Snoke’s Throne Room – Likely the most iconic scene of The Last Jedi, this set comes with 492 pieces and 5 minifigs for $69.99 USD.
Review of Newsweek Special Edition: LEGO – The toy that changed our lives – Did the magazine get everything about LEGO right? Read our review to find out.

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:

Check out the other LEGO news of the week

LEGO Star Wars: The Last Jedi 75216 Snoke’s Throne Room [Review]

One of the most shocking scenes in Star Wars: The Last Jedi occurs on Supreme Leader Snoke’s enormous flagship the Supremacy, when Kylo Ren turns on Snoke and he and Rey join forces to battle the Supreme Leader’s Praetorian Guards. 75216 Snoke’s Throne Room captures this scene as a playset. The set includes 492 pieces with 5 minifigures and retails for $69.99.

Read our hands-on review of 75216 Snoke’s Throne Room from The Last Jedi

LEGO holds “Christmas in July” sale with free Nutcracker [News]

Want to get a HUGE head start on that Christmas shopping instead of doing it the day before? Did you miss out on the 40254 Nutcracker set during the last Black Friday promotion? Well you’re in luck, because this weekend from July 28-29th, LEGO Shop at Home US is hosting a “Christmas in July” sale where you will receive the nutcracker set free with purchases over $99 US. There are a couple of sets on sale as well including the popular 10259 Winter Village Station and the Ninjago Quake Mech. Use this link or click the image below to see the sets on sale and make your purchases while supporting The Brothers Brick at the same time!

Newsweek Special Edition: LEGO – The toy that changed our lives [Review]

When you play with LEGO, it’s a birthday party every day! Throughout 2018, the LEGO Group has been celebrating two very special birthdays in the form of the patented LEGO brick (60 years) and minifigure (40 years). To celebrate the occasion, LEGO has given us Wal-Mart exclusives, a special 60th anniversary set, and a series of collectible minifigures dressed for a party. Thanks to Newsweek, we now also have a special edition magazine that is entirely devoted to our favorite interlocking plastic building bricks. We finally got our hands on a copy and are eager to share our thoughts with you.

Read our full review of this Special Edition magazine about LEGO

LEGO Star Wars 75218 X-wing Starfighter – the return of the classic Incom T-65 [Review]

Despite — or perhaps because of — the release of two different T-70 X-wings produced in support of The Force Awakens in late 2015 and mid-2016, it’s been over six years since LEGO has released a version of the iconic T-65 starfighter featured in the Classic Trilogy. With the release of 75218 X-wing Starfighter on August 1st, the most recognizable Rebel fighter in the Star Wars universe becomes available to a new generation of LEGO builders. The latest X-wing includes 731 pieces and four minifigs and will retail for $79.99 in the US (CDN 99.99 | GBP 89.99).

How does this latest LEGO X-wing stack up against the previous X-wings released over the years?

Read our hands-on review of 75218 X-wing Starfighter

New 6,000-piece LEGO Harry Potter Hogwarts Castle 71043 revealed as 2nd-largest LEGO set ever [News]

Today LEGO has unveiled the flagship playset from this year’s Harry Potter franchise. Consisting of a massive 6,020 pieces, it’s the largest set to be revealed this year and by far the biggest Harry Potter set ever. In fact, it’s the second-largest LEGO set of all time, coming in behind the Ultimate Collector Series Millennium Falcon. The set will be available August 15 for VIP members with a general release on Sept. 1 for $399.99 USD.

The set includes the most complete layout of the Hogwarts castle yet including the Whomping Willow and Hagrid’s Hut, all created in microscale and populated with numerous microfigs of students, teachers, and Dementors, along with Aragog, the Basilisk, and even a Hungarian Horntail. It also includes four minifigures of the Hogwarts house founders: Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Salazar Slytherin, and Rowena Ravenclaw, none of whom have appeared in LEGO form before.

Click to see more of the Hogwarts Castle

LEGO 21311 Voltron now available [News]

The largest LEGO Ideas set to date, 21311 Voltron is now available. Long anticipated by fans nostalgic for the iconic giant robot from the 1980s TV series of the same name, Voltron stands over 15 inches tall and includes 2,321 pieces, and costs $179.99 USD. But most impressively, it’s actually assembled from the five lions, and transforms with remarkable ease. Voltron will be widely available beginning Aug. 1, but if you’re a VIP member you can go ahead and purchase the set now from the LEGO Shop Online. VIP membership is free.

Buy LEGO 21311 Voltron from the LEGO Shop Online [USA | UK | CAN]

If you’re still on the fence about Voltron, or just want to know before spending your hard-earned cash on a giant transforming robot, check out our review. We go in-depth in our text review of Voltron, and give a thorough breakdown of the transformation process in our video review below.

TBB Weekly Brick Report: LEGO news roundup for July 22, 2018 [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 fourth week of July 2018.

TBB NEWS, REVIEWS AND FEATURES: When it rains, it pours! This week was packed with LEGO news, featuring reviews, trips back in time, and even some decent deals.

Review of LEGO’s largest-ever Ideas set, 21311 Voltron – With 2,321 pieces, Voltron is available to LEGO VIP members beginning July 23 (global Aug. 1) for $179.99 USD.
LEGO Voltron designer video shows behind the scenes effort to make the set a reality – Designer Niek van Slagmaat and graphic designer Mark Tranter share that the leg and arm connections were the most challenging part and even kept them up at night.
Review of LEGO Architecture 21042 Statue of Liberty – Lady Liberty is arguably the most complex and satisfying builds, with 1,685 pieces and available for $119.99 USD.
Feature: LEGO CL!CK – A social media experiment that failed – We take a look at LEGO CL!CK, an obscure social media effort in our new series, LEGO Ventures that Vanished.
Some Amazon Prime Day deals still available – Amazon Prime Day has come and gone, but some discounts on LEGO still remain.
BrickCon 2018 Public Exhibition tickets on sale now – BrickCon 2018 is coming the weekend of Oct. 6 and 7 at the Seattle Center Exhibition Hall, and tickets just went on sale.

TBB ASTON MARTIN NEWS AND REVIEW: The top secret reveal of the week was the brand new James Bond Aston Martin DB5, and we have all the coverage you need right here.

Review of LEGO 10262 James Bond Aston Martin DB5 – The $149.99 USD set is packed full of features, including rotating license plates and even a working ejector seat.
10262 James Bond Aston Martin DB5 revealed as next LEGO Creator Expert vehicle – The 1,290 piece-Aston Martin DB5 is available now for LEGO VIPs (worldwide August 1).
Aston Martin DB5 set designer reveals the piece that set the scale for the super spy car – LEGO senior set designer Mike Psiaki tells-all about the new James Bond car.
TBB Live from London: Exclusive interviews with LEGO designers at the Aston Martin launch event – Check out our coverage of the LEGO Aston Martin DB5 launch.

TBB SDCC NEWS AND REVEALS: San Diego Comic-Con wraps up this weekend, but we are still getting new sets revealed as well as some instructions for those fantastic exclusives. Hooray!

LEGO releases instructions for San Diego Comic-Con 2018 exclusive sets – LEGO is being a bro by releasing instructions for all three SDCC exclusives, a trend we hope continues!
LEGO 76115: Spider-Man Mech vs. Venom Mech unveiled – This set swings onto shelves December 1 with a piece count of 604, four minifigures, and priced at $49.99 USD.
LEGO 76095 Aquaman Black Manta Strike revealed – The set with three minifigures and 235 pieces dives into stores August 1 for $29.99 USD.

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:

Check out the other LEGO news of the week

LEGO releases instructions for the San Diego Comic-Con 2018 exclusive sets [News]

Fans will be pleased to know that LEGO has released instructions for all 3 of the San Diego Comic-Con 2018 exclusive sets. Many of the sets in previous exclusives have had unique printed pieces or parts that make them hard for fans to build without paying the hefty secondary-market price. This year LEGO has taken the additional effort to show that they’re listening. While you still won’t get the exclusive packaging with comic book-style box, the rest of the parts should be available in other sets, or maybe already in your collection, and that’s a fair compromise.

Click on the images below to download the PDF instructions.