Tag Archives: Dune

Shai-Hulud? More like Shai-hello there!

Few sci-fi creatures have presented a perennial challenge to LEGO builders like Dune‘s sandworm. We’ve already covered a few LEGO sandworms over the years, but given the number of techniques that can be used to represent these otherworldly lifeforms, we’ll probably be covering them well into the year 10,191. In hachiroku24‘s version, the worm’s body is mostly overlapping 1×2 rectangular and round tiles, a simple yet effective solution. It’s a scene that probably just got cut from the recent movie — lovers Paul Atreides and Chani enjoy the ultimate date night: Preparing to ride the mighty Shai-Hulud together. We’re sure nothing could ever drive them apart, right?

LEGO Icons 10327 Dune Atreides Royal Ornithopter [REVIEW]

Science fiction is one of the best inspirations for custom LEGO creations, from franchises like Star Wars, Alien, Starship Troopers, Bladerunner, and many more. And there have been plenty of official sets inspired by the genre as well. But outside of Star Wars and LEGO space-related themes, there have not been very many official sets (LEGO Ideas 21340: Tales of the Space Age being a rare exception). But this changed at the start of this month. With the premiere of Dune part 2 in theaters on March 1st, one of the most iconic vehicles from the movie is finally brought to fantastic LEGO life with the release of LEGO Icons 10327 Atreides Royal Ornithopter. The set comes with 1,369 pieces, includes 8 minifigures, and is available now from LEGO.com and other retailers for US $164.99 | CAN $214.99 | UK £149.99.

Find out what’s in the box below! Don’t worry, it’s not the Reverend Mother’s…

LEGO reveals LEGO Icons 10327 Dune Atreides Royal Ornithopter, available for preorder now [News]

LEGO today revealed a large-scale tie-in set for the upcoming Dune: Part Two directed by Denis Villeneuve, based on the classic sci-fi novel by Frank Herbert. The movie — starring Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, and a cast of thousands — is currently scheduled for release in theaters on March 15, 2024, but LEGO Icons 10327 Dune Atreides Royal Ornithopter will launch on February 1st, 2024. The set includes 1,369 pieces with 8 minifigures, and is already available for preorder from the LEGO Shop online now at US $164.99 | CAN $214.99 | UK £149.99.

Read on for the full details, including play features and minifigure selection. Make sure to check out the full gallery at the end of the article.

Click through to see the full details about LEGO Icons 10327 Dune Atreides Royal Ornithopter

The bricks must flow...

I first read Dune in the deserts of Egypt, on the night train from Cairo to Luxor, and since then I’ve loved every rendition of the Dune saga I’ve ever consumed, starting with the full book series by Frank Herbert, of course, but also every adaptation, from David Lynch’s weird 1984 film and the 2000s Syfy TV series to the recent Denis Villeneuve masterpiece, but even the concept designs by Chris Ross for the aborted Alejandro Jodorowsky version in the 1970s. It’s almost like there’s a Dune multiverse in which every incarnation is awesome. Angus MacLane seems to share my passion, with this Classic Space homage featuring a Spicing Guild navigator floating in his tank accompanied by his entourage.

Classic Space Guild Navigator

Using black Classic Space minifigures and a giant classic smiley head inside the tank is so freakin’ weird that it fits perfectly into that hypothetical Dune multiverse. Especially for minifigs wearing uniforms, many LEGO builders choose to vary their minifigs’ faces. But it’s the very uniformity of these minifigs that makes the whole scene weirder, magnified by the massive head in the tank.

An unlikely pairing in the wilderness

General Tavarre provides us with a scene that I didn’t know I needed in this LEGO scene, what if a Sandworm of Dune appeared on the barren wilderness of Earth, the home of Mortal Engines.

The Small Mining Town of Bavaria & Shai-Hulud

Combining Dune and a Traction City from the Mortal Engines novel series, it creates a wonderful scene as the City trundles onward to it’s demise in the Maw of the Sandworm. What I enjoy in this little vignette is both the colour palette with it’s earthen tones and secondly that it near exclusively uses the smallest pieces affording some great detail from the cobbled together look of the Traction City to the teeth of the gaping maw that is the Sandworm.

Scenes like this are always worthwhile taking the time to enjoy the LEGO connections, they give me the inspiration to see what I can create next!

LEGO sandworm might just inspire you to chant the litany against fear

Frank Herbert’s Dune has inspired movies, television shows, comic books, video games, and many amazing LEGO creations over the years, and this diorama by muad_brick is among some of the best that I have seen. Where many builders, myself included, give Shai-Hulud its iconic shape by building ring segments, muad_brick used a series of curved slopes arranged in a textured pattern. The rows of teeth fading into the dark gullet of the beast lends the scene an extra level of drama, and that ornithopter made with only a handful of parts is amazing!

Our road leads into the desert of Arrakis

From Arrakis comes spice and these LEGO vignettes by builder Bryan Firks, whom you may know from the second season of LEGO Masters. I had the good fortune to chat with Bryan about these scenes and the inspiration behind them. He became a fan of the “Duniverse” after watching the 2021 film Dune, sparking an interest in the original book and the richly detailed world. Soon, the idea to create a series of microscale scenes developed in his mind. He drew inspiration from 2021’s TBB creation of the year, Jan Woźnica’s Tales from the Space Age, for providing atmosphere and color. Equipped with new color palettes, he employs similar techniques with his vignettes. On the left, transparent neon orange antennae represent orbital strikes on the old city of Arrakeen. A spice refinery explodes in the foreground. In the center, we see an ornithopter hovers above a spice harvester with levers as its wings. On the right, there’s one of the legendary sandworms of Arrakis! The worm is captured brilliantly with round bricks interlinked by flex tubing for poseable segments. The sand dunes give a sense of scale to the worm, showing just how massive it really is!

Bryan faced a few challenges rendering these scenes on this scale. Being a Lord of the Rings fan, he wanted to use Uruk-hai swords for the ornithopter wings. Alas, they were too big for this size. The sandworm presented a fun challenge, and using an inverted 2×2 dome for the gaping maw is very cool! The flow of direction, from left to right following the lines of the orbital strike through to the worm’s mouth, is intentional to give the build a sense of motion. Another clever choice is the night-day-night pattern of the backgrounds, giving the vignettes a lovely balance. The mirroring of the dual moons in the night scenes helps to frame and hold the day scene in your attention as you take in the whole. My favorite part of the build, besides the sandworm? It demonstrates how inspiring the LEGO community can be. Anyone can become inspired by another builder’s creation, leading to more beautiful homages and builds!

An interesting take on the ornithopter from Dune

Now that the world has finally seen the release of Denis Villenueve’s adaptation of the classic novel Dune by Frank Herbert, many LEGO builders have taken inspiration from the movie and the original source material, using desert power to fuel their imagination. One of the most interesting vehicles in the story is the small patrol craft known as ornithopters, or ‘thopters, which are described as looking a bit like a dragonfly, with two sets of wings that can either flap or retract for jet-powered flight. Alpha Bernini‘s version of the four-winged craft may look a bit unconventional, but there are many interesting details of note. First, the angled cockpit with its transparent blue canopy really picks \up the insect vibe, paired with the small Mixels jointed legs.

Somewhere on Arrakis

The long scaffolding part used for the tail further resembles the extended abdomen of the dragonfly. Seen from the side, with the wings folded back, the cockpit also includes storage space below the pilot’s chair.

Ornithopter

Be sure to check out our other Dune-inspired ornithopters featured recently.

Soaring over Arrakis with House Atreides: Dune’s Ornithopter in LEGO

Denis Villeneuve’s Dune has quickly become a hit amongst fans and critics. The cinematography and soundtrack balance perfectly with the classic narrative to deliver a knock-out blockbuster that will last the ages. Much like Star Wars, Star Trek, and others, Dune features a plethora of cultures, planets, and religions. For me and other fans of LEGO, though, it’s the spacecraft and vehicles that really round it all out. The Ornithopters of Frank Herbert’s sci-fi classic have been a challenge for past projects but Denis Villeneuve’s design team produced a craft that will surely become iconic. When I saw this Ornithopter by TBB alumn Simon Liu, I had to know more. I talked with Simon about avoiding spoilers prior to opening night, his immediate need to build this beauty, and the challenges he faced with its final design.

The Ornithopter

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We are Wanderers of the Void

In a LEGO world of massive spaceships and castles, sometimes it’s the simpler things that really draw your attention.Take these Wanderers of the Void, for instance. They were built by someone who goes by the name of VelociJACKtor. I’m equal parts flummoxed, intrigued, weirded out and awestruck, which is pretty good for such a simple LEGO creation. Who are they? What void do they wander? Are there any others like them? Did they do all that wandering in those shoes? This pair generates more questions than answers. But that pretty much makes them the most intriguing things I’ve seen all day. What do you all think?

Wanderers of the Void