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.

Happy 20th Anniversary LEGO Star Wars [News]

Twenty years ago, LEGO introduced the Star Wars product line–a theme that would not only help save the company but spark the imaginations of generations of LEGO fans. Star Wars was the first licensed franchise for LEGO and has since grown to be one of the most storied and successful product lines of all time with more than 700 sets, 1,000 minifigures, five video games, several animated TV series and a tidal wave of other merchandise.

LEGO Star Wars holds a special place in our hearts here at The Brothers Brick–it has helped some of us out of our dark ages, we’ve featured an incredible amount of amazing fan creations based on it, and two of us literally wrote the book on it. To celebrate the 20th anniversary, we’ve prepared an entire day’s worth of LEGO Star Wars content, so buckle up for a nostalgia trip to a galaxy far, far away.

To start off, below we have the official press release from LEGO about the 20th anniversary of LEGO Star Wars as well as an archival photo gallery of sets, advertisements, minifigures, timelines and the new anniversary sets launched this month.

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.

LEGO reveals newest Architecture set, 21045 Trafalgar Square [News]

The next LEGO Architecture set has been revealed as 21045 Trafalgar Square. The set features London’s National Gallery, Nelson’s column, several micro-lion statues and fountains, as well as a few double-decker buses. The set will likely be available starting in May, though piece count and price are still unknown at this point. (We will update this article as we find out more.)

LEGO revealed the set by publishing an event on Facebook, where lucky fans can get their hands on the set early and signed by LEGO designer, Rok Zgalin Kobe. The event will happen at the Leicester Square LEGO Store in London on April 27th.Trafalgar Square

TBB Weekly Brick Report: LEGO news roundup for April 7, 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 first week of April 2019.

LEGO Education launched a brand new system to help kids learn. Read on to find out about the new system and all the new elements inside it.

TBB NEWS & REVIEWS: The newest minifigure series is here, plus we have a close up look at an upcoming exclusive LEGO product.

Review of LEGO Collectible Minifigures 71024 Disney Series 2 – We’ve got a hands-on review of all your favorite Disney character minifigs, from Jack Skellington to Jafar.
Review of LEGO 75259 Snowspeeder – 20th Anniversary Edition – How does the new Snowpeeder compare to versions LEGO has previously released?
Instructions to build the Exclusive LEGO Star Wars 75227 Darth Vader Bust – We have instructions for the Star Wars Celebration exclusive, and surprise–we’ve already built it!
Saying goodbye to LEGO legend, Arthur Gugick (1960-2019) – We are deeply saddened by the recent passing of Arthur Gugick, a phenomenal LEGO builder, teacher, and friend.

MORE TBB NEWS: We had a little fun for April Fools, and there are a bunch of new sets available now. Plus have you ever thought about joining the Brothers Brick team? Now you can!

April Fools: The Brothers Brick acquires Beyond the Brick YouTube channel – We created the largest LEGO-related online content provider in history–for one day only!
LEGO Star Wars Box available next week in the UK along with a cute Chicken Skater Pod – LEGO is offering lots of freebies in the UK with an Easter chick and an upcoming Star Wars surprise box.
Your guide to the 17 new LEGO sets for April 2019 including Star Wars, Avengers Endgame and Steamboat Willie – Check out all the new LEGO sets on sale now.
Come join us! The Brothers Brick is recruiting now – If you’ve ever considered joining The Brothers Brick team, here’s your chance.

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:
Click to read even more LEGO news

Saying goodbye to LEGO legend, Arthur Gugick (1960-2019)

The LEGO fan community is mourning the loss of kindhearted and prolific builder, Arthur Gugick of Ohio. On March 30th Arthur and his significant other, Barbara Becker, were tragically killed in a car accident. If you ever attended North American fan events like BrickWorld Chicago or BrickFair VA, you may have run into Arthur before. At these events, you could catch a glimpse of his elaborate architectural builds and mosaics. Arthur was featured in the Winter 2008 issue of BrickJournal magazine, and he was even contracted to recreate his model of the Taj Mahal for the Australian independent film, Taj (2011).

In addition to being an avid LEGO enthusiast, Arthur taught math at Beachwood High School. He was passionate about his job and had a knack for harnessing his creativity to make math fun for his students. In an interview with ABC News 5 Cleveland, Ed Bernetich (who had been responsible for hiring Arthur) commented:

I was very sad because he is one of a kind. He’s a total unique individual. There are many great math minds, but sometimes they don’t relate to other people very well. And here we had a guy with a mathematician’s brain who also was extremely skilled at reaching kids.

Arthur’s death has been a difficult time for Beachwood School District staff and students, whose lives he has touched over the years.

Ever the mathematician, Arthur approached his LEGO models from a mathematical angle. Some of his structures utilized calculus, and he even wrote his own software for building domes like the one on his Taj Mahal. According to Arthur, “I look at my buildings as more an exercise in mathematics than necessarily an art form, which might be a little different of a take than other people do, or maybe it’s the same… For me it’s a puzzle” (BrickJournal – Winter 2008).

Continue reading about Arthur’s legacy

LEGO Collectible Minifigures 71024 Disney Series 2 [Review]

If there’s one fandom whose members rival LEGO fans for excitement and in-depth knowledge, it’s Disney fans. The monumental rush of pure nostalgia and child-like glee when the two are combined can hardly be overstated. Of course, LEGO has long produced a few sets here and there licensing the core Disney products (as opposed to Disney-owned franchises like Marvel or Star Wars, which rule the LEGO lineup each year). Traditionally, these Disney sets have generally targeted some of the youngest sectors of LEGO’s audience. However, in 2016 LEGO produced a special wave of the Collectible Minifigures theme focusing on beloved Disney characters. Now three years later, LEGO is returning for another go, with 71024 Collectible Minifigures Disney Series 2 with a target release date of May 1. As usual, we expect the sets to begin filtering into retail stores a bit early, so start keeping an eye out soon. LEGO hasn’t confirmed the price yet, but we expect it will match the $3.99 USD price of the first series.
Like the first wave, Disney Series 2 includes 18 unique minifigures, and as with all Collectible Minifigures (CMFs), they’re packaged individually in blind packs. Click to read the full, hands-on review

LEGO Star Wars Box available next week in the UK along with a cute Chicken Skater Pod [News]

Last year around the holidays, LEGO launched an incredibly popular Star Wars surprise box promotion available only in the US and Canada. Now a similar box is being offered to LEGO fans in the UK starting on April 11 with Star Wars purchases greater than £85 (an offer that coincides with the launch of the 20th Anniversary sets). This time around, the box promises five unnamed Star Wars items and a chance to win an unspecified limited edition Star Wars minifigure.

The UK LEGO Shop is also currently offering a gift-with-purchase of a cute Chicken Skater Pod just in time for Easter, available with orders greater than £35. (The chick should be available as a gift-with-purchase later this month in the US and Canada.)

Though we do not know what will be included in the UK boxes, the Star Wars boxes in the US and Canada contained five rare minifigures including Colonel Wullf Yularen from the conference room scene on the first Death Star, DJ from The Last Jedi, a stormtrooper sergeant, Han Solo in Hoth gear, and a Scarif shore trooper squad leader from Rogue One.

Your guide to the 17 new LEGO sets for April 2019 including Star Wars, Avengers Endgame and Steamboat Willie [News]

Spring has arrived and along with it a new wave of seventeen highly anticipated new LEGO sets. Star Wars gets the prime treatment with all the 20th Anniversary sets and new Action Battle series now available. Avengers Endgame sets (two with double VIP point offers) and LEGO Ideas Steamboat Willie are also now available.

This wave is certainly smaller than the 112 new sets from this January, but we have your guide right here to each and every new set.
See all of the April 2019 wave of LEGO sets available now

TBB Weekly Brick Report: LEGO news roundup for March 31, 2019 [News]

How many bricks did it take to create this full-scale LEGO McLaren Senna? Read on to find out.

TBB NEWS & REVIEWS: We have a few exciting set reviews for you plus a bunch of LEGO news. Also, have you ever wanted to write for TBB? Now you can!

Review of 81000 LEGO FORMA Koi Model Super Box – We opened up a LEGO Indiegogo-campaign funded FORMA Super Pack to see if it is worth the hype.
Review of LEGO 75243 Slave I – 20th Anniversary Edition – How does the new Slave I compare to versions LEGO has previously released?
The LEGO VIP rewards program is changing and going digital – Read about the changes and what is new with LEGO’s VIP points system starting in June.
Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen steps down from LEGO Board of Directors – LEGO’s leadership is changing with Kjeld stepping down and his son Thomas continuing the family’s legacy.
Feature: Looking back on The LEGO Movie 2 – Two months after the movie’s release, we compare how it is doing with the other LEGO movies and share our thoughts.
LEGO reveals six new sets to celebrate 80 years of Batman – LEGO is launching six new sets based on the Caped Crusader, with Shazam along for the ride.
Come join us! The Brothers Brick is recruiting now – If you’ve ever considered joining The Brothers Brick team, here’s your chance.

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:
Click to read even more LEGO news

Come join us! The Brothers Brick is recruiting now [News]

Have you ever wanted to tell the whole world about the awesome LEGO model you just saw? Are you the person your family and friends look to on Facebook or Twitter for the latest LEGO news and the best LEGO creations? If you have a passion for LEGO and want to share it with the world, The Brothers Brick might be the place for you.

As a TBB Contributor, you’ll get to highlight the news you find, showcase your favorite LEGO models from other builders, and even show off whatever you build yourself. You will be writing 3-4 new posts each week. But all that sounds easier than it actually is.

To help make sure that you’re successful as a new Contributor, here’s what we’re looking for:

Adult LEGO builder (AFOL) aged 18 or older.
Established track record in the AFOL community, whether on Flickr, a LEGO fan forum, or somewhere else.
Good communicator and writer, as evidenced in comments and forum/group discussions.
Previous blogging or article writing experience a strong plus.

TBB Contributor positions are unpaid — all joking about secure compounds and million-dollar yachts aside, The Brothers Brick is run by a bunch of passionate volunteers who write about LEGO in their spare time. All money the site earns through the support of our loyal readers goes toward server and bandwidth costs, purchasing products to review, sponsoring contests and fan events like BrickCon, and helping out the LEGO fan community wherever we can.

Even though it’s a volunteer role, being a TBB Contributor provides a genuine opportunity to participate in one of the top hobby sites in the world. If you don’t have prior blogging experience, you’ll have the opportunity to learn or improve on tangible professional skills such as writing for the web, headline writing, search engine optimization, and social media strategy.

To apply, fill out the form on our TBB recruiting page. Questions? Ask us here in the comments.

LEGO reveals six new sets to celebrate 80 years of Batman, including classic vehicles, villains and Shazam! [News]

Batman is turning 80 on March 30, so LEGO is launching six new DC Super Heroes sets to celebrate. The line-up of sets includes our heroes Batman, Robin and Batwoman using iconic vehicles such as the Batmobile, Batwing and Batcycle to defeat classic villains like The Joker, Harley Quinn, and The Riddler. In addition to the expected Batman characters, Shazam also comes in one set (most certainly a nod to the upcoming DC film).

The sets range in price from $9.99 to $99.99 USD with general availability starting later this summer on August 1st. One set including Mr. Freeze will be available at Walmart one month early starting on June 1st.

Don’t miss the rest of the LEGO summer 2019 sets reveals, and be sure to check out the new Toy Story 4, Spider-Man, and The LEGO Movie 2 sets that just went sale a few days ago:

LEGO Architecture
LEGO Batman
LEGO City
LEGO City Space
LEGO Creator
LEGO Friends
LEGO Friends Ocean
LEGO Harry Potter
LEGO Jurassic World
LEGO Ninjago
LEGO Star Wars

Click to take a closer look at the upcoming LEGO Batman sets

The LEGO VIP rewards program is changing and going digital [News]

The LEGO VIP rewards program is changing and going digital. Starting in June, LEGO will be launching a new online rewards center with digital VIP cards that will “introduce some new ways to earn and spend VIP points.” The changes follow a beta program launched earlier this month offering a few users mobile wallet versions of their VIP cards on Apple or Android devices while also promising “targeted and personalized offers sent directly to your phone.”

While the digital push is framed as being part of LEGO’s environmentally conscious “Planet Promise,” physical cards will still be available upon request. There are no planned changes to existing VIP points or values, though VIP accounts must now be registered online and connected with a unique e-mail address.

VIP points will also now be valid for 18 months with the expiration countdown clock renewing after every purchase, essentially extending their life indefinitely for fans who make a LEGO purchase at least once every year and a half (a change from the points expiring two years after earning them if they were not used).

There are many benefits to the LEGO VIP Program including signing up for free, accruing points toward discounts on future purchases, early access to select product launches, as well as access to other offers and promotions throughout the year. (For example, the LEGO Store is running double VIP points through the end of March.) Going digital will hopefully lead to faster communication about new offers and more clarity about LEGO’s reward system.

However, the LEGO VIP Program has had several missteps in the past including the exclusive Black VIP Card roll-out which promised “exclusive contests, exclusive rewards, exclusive access” and then hardly delivered, as well as tracking and enforcing hard purchase limits across several online orders. It remains to be seen what the “new ways to earn and spend VIP points” will be, but we are cautiously optimistic based on past promises if the program remains true to providing loyalty rewards and doesn’t veer toward increased tracking with even more fragmented offers than currently exist.

We will publish more information about the changes when it is announced, but in the meantime you can read the full email announcement from LEGO after the jump.

Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen steps down from LEGO Board of Directors [News]

Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen is stepping down from LEGO’s board of directors, essentially passing on control of the company to the next generation of the Kristiansen family. Like a parent giving their child a LEGO set they grew up with, Kjeld announced that he will step down from LEGO next month, which leaves his son Thomas Kristiansen acting in his stead as the fourth-generation Kristiansen to help lead the company.

The change follows a plan to make a generational shift in leadership which has been happening for several years since Thomas joined the board in 2007. He and LEGO Brand Group CEO Jorgen Vig Knudstorp are interviewing candidates to ultimately replace Kjeld on the board with the goal in mind of bringing in someone to help the company through their centennial anniversary.

Kjeld has been a reassuring presence to the LEGO fan community throughout the years, visiting several conventions and driving the creation of the LEGO House in Billund, Denmark. He is the son of Godtfred Kirk Christiansen (who was the son of LEGO inventor Ole Kirk Christiansen), and appeared on LEGO boxes as a child. He was CEO of LEGO from 1979 until 2004 and has continued to be a driving and inspirational influence on the company.

The full press release as well as a history of the Kristiansen family’s ownership of LEGO is included after the jump.