ANNIVERSARY SPOTLIGHT ®

65
YEARS
SPECIAL
COLLECTOR’S
ISSUE

Favorite
Characters
Iconic Sets
The Latest on
the Next Movie

CENTENNIAL SPECIALS

WHAT’S NEW IN 2023

Display Until 5/1/23 $13.99

This magazine is editorially independent and has

Avatar, Super Mario,
not been licensed or approved by the owners of
the characters or entertainment properties.
Indiana Jones & More
 ANNIVERSARY SPOTLIGHT®

THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO

 60

10 40
CONTENTS
40 Bigger Pieces for
Littler Builders
The history of Duplo, like
that of Lego, features
some ups and downs.
MAKING BRICKS: THEN, off the assembly line by
HISTORY NOW, NEXT the hundreds of millions. 42 Ouch! Why Does
10 Building a 26 What’s It Hurt So Much To
Toy Empire… New in 2023 38 RIP Lego Robots Step on a Lego?
Brick by Brick Here are some of the Lego pulled the plug on It all comes down
How Lego grew out of sets being released this its long-running high-tech to physics, chemistry
a Danish wooden toy year, along with some Mindstorms lines. and statistics.
shop—and overcame rumored projects.
near-death experiences 44 If Not Lego,
along the way—to 28 Iconic Then What?
become a play behemoth. Lego Sets Lego may be the
From simple brick houses biggest game in toy
18 Lego to sleek spaceships with town, but they’re not
Anatomy 101 thousands of pieces, the only brickmaker.
A closer look at bricks, Lego’s boxed sets have Check out some of the
studs and minifigures. grown with the company. best-known competitors.

20 Fantastic 34 How 46 Attack of

Creations They’re Made the Clones!
These amazing With precision that would After losing patent
assemblages will blow be the envy of the space protection, Lego fends
your mind! industry, Lego bricks roll off imitators in court.

4 • A N N I V E R SA RY S P OT L I G H T | LEGO
18
 Money
Maker
Released in 2014,
The Lego Movie
raked in a massive
$468 million
worldwide.

50
CONQUERING 64 The Little Show more than 80 video 86 Don’t Throw Away
FILM AND TV That Became a Big Hit games since 1995. Those Legos!
50 Building a Hit We have Brad Pitt to Vintage sets and
Movie Franchise thank for bringing Lego 82 Other Ways limited-edition releases
From bricks to Masters to the U.S. To Get Your Fix fetch thousands of
blockbusters, how Lego From podcasts and dollars on the collectors’
inspired a popular FUN FOR playing cards to flower market. Find out about
big-screen series. EVERYONE arrangements, Lego some of the most
70 Legolands is everywhere! coveted items.
56 Celebrity Around the World
Minifigures A business promotion 84 AFOL Heaven 88 By the Numbers
Actors—and their most eventually grows into Meet your fellow AFOLs Breaking down the facts
famous roles—get the a global amusement (Adult Fan of Lego) and figures.
Lego treatment. park empire. and gaze upon inspired
amateur creations as 92 Bricktionary
60 A Partnership 76 A New Way conventions return Everything you need
Made in the Heavens To Play from the COVID to know about Lego,
After initially rejecting Lego has released pandemic blues. from A to Z.
Star Wars, Lego enjoys
one of the most 96 How Well Do You
successful franchise
deals in toy history. 92 Know Lego?
Put yourself to the test
with this ultimate quiz.
62 Mr. Lego
How Arrested Development
This magazine is editorially independent
star Will Arnett became and has not been licensed or approved
by the owners of the characters or
Lego’s go-to guy. entertainment properties.

5
Introduction

WELCOME TO THE

WORLD
OF LEGO!
AS THE BRICKS CELEBRATE THEIR
65TH ANNIVERSARY, WE’RE CELEBRATING
ALL THINGS LEGO.

hey are so very simple: from the most humble house to a

T little plastic bricks that

snap into each other,
basic enough for a child
to enjoy, yet brimming with infinite
possibilities. Lego was born on
tower reaching hundreds of feet high.
Over the decades, Lego became
more than just a plaything. The
bricks and their additional parts are
an artist’s medium; an educational
Jan. 28, 1958. That’s when the Danish tool; the foundation for a social
son of a toymaker raced to the patent network; an inspiration for video
office with a marvelous design games, theme parks, a blockbuster
breakthrough that allowed those tiny movie franchise and a popular TV
bricks to fit snuggly together yet pull show; a timely COVID distraction;
easily apart. Those innocuous-looking and an incurable obsession. In these
top studs and bottom tubes, combined pages, explore the many facets of that
with the use of a kind of plastic that miraculous brick, whose potential
was both lightweight and incredibly is limited only by the imagination,
strong, produced a building block and see why Lego is so much more
capable of constructing everything than it’s stacked up to be.
 Movie
Magic
Lego has released
867 Star Wars-
themed sets
since 1999.

To find out about

the amazing new
Lego sets hitting
stores in 2023,
turn to page 26.
 MAKING HISTORY
A DANISH CARPENTER CREATED A WORLDWIDE TOY EMPIRE THAT IS
BUILT LARGELY OFF OF THE IMAGINATIONS OF KIDS OF ALL AGES.
 Making History

Ole Kirk Kristiansen

(left) in his brother’s
workshop in Give,
Denmark, in 1910.

Ole’s carpentry
shop and home in
Billund, Denmark,
before it burned
down in 1924. Three generations (from top): Ole, his
son Godtfred and grandson Kjeld.

10 • A N N I V E R SA RY S P OT L I G H T | LEGO
 The wooden
duck toy
was released
in 1935.

Lego’s wooden
toys and yo-yos
were only sold
in Denmark.

BUILDING A TOY EMPIRE

BRICK BY BRICK
HOW LEGO GREW OUT OF A DANISH WOODEN TOY SHOP—
AND OVERCAME NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCES ALONG
THE WAY—TO BECOME A PLAY BEHEMOTH.

ack in 1924, a Danish Germany in 1911, at the age of 20. rebuild a bigger and better shop, but

B carpenter named Ole

Kirk Kristiansen was
running a thriving
carpentry business, building
cupboards, kitchen cabinets, doors,
When he returned five years later,
an established carpentry shop went
up for sale in the town of Billund,
about 15 miles from his hometown
of Omvraa Mark. He purchased the
in 1929 the American stock market
crash caused financial shock waves
that rippled all the way to Denmark,
sinking the world into the Great
Depression. Ole’s business suffered
ladders, stools and ironing boards, business, employed apprentices of as his customers, many of them
fulfilling his dream of making his his own and was making plans to farmers, couldn’t afford his higher-
living by working with wood. expand, when the first of a priced cabinetry.
The 10th son of a poor family, string of disasters struck. Three years later, Ole
Ole had worked as a farmhand from In 1924, his two suffered a devastating
the age of 6 and got a basic high sons, Karl Georg and personal loss when his
school education. Always fascinated Godtfred, accidentally wife, Kristine, died.
with wood, young Ole loved to set fire to wood K or Ch? Financially strapped
whittle in his spare time. chips, sparking a Ole’s birth certificate and emotionally
After apprenticing for his blaze that destroyed said Kristiansen crushed, he laid off
but he also went by
brother Kresten as a teenager, he the shop and family Christiansen. most of his workers,
left Denmark for the first time in home. Ole scraped bringing his staff to
his life to work as a carpenter in together the money to seven, as he scraped by on

11
 Making History

sales of lower-priced ironing boards

and ladders. Many of his cash-
strapped farmer customers had to
pay him in crops.
As the Depression ground on, Ole
let go his final carpenter and had to
take on all of the work with his own
hands. Then, in modern-business
parlance, he pivoted, shifting
from making large cupboards and
household goods to constructing
miniature versions of the items as
aids for designers. He also came up
with another idea: Thinking that if
there was one thing people battered
The Lego Before Lego by the Depression would crave, it
was a source of joy into their lives.
THE BRITISH TOY THAT INSPIRED THE LEGO BRICKS So, Ole started making small
WE KNOW TODAY. wooden toys.
From his Santa Claus-like shop
Before there were plastic construction Kristiansen, and son
emerged cars and trucks, little
Legos, there were the blocks that allowed a Godtfred had gotten a
houses, piggy banks, and whimsical
Kiddicraft Self-Locking child’s imagination to sneak peek of the
Building Bricks. run wild. With round bricks, either through animal pull toys. In what has become
Created by British “studs” on top, the a salesman’s sample or one of the most important elements
toymaker Hilary Kiddicraft bricks could drawings, and created of the company’s origin story,
“Harry” Fisher Page be snapped into place their own version in Ole emphasized quality, utilizing
after World War II, the and easily pulled apart 1949 that, with only the finest materials and best
bricks were colorful for new creations. In improvements, craftsmanship. He used birchwood
1947, Page patented the emerged as the Lego that had been air-dried for two years
Kiddicraft’s bricks and debuted sets brick in 1953. and kiln-dried for another three
design that year at the Earl’s According to Lego’s weeks. He meticulously sanded each
included slots Court Toy Fair. Lego’s official history, the toy, applied primer, then painted
for accessories founder, Ole Kirk company had reached them with three coats of varnish.
such as doors
out to Kiddicraft Company lore says his motto was
and windows.
asking if it objected to “det bedste er ikke for godt”—or “only
the Lego brick. “They the best is good enough”—a saying
do not,” the history now carved into a plaque that hangs
says. “On the contrary, in the family house, which today
they wish the company operates as a museum in Billund.
good luck with the
Despite Ole’s best efforts, the
bricks, as they have not
business slid into bankruptcy. As
enjoyed much success
he went to his family for a loan to
with their product.”
stay afloat, they scoffed at his toy
The Kiddicraft brick
making, advising him to pursue
itself was inspired by
other products, but Ole remained
an even earlier version,
the U.K.’s Minibrix,
steadfast. His yo-yos sold well during
developed in the 1930s the world yo-yo craze of the 1930s.
with molded studs but When that fad faded, Ole did brisk
made of less-durable sales with a whimsical wooden pull
hard rubber instead toy duck with a beak that opened and
of plastic. In 1981, closed as it moved. (Produced until
Lego bought the 1960, the toy is now a highly sought-
trademark rights for after collectible.)
Kiddicraft bricks from As toy sales grew, so did the size
Page’s descendants. of Ole’s workforce. In 1934, he

12 • A N N I V E R SA RY S P OT L I G H T | LEGO
decided it was time for his shop—
which had never had a formal
name—to finally be called something.
Ole sponsored a contest, offering a
bottle of homemade wine as a prize,
for his employees to help come up
with a name.
The final choices came down to
“Legio,” which Ole thought would
call to mind “legion of toys,” and Strong
a mashup of the Danish phrase
“leg godt,” or “play well,” which
Values
“Our aim is to do
came out as “Lego.”
a really good and
The workers chose well. The
solid and pleasing
newly minted Lego toy shop
piece of work,”
prospered into the 1940s, even as
Ole wrote.
global war clouds gathered. When
Germany occupied Denmark in 1942,
imports into the country were cut off
and Lego sales soared. Even another
fire that leveled the factory couldn’t
stop Lego’s success; Ole rebuilt
again, modernized and expanded.
Toy sales more than doubled.
The end of the war in 1945
brought a new challenge, as material
shortages prevented the manufacture
of numerous products. Like many
other businesses, Ole looked into
using a new kind of material:
plastics. Though plastics were still
Clockwise from top: The new Lego factory, rebuilt after a fire, in 1943; the first
on the banned list of materials for product line in 1932; a Lego employee at a milling machine in 1938.
manufacturers, he experimented
with injecting melted plastic into
molds to make toy parts. line of toys, starting with a plastic wooden and metal toys, but a
When the Danish government truck that could be easily assembled. determined Ole continued to focus
lifted the plastic ban in 1947, Ole Customers didn’t immediately on mold-injection manufacturing.
could quickly start producing a new embrace the idea, still preferring
THE FIRST BRICKS
Lego Mursten Intrigued by a British line of
sets from 1953- interlocking plastic bricks called the
55 featured Kiddicraft Self-Locking Building
a pic of Ole’s
Bricks (see sidebar, page 12), Ole
grandchildren.
and his designers went to the
drawing board to create their own
version, and in 1949 produced a set
of what Lego called the Automatic
Binding Bricks.
The forerunner to the Lego bricks,
these bricks were one color—white—
with round studs on top and hollow
bottoms so the bricks could snap into
place to make a wall or other simple
creations, then could be easily taken
apart to be used on another project.

13
 Making History

his father died in 1958, The Lego

Town sets Group embarked on more than
in the 1960s
three decades of expansion and
had a
blueprint for technological innovation. A deal
where the with the luggage company Samsonite
buildings to manufacture Lego allowed for
should be
placed.
products to be sold in the United
States and Canada in the 1960s.
Lego changed the plastics formula
to a material that was more stable,
nontoxic and virtually impervious
to any damage little hands could
try to inflict (it also inadvertently
made rock-hard and sharp Legos
particularly painful to step on; see
page 42).
During the 1960s, Lego also
introduced the first wheels to allow
City Life for building vehicles, unveiled the
Lego train system with a battery-
Lego Town sets were
rebranded Lego City powered motor and rails, added
in 2005. instruction manuals to sets, produced
the first line of larger bricks for
preschoolers—the Duplo system
Lego envisioned the bricks as part The turning point came in 1958. (see page 40)—and in 1968 opened
of an interlocking system of toys to The mind trust at Lego cooked up the first Legoland Park, a 14-acre
unleash a child’s imagination, similar the three-tube interior design that attraction in Billund featuring towns
to the popular metal erector sets but allowed for more tightly locking built entirely of Legos (see page 70).
with fewer tiny pieces. bricks, and the die was cast. Lego has In the first year, the park welcomed a
By the early 1950s, the public had seen no reason to change the design staggering 625,000 visitors.
warmed to the idea of plastic toys. over the years. A brick made in the The 1970s saw Lego creating sets
Lego’s plastic tractor became a 1950s will still lock with a brick from to make ships that actually float and,
bestseller in 1951, and the following a Lego set today. The new brick was for the first time, tried to appeal
year plastic product sales surpassed patented on Jan. 28, 1958, an occasion to girls with sets for dollhouses
wood sales for the first time. now celebrated as International Lego and jewelry. (Until then, all Lego
But the newly named Lego Day (see sidebar, page 17). boxes announced the contents were
Mursten, or Lego Bricks, still lagged. appropriate only for boys ages 7 to
Although the design improved THE BIRTH OF 12.) Also arriving were early versions
upon the British version, they still MODERN LEGO of the Lego minifigures—with no
didn’t lock together well, prompting Guided by Ole’s son Godtfred, faces, and arms that couldn’t be
complaints from customers. who took over the company after moved. They were soon replaced
with figures that had smiley faces
This rare and posable arms and legs. A Creator
Thatcher Perkins
Expert Series of sets targeted older
Locomotive was
released in 1976. Lego builders.
Through the 1980s, the sets
became even more advanced and
elaborate, with trains featuring
working lights and signals,
minifigures with a variety of
expressions and facial features to
make them look like swashbucklers
and medieval knights and ladies
for the pirate and castle sets. Lego
products flew off the shelves at Toys

14 • A N N I V E R SA RY S P OT L I G H T | LEGO
R Us as a new generation of builders
embraced the sets.
Celebrity Fans
THESE STARS LOVE LEGO!
CRUMBLING DOWN
Then, in the early 1990s, the toy world MATTHEW PERRY
was hit with an existential crisis. The Can a toy be any more fun?
source: video games. The explosion in Friends’ sarcastic star is totally and
digital technology brought that fast- unironically enthusiastic when it
action excitement to the living room. comes to his love of Lego. Naturally,
he had to build the Friends TV set
Video games became more advanced
Lego kit. But, Chandler being
and smaller—kids were now playing
Chandler, he tweeted, “I made
on handheld Game Boys. This,
myself Batman. But that’s neither
combined with the expansion of cable
here nor there.”
television and video movie rentals,
had toy manufacturers fearing that
their analog products were too boring DANIEL RADCLIFFE
and old-fashioned in a digital world. While he has his own minifigure in the
Like many other toy manufacturers Harry Potter sets, the actor instead ventured
facing the same challenges—including into another movie blockbuster-themed set,
Mattel, Barbie and Matchbox—Lego spending days...and days...and days...on a
responded to the changing times by 3,200-piece Jurassic Park set, with the help
diversifying. Throughout the 1990s, of his girlfriend. “It took up a lot of time,”
The Lego Group developed video he told The Late Show’s Stephen Colbert,
games and started its own Hollywood- “and was weirdly meditative.”
style production company, despite
having little knowledge or experience
BRITNEY SPEARS
in either field.
The pop princess is crazy for Lego.
Lego opened more theme parks
“Oh & look at my new hobby my
that were expensive to build but
children have given me—my new
underwhelmed visitors accustomed
past time pleasure is building
to Disneyland. At the same time, as legos,” the singer wrote on
manufacturing was outsourced, Lego Instagram in 2011 as she shared a
sets slipped in quality and quantity. pic of a helicopter she’d constructed.
The pirate set—a perennial favorite—
was discontinued along with other
classic sets. Duplo was discontinued. DAVID BECKHAM
It was the worst of both worlds. Lego Can you build it like Beckham? The soccer
couldn’t find new customers and legend has spent his retirement from the pitch
alienated its old ones. staying up late at night constructing Star Wars
In 1998, the company posted its spaceships and other sets. His wife, Victoria
first-ever loss and laid off 1,000 Beckham, poked fun at him by posting a video of
employees. The only bright spots were the engrossed athlete at work, zooming in on the
newly created licensing tie-ins with the box and noting it’s made for children 11 or older.
Star Wars and Harry Potter film series. “I mean, you should be all right,” she teased.
Beckham replied, “I should be finished today.”
Those themed Lego sets sold well—
but only as long as there was a movie
in theaters. Between blockbuster ANNA KENDRICK
releases, toy sales cratered. Like many others, the Pitch Perfect actress
The more Lego spent on new endured COVID with the Zen-like qualities of
ventures, the more it became clear it Lego. Though rather than tinker with small
was money going down the drain. “We projects, Kendrick dove into the ambitious
continued to invest as if the company Millennium Falcon set from Star Wars. “I’m
were growing strongly,” executive vice doing too much Lego,” she told The Tonight
president of marketing Mads Nipper Show’s Jimmy Fallon in 2020. “It’s so much fun.
told The Telegraph in the U.K. in It shouldn’t be this much fun. I’m a grown-up.”

15
 Making History

Ole’s grandson
Kjeld at the
ground-breaking
of Legoland
in Windsor,
England, in 1994.

2009. “We failed to realize that we what we realized is that the Lego control of the brick manufacturing
were on a slippery path.... We were brick is still incredibly relevant,” Mike process, which had been almost
not making toys that were sufficiently Moynihan, senior vice president of completely outsourced by the 1990s.
interesting to children. We failed brand marketing, told CNBC. “Rather “The Lego company at that stage
to innovate enough. And we had than digitalization being a threat to had no idea how much it cost to
nowhere to cut deep enough to us, we realized that it could actually manufacture the majority of their
right-size the company.” be an accelerant to our business.” bricks,” longtime Lego mega-fan
It was all about the brick. Mark Stafford wrote on Reddit.
A REBOUND Kids—boys and girls—plus a whole “They had no idea how much certain
By 2004, with Lego posting record lot of adults still loved building sets made.”
losses, change had to come, and things with Lego, a fact that those in The company began working
quickly. There was a shake-up in charge somehow managed to come with Stafford and other amateur
the upper corporate ranks, close to forgetting. After selling designers—people who knew and
financial belt-tightening off four Legoland parks, loved Lego passionately and who
was implemented, and the company restored became key sources of inspiration.
everybody took a Lego launched Lego-themed
long hard look at
Who conventions and crowdsourced
what it really meant Knew? designs, going online to solicit ideas,
to be The Lego It takes more resulting in such popular sets as
Group. “We are on than a year to a Lego version of the coffee house
a burning platform,” design a Lego set from the TV show Friends (see
said the new CEO, minifigure! sidebar, page 15).
Jørgen Vig Knudstorp, Lego updated classic sets,
the first non-family brought back Duplo, and launched
member to lead the company. into robotics (see page 38) while
“We’re running out of cash… [and] embracing its decentralized system
likely won’t survive.” for managing innovation that flew in
What Lego executives came to the face of highly centralized creative
realize was that the answer to its cultures at companies such as Apple
problems had been staring them in and Facebook, which were built
the face since the 1950s. “We did a around their creators Steve Jobs and
lot of really heavy-duty research and Mark Zuckerberg, respectively.

16 • A N N I V E R SA RY S P OT L I G H T | LEGO
 “Lego emerged from its near-
death experience as the world’s Fans of The Pig
House can expect
most profitable and fast-growing
more Minecraft
toy company,” according to the 2013 releases in 2023.
book Brick by Brick, a must-read
text at business schools about how a
company can innovate.
Having dramatically changed
course, Lego then got two more
boosts. The first was the 2014 release
of The Lego Movie, a computer-
animated adventure romp from
Warner Bros. with an all-star
cast (see page 50) that garnered
rave reviews, made $468 million
worldwide, and spawned a movie
franchise and TV series.
The next one came in 2020. By
then, the company was already going
all-in on its adult customers, releasing
sets of boggling size, complexity
and cost. Then the media picked up
on the idea that even simple Lego
projects served adult purposes by
creating calming distractions from
the world’s problems. Lego released
an ad touting the “Zen” benefits of
Lego, and in January 2020, The The Bricks Turn 65!
Washington Post touted Legos On Jan. 28, 1958, Godtfred forward to a slew of new Lego
as mindful outlets for a “growing Kirk Christiansen submitted sets in 2023. The Brick Fanatics
demographic: stressed-out adults.” paperwork to the Danish website reported that there
Within weeks, those stresses would Patent and Trademark Office are a host of Marvel models
rise to unprecedented levels as the for building blocks that “could coming, with three sets tied to
coronavirus pandemic upended life as be put together in a great the eagerly anticipated sequel
we know it. Lego took the same hits as number of mutually different Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3,
other companies, shuttering factories positions,” as the original and plenty of new Star Wars
and stores. But it soon enjoyed a patent filing says. releases, including some for
monster boost in online sales as Over the next few months, The Mandalorian Season 3, which
adults turned to Lego to entertain— patent applications were filed debuts on Disney+ on March 1.
and educate—their locked-down kids in Norway, Sweden, Germany, We’ll also see new additions
while providing some gentle stress Holland, Italy, France, to the Lego City, Classic,
relief for themselves. Switzerland and Belgium. Creator, Friends, Minecraft
Even after the end of lockdown, Patents were next filed from and Ninjago lineups during
sales soared, with revenue leaping South Africa to the United the year. January will see a
27% in 2021. The first six months States. But it was that original possible new cast of collectible
of 2022 saw another 17% rise in patent filing, submitted at minifigures, a Monkey King
revenue, paced by the continued 1:58 p.m., that is considered Ultra Mech and five Disney
the birthday of the Lego brick, sets, including Princess castles
popularity of Star Wars and Harry
which turns 65 years young and a Lightning McQueen Car
Potter sets. Now, Lego stores are
on International Lego Day, Wash, followed by three Harry
reopening and the company is
Jan. 28, 2023. Potter DOTS sets in March.
expanding aggressively into China
While no official celebration For more on 2023’s new
while introducing new toys.
plans have been made public releases (including Avatar and
Today, Lego stands, one brick upon as of press time, fans can look Super Mario), turn to page 26!
another, as the largest and most
profitable toy company in the world.

17
 Making History

LEGO
ANATOMY 101
AN UP-CLOSE LOOK AT BRICKS, STUDS AND MINIFIGURES.

ike a finely engineered strength to create both massive has its own measurement system.

L clock, Lego bricks are

manufactured down to a
fraction of a millimeter.
That’s what allows them to snap
together so smartly, with enough
sculptures and the most precise
creations, yet also be able to pull
apart with minimal effort. As a
Danish product, Legos are measured
using the metric system, though Lego
One “Lego unit” is 1.6 mm, or the
thickness of a Lego wall.

Worldwide,
Standard seven Lego
sets are sold
2 x 4 Stud Brick every second!

LENGTH 3.2 cm (1.26 inches)

WIDTH 1.6 cm (0.63 inches)
HEIGHT 0.96 cm (0.378 inches)
STUD HEIGHT 1.8 mm
(0.07 inches)
STUD DIAMETER 4.8 mm
(0.189 inches)
THICKNESS 1.6 mm
(0.063 inches)
MATERIAL Acrylonitrile
butadiene styrene, or ABS,
a petroleum-derived product
known for its strength, stiffness
and durability
TOP OF STUD Lego logo
COLORS Legos are available
in 39 colors
NUMBER UNDER/INSIDE THE
LEGO The four- to five-digit
number is the design ID number
One-Brick All studs have
Stud the Lego logo
imprinted
WIDTH 8 mm on them.
(.315 inches)

A set of
minifigures
was sent into
space in 2011
on NASA’s
Juno mission
to Jupiter.

Classic Minifigure
HEIGHT 4 cm (1.57 inches),
counting the head stud. That’s four
bricks tall, although some are a
little taller with head accessories.
NUMBER OF PIECES 9-10 parts,
including the head, torso, arms,
hands, hips and legs

19
 Making History

DRIVABLE CAR
More than 1 million Lego pieces
were painstakingly assembled over
13,000 hours to create the replica of a
Bugatti Chiron in 2018. Powered by 2,300 little
motors, the 3,300-pound car actually drives, albeit
slowly, reaching top speeds of 12 mph—a far cry from
the real Chiron, which can top out at nearly 250 mph.

FANTASTIC

CREATIONS
THESE AMAZING ASSEMBLAGES WILL BLOW YOUR MIND!

ar more than just toys, sculptures, dazzling works of art

F in the hands of those with

soaring imaginations—
and a lot of free time—the
little plastic building blocks serve
as the perfect medium for stunning
and incredible moving machines.
Builders from around the world push
the plastic possibilities to spectacular
lengths before pulling it apart and
starting all over again.

INDIAN PALACE
With minarets, reflecting
pools, a mosque and gardens,
the Taj Mahal at Legoland
Windsor in the United
Kingdom is constructed
from 47,000 bricks. It’s one
of many dazzling, iconic
buildings from around
the world at the theme
park, which also features a
scaled-down Forbidden City
and the Sydney Opera House.
 Sea
of Green
THE FAB FOUR
Beatles Yellow The Beatles took the stage at the
Submarine sets from Art of the Brick exhibition at the Old
2016 now sell for Truman Brewery in London in 2014,
more than $200 but the band competed for attention
on eBay. with a Lego version of a much more
recent group: One Direction.

SEA MONSTER
The 30-foot-long sea serpent
known as Brickley keeps
cool in the Orlando, Florida,
sunshine in the Marketplace
section of Disney Springs,
across from the Lego Store,
and near a pretzel shop.
More than 170,000 bricks
went into Brickley’s
construction in 1997.

TALLEST TOWER
It took half a million bricks to
construct the world’s tallest
Lego tower at Legoland
Windsor in 2012. Comprised
of more than 160 sections,
the tower soared 105 feet,
taking hundreds of people
four days to complete.
Perched atop the tower
with a magnificent view of
the park were minifigures
representing Great Britain’s
Olympic athletes.
 Making History

Abs of HE’S BATMAN

A life-size Batman and his
Plastic Batmobile dazzled visitors
to the Lego Brick Exhibition
The Caped Crusader in Budapest, Hungary, in
figure even had 2019. Other massive displays
muscles sculpted included a 1∶7 scale replica
from Lego of the U.S. president’s Air
Force One plane, made of
bricks! more than 1 million bricks.

LONDON CALLING
The world’s most famous clock,
Big Ben, towers over a mini-version
of the British Parliament building
at Legoland Windsor.

A GALAXY FAR, FAR AWAY

Seven Star Wars scenes made
with more than 1.5 million Legos
brought The Force to Legoland
in Carlsbad, California.

DIVING IN
Nathan Sawaya elevated Lego to fine art with his
“Swimmer” sculpture at the Art of the Brick show in New
York in 2013. Even highbrow art critics were impressed,
with The New York Times basking in a “very particular
kind of pleasure from these constructions.”
SCARY CREATURE
Jurassic Park got some stiff competition
from England’s Marwell Zoo, which in
2019 featured what was billed as the
“largest touring Lego brick dinosaur
model ever made.” The 26-foot-tall
Tyrannosaurus Rex was part of a
brick-o-saurus exhibit that took 969 days
and more than 2 million bricks to build.

The World’s Best Lego Builders

THESE TALENTED INDIVIDUALS CREATE STUNNING WORKS OF ART.
It’s one of the most exclusive With a background in
clubs in the United States, sculpture and construction, “I love being a
the 33 people who build Ross never played with role model for
girls to look up
those incredible displays at Legos as a child but easily
to,” Danielle
Legoland parks around the made the transition to Ross said.
world. In 2021, a woman Master Builder. As she
joined this male-dominated told Insider, “It just starts
society of Master Builders with creativity.”
when Danielle Ross was Creating pieces that
hired at New York’s explore the Black identity,
Legoland in Goshen to create Lego artist Ekow Nimako
new masterpieces, maintain works exclusively with black
the 15,000 existing ones, bricks, creating “monuments
and promote diversity and to Black youth.” Lego fan “I get to breach
inclusion by building and Indiana Pacers center topics and make
Minilanders, large-size Myles Turner commissioned them accessible,”
versions of the Minifigures a 100,000-piece, 7-foot-tall noted Ekow
Nimako.
“of all different creeds, races, statue of himself as Darth
religions and ethnic groups.” Vader from Nimako in 2022.

23
BRICKS: THEN, NOW, NEXT
FIND OUT THE SECRETS OF THE LITTLE PLASTIC MARVELS THAT CAN MAKE
AMAZING CREATIONS—AND REALLY HURT WHEN YOU STEP ON THEM.
 Bricks: Then, Now, Next

The first
Avatar
sets came
out in
October
2022.

Big News
Jay’s Brick Blog
reports that a
BTS set will be
out in 2023.

WHAT’S NEW
IN 2023
HERE ARE SOME OF THE SETS BEING RELEASED THIS YEAR,
ALONG WITH SOME RUMORED PROJECTS.

adventure Lego sets that take Jake Super Mario

Sully’s family and other characters
back to Pandora. Although the Everybody’s favorite Italian plumber
sets span different locations and will appear on the big screen in The
even different movies, they can Super Mario Bros. Movie in April
be mixed and matched to form 2023. While the new line of Mario
unique creations and launch new sets coming out early in the year aren’t
adventures. “Once we determined directly linked to the film, they will
that different sections should join offer players a host of new adventures.
together,” Lego Avatar designer Among the expansion packs of existing
Atticus Tsai-McCarthy told Brickset, sets is this cool offering, the Ice Mario
“we laid out how they could be Suit and Frozen World Expansion Set,
combined in a cohesive way, while which includes an ice suit for Mario
representing completely separate and a blue ice plate that makes skating
parts of Pandora.” sounds when Mario glides across it.
Avatar
James Cameron’s long-awaited
sequel to 2009’s sci-fi blockbuster
Avatar has inspired a collection of
10 Avatar: The Way of Water aquatic

26 • A N N I V E R SA RY S P OT L I G H T | LEGO
 Jurassic Park
the film’s 30th anniversary in a big
The 30th anniversary of Jurassic Park way…capitalizing on the nostalgia
in 2023 has Lego blogs buzzing about and iconography that generations of
new dino-themed sets. “Jurassic Park fans love.” While no Lego sets have
Indiana Jones is where it all started,” Universal been announced, with the brand so
Products & Experiences president intertwined over the years with Steven
According to the Lego blog Brick Vince Klaseus told License Global, Spielberg’s franchise, Lego blogs
Fanatics, “everyone’s favourite whip- “and it remains the cornerstone of speculate there could be as many as
cracking adventurer” is expected to the brand—and we’ll be celebrating five new sets.
return in three rumored sets for the
first time since 2009, based on the
old Indiana Jones movies and the Chinese
upcoming Indiana Jones and the Dial Traditional
of Destiny, which is out on June 30. Festivals
Expanding its line in the lucrative
China market, Lego marks the
Year of the Rabbit with several
sets, highlighted by the 1,653-piece
The Minifigure- Lunar New Year Parade of three
That-Must-Not- colorful connectible floats with
Be-Named 18 minifigures, including masked
performers and musicians. Another
Two Lego-themed Harry Potter set, the Lunar New Year Display,
books are set to be published in features such symbols as golden
2023, and speculation is running ingots, koi fish and peony flowers.
high they may come with a new A Duplo Town set teaches younger
minifigure of Voldemort. The buzz builders food and musical traditions,
is based on sneak-peek photos of the and a good luck Money Tree is
Friends With a covers (above) that have blacked out decorated with red envelopes, gold
Disabled Dog one of the minifigures. coins and 20 tangerines.

The Friends sets return in 2023 with

Lego was
the minifigure kids from Heartlake introduced to the
City. Based on the animated TV Chinese market
series, the Friends line has always in the 1980s.
offered more realistic characters,
with different genders and skin
tones, along with characters with
disabilities. Now, according to the
Lego news site Brick Fanatics, the
reboot line of five new sets includes
a disabled dog. In the Dog Rescue
Center, a dachshund uses a set of
wheels for its back legs.
 Bricks: Then, Now, Next

ICONIC

LEGO SETS
FROM SIMPLE BRICK HOUSES TO SLEEK SPACESHIPS WITH THOUSANDS
OF PIECES, LEGO’S BOXED SETS HAVE GROWN WITH THE COMPANY.

Lego re-released sets with a stronger

plastic and new design with the little
internal tubes on the bricks so that
they snapped together more snugly.
Frame It
The sets had
postcards that could
be slotted into
1950s
brick frames.
TOWN PLAN (1955)
During the post-war boom, as Danes
migrated from farms to cities, where
they could increasingly afford houses
and cars, Lego designers came up
with an idea to create a set to make
an entire urban community. The
Town Plan was built with what were
now being called Lego bricks, as
well as other scaled toys including
street signs, family automobiles,
1949 didn’t fit well together. Many stores police cars and trucks. It came with a
returned unused sets. Today, the plastic cloth giving a city layout with
AUTOMATIC sets are collector’s items, fetching streets and land parcels for houses
BINDING BRICKS thousands of dollars. After 1957, and businesses.
The predecessor to the Lego system,
these building sets inspired by
the British line of Kiddicraft
Self-Locking Building Bricks came
with an English name—a tribute
to the Allied forces that liberated
Europe in World War II—but
were sold exclusively in Denmark.
Initially coming in just two colors,
red and yellow, the binding bricks
were marketed as toys to unleash
children’s imaginations. Promotional
materials showed boys and girls
constructing elaborate houses,
factories and towers. The first sets
arrived on shelves in 1949 and sold
for the next three years, with more
colors added, but they flopped in the
marketplace. The bricks were made
of a less durable kind of plastic and

28 • A N N I V E R SA RY S P OT L I G H T | LEGO
 A 1951 tractor
was sold as
a set or a
finished model.

large—to create brick-built vehicles,

one of the first being the farm
tractor. Lego then phased out
its preconstructed vehicles.

CHURCH (1957) 1960s TRAIN (1964)

A lovely little house of worship with Using the recently introduced
a bell tower and roof of red tiles, WHEELS (1962) wheels, Lego unveiled its first
this set marked the first time Lego Today, the largest tire maker in the brick-built train sets, a nod to
featured a Christian church. It would world is not Firestone or Goodyear. the little wooden trains that the
also be the last. Even when the It’s Lego. It all began with the company had sold for decades,
company later released medieval introduction of sets of wheels, with a motorized train arriving
sets, there would be no churches as coming in two sizes—small and in 1966 that ran along tracks.
Lego steered clear of religious and
political themes.

VW SHOWROOM (1957)
In a business strategy that would
later prove incredibly successful,
Lego struck up a licensing deal in
1957 with Volkswagen for a dealer
showroom set that went with Lego’s
The first movable
line of plastic VW cars. Two Beetles brick-built train was
came with the set. a hit in 1964.

29
 Bricks: Then, Now, Next

MINIFIGURES (1978)
The earliest version of the Lego
minifigure appeared with a little
Lego policeman in the Police Car
set. Quickly becoming one of Lego’s
most popular features, the minifigure
models were also included in Castle
and Space sets.

The
policeman
now has
more
details on
his uniform.

GEARS (1965) later dominate girls’ sets had yet to

Setting the stage for robotic Lego enter the Lego color palette. The
sets years later, the first Lego gears Homemaker sets maintained the
arrived on shelves in sets that standard red, white, yellow, black
included a battery case to create and blue bricks. But they did
moving mechanical marvels. introduce an early version of people
For the most ambitious builders, by including a headpiece (and hair
the six-page instruction manual attachment) that could be snapped
featured a Ferris wheel. onto a 2-by-2 brick.

FIRE FIGHTER (1978)

1970s As the 1970s progressed, Lego
released a boat hull to build watercraft
HOMEMAKER (1971) that could actually float, including a
After nearly two decades of targeting 133-piece firefighting boat.
primarily boys ages 7 to 12, Lego
began marketing to girls. The
Homemaker sets enabled them to This 1978 set
build fully equipped houses, with has a resale
bedrooms, living rooms, bathrooms value of
more than
and kitchens—plus sets for beauty $550 today.
salons and classrooms. Softer
colors such as pink that would

30 • A N N I V E R SA RY S P OT L I G H T | LEGO
 You can add
pushpins
for places Details
you’ve visited. include three
observation
platforms.

It splits into
sections,
giving a view
of the interior.

The Biggest Sets

LEGO ART WORLD MAP including cabins, lifeboats, boiler amphitheater. The 9,036-piece
With 11,695 pieces, this wall- room and grand staircase, with a set, priced at $550, replicates the
mountable map of the world price tag to match: $680. original design and features of
tops the Titanic by more than the Colosseum, down to the three
2,600 pieces and measures a EIFFEL TOWER shades of brick. As designer Rok
sprawling 40.5 inches by 25.5 The tallest Lego set ever, the Zgalin Kobe said, “The more the
inches. The map is marketed as Eiffel Tower is bigger than many model was being perfected, the
both a work of art, with builders of the kids who play with Lego. more pieces went into capturing
encouraged to create undulating But with 10,001 pieces (and a its details.”
ocean waves and use vibrant $630 price tag) this 5-foot-tall
colors, and an educational sculpture from Lego’s Icons line— It also has the
tool, with an audio soundtrack which also includes the Titanic, hypogeum under
the arena floor.
of stories by world travelers the Colosseum, and a vintage
that can be listened to during Atari 2600 console—is definitely
construction. At $250, the set is a job for the grown-ups. Finding
considered a bargain, with a low a place to display it may be a
per-piece rate of 2 cents. challenge, though the tower does
break into four sections for ease
TITANIC of movement.
At 53 inches long, the 1:200-scale
model of the doomed ocean liner COLOSSEUM
is larger than the Art World Map, Get a lesson in ancient
and with 9,090 parts, is a beast architecture with this
of a project. The model features 10.5-inch-high, 20.5 inch-
all the luxury accoutrements, wide model of the Roman

31
 Bricks: Then, Now, Next

FORBIDDEN
ISLAND (1989)
Bring on the pirates! Minifigures
advanced in leaps and bounds with
this blockbuster seller featuring a
palm frond-covered pirate hideout
complete with a rope bridge, Jolly
Roger flag, cannon, climbing monkey,
parrot and three pirates, highlighted
by Captain Redbeard with a hooked
hand, saber and red whiskers.

The
monkey
has
movable
arms and
legs and
1980s see-through red canopy and a pair claw feet.
of laser guns on expandable arms.
GALAXY But it was the 427-piece Galaxy
COMMANDER (1983) Commander that first had legions of
Before Lego snagged the rights to amateur space explorers enthralled
Star Wars, the company cranked with its twin cockpit, a lab module
out impressive space-themed sets with a folding roof, two rovers, and
featuring upgraded minifigures. The five astronaut figures. Both craft
121-piece Galactic Peace Keeper could swoop down to the 202-piece
(1989) sent two minifigures—an Space Supply Station (1983) with
astronaut and a space cop—into computer screens, dish antennas, and
outer space on a sleek ship with a two loading skids.

The Most
Expensive
Set
A STAR WARS FAN’S
DREAM BUILD.

You’ll need more than The Force

to build classic Lego models
from the Star Wars movies. A fat
wallet is also required. With a
retail price of $850, the
6,785-piece AT-AT set from
2021, with Luke Skywalker as
well as eight other minifigures,
The cannons ties with the 2017 reissue of the
have a realistic
Millennium Falcon as the most
recoil action.
expensive set on shelves. Expect
the price to skyrocket on the
secondary market when Lego
retires the AT-AT set in 2024.

32 • A N N I V E R SA RY S P OT L I G H T | LEGO
1990s NEPTUNE DISCOVERY they prowl the deep with the help of
LAB—AQUA DOME 7 (1995) a yellow submarine. Just watch out
AIR TECH CLAW RIG (1992) The 1990s sent Lego designers to the for that gray octopus.
The 954-piece set from Lego’s more most exotic destinations ever, with
advanced Technic line took the 1980s bigger and more elaborate castles
motor-driven pneumatic pump and pirate settlements. Then came 2000s
features and dialed them up to 11. this stroke of brick inspiration: an
With a tome of an instruction book underwater science lab. One of the ULTIMATE COLLECTOR’S
coming in at 60 pages, the Air Tech most prized sets for collectors (Lego MILLENNIUM
Claw Rig is a truck with a V6 engine, has stopped making underwater- FALCON (2007)
two horns and that real-working themed sets) the 492-piece set puts The late 1990s licensing deal with
grabber on the back. air helmets on the minifigures as Star Wars may have saved Lego
from bankruptcy when little else was
selling, and this 2007 classic shows
why. The 7,541-piece Millennium
Falcon leaves all those castles and
pirate ships in its rocket engine wake
in terms of sophistication, artistry
and challenging construction.
Han Solo’s smuggler craft was the
largest Lego set to date, until it was
surpassed the following year by the
towering 5,922-piece Taj Mahal.

Removable
hull panels
The lab reveal the
set had a cool interior.
submarine,
conveyor belt
and crane.

33
 Bricks: Then, Now, Next

“The more Lego bricks

you have doesn’t
mean you’re going
to be more creative,”
said former Lego CEO
Jørgen Vig Knudstorp.
 HOW THEY’RE
MADE
WITH PRECISION THAT WOULD BE THE ENVY OF
THE SPACE INDUSTRY, LEGO BRICKS ROLL OFF THE
ASSEMBLY LINE BY THE HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS.

he building blocks of silos through pipes to machines that That’s a fraction of the thickness

T Lego bricks are little

granules with a big
name. They fill towering
silos outside factories in Denmark,
Hungary, Mexico, the Czech Republic,
soften the material into a plasticky
sludge under temperatures of 450 F.
The goo then goes into custom
molds that exert 150 tons of pressure
and add coloring and a little water
of a piece of paper, which is why
Lego pieces snap together so snugly,
assemble with such strength, and
pull apart with such ease. The
miracle material ABS—strong,
China and, soon, Vietnam, in the first to cool things off. Out pops a warm durable and nonbiodegradable (see
stage of a highly automated, precise brick that is both fun to play sidebar, page 36)—ensures
process that produces Lego. An oil- with and a manufacturing that the bricks stay that
rich polymer with the chemical name marvel, measuring way for generations.
of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, to within .002 mm “We’re molding to
or ABS for short, these granules of tolerance, or the tolerance of about
are shot from the two-story storage proper dimension. Work It one to two microns,
An employee is
shown inspecting
the molding
machines.

35
 Bricks: Then, Now, Next

Lego
recommends
passing on
old bricks
to others. less than the thickness of a human
hair,” Tim Brooks, vice president

Will Legos Ever of corporate responsibility at Lego,

told Wired. “That’s incredibly precise

Be Recyclable? compared to most consumer products.

To get that brick to mold effectively is
hard. To go into the mold in about the
Legos do, in fact, pretty much a lot of forever material for
consistency of toothpaste—pushing it
last forever, which is a good the world’s landfills. Lego has
thing if you want to play with invested more than $150 million in warm and then cooling it down—
them for generations, but a into finding a green alternative the material will shrink; you need it
problem for the environment. which still has the strength and not to shrink too much.”
The durable ABS plastic snap-ability of ABS that has Lego uses about 7,000 different
granules (below) that comprise made the bricks so successful. kinds of molds—they cost an average
80% of the pieces don’t The company has set the year of about $72,000 and go as high as
biodegrade. And with billions 2030 as the goal for a new $360,000—for about four weeks
of ABS bricks coming off Lego plastic, which may come from before they’re taken offline for
assembly lines each year, that’s recycled drink bottles. cleaning. Old molds aren’t discarded
but sealed into the foundations of the
factories so that competitors can’t
steal the designs. In all, the molds
create 2,350 types of elements in
52 different colors. Out of some 36
billion bricks produced each year,
about 80% are made of ABS.
After being molded, the bricks
go onto a conveyor and
are dumped into a bin.
No Robots are alerted when
Waste the bins are full and,
Leftover plastic moving across grooves
pushed out of the in the factory floor,
molds is ground down deliver the pieces to
and put back into the assembly halls.
the production Here, machines
cycle. imprint the various

36 • A N N I V E R SA RY S P OT L I G H T | LEGO
designs on the pieces, including
words, faces, numbers and other
decorations. For the minifigures,
robotic grippers take the head/torso
pieces down an assembly line to be
fitted with arms and legs and other
parts. Nearly all minifigures are
purposely colored bright yellow to
avoid giving them a specific ethnicity,
though figures based on movies
or TV shows are molded in the
approximate skin tone of the actors.
Bricks shown in a
Along the way, Lego pieces molding machine.
undergo a battery of quality control
tests, but the manufacturing process
is so precise that only about 18 out of
Heads are stamped
every 1 million pieces get rejected. with facial expressions
When completed, the pieces before the minifigures
are automatically dropped into are fully assembled.
polypropylene bags, weighed for
accuracy and sent off for packaging.
The pieces go into separate bags
so that if something is off, only
individual bags are replaced rather
than an entire set.
Machines assemble the cardboard
boxes and drop in the bags—if things
don’t quite fit, an actual human will
come to the rescue to give it a nudge—
then the boxes are automatically
sealed and piled onto pallets. Shrink-
wrap seals the stacks of boxes, and
the stack is shipped to the primary
distribution center in Prague for
shipment around the world.

An employee
scoops parts to
be printed for
Duplo figurines.

37
 Bricks: Then, Now, Next

In 1998, the
RCX brick had
32K of RAM but
no Wi-Fi.

The 2020
Blast robot
could fire
projectiles.

RIP
LEGO ROBOTS
THE COMPANY HAS PULLED THE PLUG ON ITS
LONG-RUNNING HIGH-TECH MINDSTORMS LINES.
The M.V.P.
aunched in 1998, Lego’s Lego released upgraded versions, such could be

L Mindstorms kit wedded the

tactile joys of plastic bricks
with the wonders of digital
innovations to create robots and
inspire generations to pursue careers
as the 2006 Mindstorms NXT kit for
$250 that introduced a new robot
brain brick and which made the bots
more advanced than ever.
As Wired magazine observed, “The
controlled with
a phone.

in STEM fields of science, technology, market is almost evenly split between

engineering and math. parents buying the kit for their budding
Though marketed to children, engineers and grown-up geeks who
adult hobbyists scooped up the $199 build Mindstorms robots that can
sets, quietly making it one of the scale walls, solve Rubik’s Cubes, or
company’s top-sellers. Over the years, pick blue M&Ms out of a pile.”

38 • A N N I V E R SA RY S P OT L I G H T | LEGO
 Builders had to wait another
seven years for the next generation, Many kids
learned how
Mindstorms EV3, which could be
to code via
controlled by smart devices and Lego robotics.
featured new sensors and other
nifty upgrades. Yet another seven
years later, 2020’s $360 Mindstorms
Robot Inventor kit allowed
builders to make five different
robots, including one that could
give high-fives.
With such slow rollouts, the fact
that nothing new in the Mindstorms
line had been released in the
past two years hardly
caused a stir. So it
came as a shock when The App
Lego pulled the plug
on Mindstorms at
Lives!
The Mindstorms
the end of 2022,
Robot Inventor app
releasing a statement will be live until at
to the industry blog least the end
Brickset: “We have of 2024.
decided to focus our
resources and future plans educational role in STEM droid-inspired programmable rolling
by redirecting our Mindstorms learning. Lego once partnered ball called BOLT; a robotic cyborg
Robot Inventor team and their with MIT to sell the kits to schools, hand from Thames & Kosmos; a
expertise into different areas of the and many careers began with Lego. golf-ball–size robot with a lot of
business,” it said. But as Brickset and other Lego blogs personality from Ozobot; and a $400
As the death of the bots began to noted, the Mindstorms kits had failed robot from Digital Dream Labs that
sink in, Mindstorms fans began to to keep up with the times. The latest can “roam around a desk and serve as
grieve and reminisce. “Sad to hear,” set was seen as a technological step a virtual pet that likes to play games.”
one commenter wrote on Brickset’s backward, and builders both young and In its statement, Lego insisted it
post. “Mindstorms has been around older turned to other more advanced— has “a number of priorities in Lego
for a generation in its various forms, and in many cases cheaper—sets from Education and other Build & Code
and lots of ’80s and ’90s kids have competing companies. experiences.” And keep in mind:
entered STEM careers, thanks in part “Wipe away those tears; there are You can’t really kill a robot. “We
to these products.” still lots of educational robot toys left are continuing to hold on to the
Along with the fun and mental in the world,” wrote the gadget blog trademark for the Mindstorms brand
challenges of the Mindstorms kits, Gizmodo after Lego’s announcement. and assessing our future plans,” the
the products played an important These include Sphero’s Star Wars company added.

There are lots

Also Say Goodbye To… of other Harry
Potter sets
MORE FAVORITES ARE BEING RETIRED. available.

Lego sets come and go as house set, the 1,673-piece

the company tries to keep sculptures of Harry Potter
its toy line new and exciting. and Hermione Granger, the
According to the Lego $200 Batwing from the 1989
website, some sets getting movie Batman, and an
retired include the Friends Adidas sport shoe model
TV show’s Central Perk coffee with “real shoelaces.”

39
 Bricks: Then, Now, Next

Duplo can help

kids gain both
fine and gross
motor skills.

Duplo sets
include
family pets
such as dogs.

BIGGER PIECES FOR

LITTLER
BUILDERS
THE HISTORY OF DUPLO, LIKE THAT OF LEGO,
FEATURES SOME UPS AND DOWNS.

rom the very beginning, could integrate bigger, safer bricks

F when Lego rolled out its

Lego brick forerunner
called the Automatic
Binding Bricks in 1950, the company
wanted to expand its toy line with
into the larger Lego ecosystem.
In the early 1960s, Lego
experimented with different designs,
developing bricks that were two, three
and four times larger than standard
white—and were marketed to children
from 18 months to 5 years old.
bricks that small hands could handle Lego, before settling on the 2:1 ratio “By making sure that all Lego
but were big enough that they brick. Lego also figured out that if they elements, old or new, are compatible,”
wouldn’t get stuck in little windpipes. hollowed out the Duplo top studs, they Lego said, “the company can prolong
Marketed as “the perfect bricks could snap in the standard Legos. the life of and add value to existing
for day care centers,” the first larger- Thus in 1969, Lego unveiled the Lego bricks—and instead of users
size bricks in the early 1950s came in Duplo bricks, taken from the Latin discarding their old bricks when they
packages with photos of Kjeld Kirk word “duplus,” or double. They came buy a new Lego set, they add value to
Kristiansen, the grandson of Lego’s in four colors—red, yellow, blue and the bricks they already have.”
founder Ole Kirk Kristiansen (and the Parents quickly embraced Duplo
future head of the Lego empire). as both a toy and a learning tool, as
But these early toddler bricks had a toddlers developed motor skills and
problem: they couldn’t be snapped expanded their imaginations creating
together with the smaller, Size new projects and worlds with familiar
modern Legos. That Matters sights such as cars and houses.
left the larger bricks as Duplo bricks are Duplo minifigures joined the toy
a stand-alone product twice the size of Lego line, similar to the Lego figures but
as the minds at Lego and less likely to larger, with heads and limbs that
pondered how they be swallowed. remained attached. A Duplo railroad

40 • A N N I V E R SA RY S P OT L I G H T | LEGO
steam engine with rail cars, and a rebounded, along with the rest of Movie as Duplo-constructed aliens
Duplo dollhouse with sliding doors The Lego Group’s products. threatened the people of Bricksburg.
and a nuclear Duplo family of father, Duplo unveiled sets based on Today, the main factory in Hungary
mother and child also came aboard. popular kid shows Bob the Builder and cranks out more than 2 million parts
In the early 2000s, Lego took the Thomas & Friends, along with Duplo a day that go into 14 million Duplo
educational aspect of the brick a step versions of Lego’s popular Castle, boxes shipped each year, and a new
further and renamed the toy line Pirate and Town lines. And in 2014, generation of parents is charmed by
Explore. Lego seemed to have the best Duplo got a joking cameo in The Lego the toys they grew up with.
of intentions, stressing the toy line’s
benefits in early child development.
But the rebrand turned out to be
“We’re here
one of many missteps during Lego’s to destroy
corporate dark ages, confusing you,” the
customers familiar with Duplo and Duplo villains
say in The
causing sales to slump. Lego Movie.
By 2004, the Duplo name and
rabbit logo were back “as a response
to the repeated feedback the
company receives from consumers
and retailers.” The toddler bricks

41
 Bricks: Then, Now, Next

OUCH!
WHY DOES IT HURT SO MUCH
TO STEP ON A LEGO?
IT ALL COMES DOWN TO PHYSICS,
CHEMISTRY AND STATISTICS.

very parent has been About 80% of Lego parts, including

E there. They’re walking

through the house in socks
or bare feet and suddenly
step on something hard and sharp
that sends a stabbing pain through
all of the bricks, are made from
acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS)
plastic, a polymer that lasts forever
and has a hard finish and sharp
edges. And since a Lego piece can
their entire body. withstand 950 pounds of pressure,
The culprit? A Lego brick. But why unless you’re 1,000 pounds, that
does this particular piece of plastic brick isn’t going to bend, break or
hurt so much? crumble under your weight.
Several factors come into play. For The pain that results from stepping
one, the foot is incredibly sensitive, on a Lego brick with bare feet can
with as many as 200,000 individual be explained by a simple physics
sensory receptors, which explains
why you can tickle somebody’s feet
as opposed to, say, their elbow.
The foot needs all those nerves to
help maintain balance. Another
is the chemical makeup of Lego.
Wearing shoes a daredevil stunt called a Lego Lego has the line of larger, toddler-
helps to lessen Firewalk in which people walk safe bricks called Duplo for younger
the impact of
Lego bricks on barefoot across Lego pieces. kids (see page 40).
sensitive soles. “Out of the three that I do on a Meanwhile, in 2020, a 7-year-old
regular basis, it’s before I step on the boy in New Zealand blew a tiny Lego
Lego that I think, ‘Oh, this is going to claw out of his nose after it had been
be a bit uncomfortable,’” he said with stuck up there for almost two years.
a laugh to Smithsonian magazine. “It was itchy,” Sameer Anwar said.
The final reason for the Lego vs. Four years earlier, a nurse found a
foot phenomenon is the sheer number piece of Lego lodged in an 11-year-old
of the little bricks in circulation. Lego boy’s ear after he failed a hearing test.
equation cranks out billions of bricks a year. Those isolated cases aside, it’s the
(for physicists, Some estimates hold there’s enough feet that generally suffer. It happens
anyway): Pressure Legos on the planet to give each so much that a popular meme for
equals force divided person 83 bricks. And if you have kids a curse goes: “I hope you step on a
by the area onto which (or play with Legos yourself ), you Lego.” Comedian Steve Rannazzisi
that force is pressed. might as well resign yourself to pain. quipped in a routine that Legos are
As New York Of course, Legos can cause harm, like cockroaches: “Where you see
University physics and even kill. Choking is a leading one, there’s 10 more hiding out in the
professor Tycho cause of injury and death for children shadows. You don’t even know we’re
Sleator told qz.com, younger than 4 years of age. Most there. So now you’re hopping up and
“When you step on incidents involve food, coins and toys, down on one leg trying to figure out,
something with a including Legos. In 2016, a 3-year-old and then all your weight lands on top
sharp corner, the boy in England playing Lego with his of that second Lego and your brain
force from the corner brother died after a small Lego piece is like, ‘Shut this s--t down!’ I hit the
is concentrated over a got lodged in his throat. But such floor. I was crying, tears streaming
very small region of your fatalities are exceedingly rare, and down my face…I thought I was dead.”
foot. This would result in a
very high pressure on that small
region of your foot.”
In 2022, British TV
And studies and anecdotal star Jacqueline
accounts confirm it really does hurt. Jossa walked
A lot. Scott Bell is in the Guinness over 30,000 Lego
pieces to raise
World Records for the longest-ever money for charity.
barefoot walk over hot coals—250
feet of embers at 1,200 degrees—and
regularly walks across broken glass.
But even a guy like him with
feet of asbestos shudders
each time he’s asked to
do a third challenge,

Nope!
Performer Bazoo the
Kloun said he would
rather walk on broken
glass than Legos.
 Bricks: Then, Now, Next

IF NOT LEGO,

THEN WHAT?
THEY MAY BE THE BIGGEST GAME IN TOY TOWN,
BUT THEY’RE NOT THE ONLY BRICKMAKER.
HERE ARE SOME OF THE BEST-KNOWN COMPETITORS.

Mega Bloks has ultimately won by Mega Bloks (see

a licensing page 46). Marketed to toddlers as
deal with Dora
“easy-to-grip and easy-to-stack,” the
the Explorer.
bricks are big and brightly colored
with huge studs on top.
Mattel purchased the company in
2014 for $405 million and quickly
went head-to-head with Lego via an
American Girl line that competed
with Lego’s Friends sets. The
company’s Junior Builders vies with
Duplo—the competing bricks
even interlock—and Mega’s
Micro Bloks can snap
into regular Legos. Mega
struck licensing deals with
such popular properties
as Thomas the Tank Engine,
Pokémon and Teenage
Mutant Ninja Turtles.
It also sells itself as more
environmentally friendly:
While Lego is still seeking to
release a line of recyclable
bricks, Mattel debuted
Mega Bloks Green Town
sets in 2022, the first-ever
toy line available at mass
retail to be certified
CarbonNeutral, for
kids ages 1 and up.
The Build & Learn Eco
House and the Grow
Mattel Mega Bloks & Protect Farm are made
from a minimum of 56% plant-based
Lego’s closest competitor, Mega company took on the mighty Lego in materials. Mega then purchased
Bloks, ranks second in the world’s the 1980s with a line of blocks that carbon offsets from the Darkwoods
sales of toy construction building became popular, particularly in the Forest Conservation project in
sets, with 11% of the market share. United States and Canada, though Canada and packaged the sets in
Founded in Canada by husband and its smaller version ran afoul of Lego’s recyclable paper and paperboard
wife Victor and Rita Bertrand, the lawyers in a long-running case with soy-based inks.

44 • A N N I V E R SA RY S P OT L I G H T | LEGO
 Hasbro Kre-O
Made by South Korean-based characters. Named after the Latin
Oxford and sold by Hasbro, the word “creo,” for “I create,” the bricks
It’s 100%
Kre-O construction sets debuted in are compatible with both Lego and
compostable!
2011 and now can be assembled into Mega Bloks.
Transformers, G.I. Joe, Trolls, Star
Once-Kids Trek and even Dungeons & Dragons

To really get back to nature, this

The D&D set
company makes building bricks has a buildable,
that they say are 100% compatible firing weapon.
with what the company coyly
calls “major brands”—i.e. Lego.
That’s pretty impressive, seeing as
Once-Kids are made out of wood.
“Because all of our products are
sourced from natural resources,”
the company says, “Wood
Bricks will biodegrade and go back
into the earth.” Sustainability does
come with a cost: A 250-brick set
is $120. The line also serves up this
dash of irony: Lego started out as a
wooden toy company.

Cobi sells
World War II K’Nex
tank models
including this A system of interlocking gears,
Soviet SPG. wheels, rods and, yes, blocks, these
sets from Florida-based Basic
Fun! emerged as an idea cooked
up by founder Joel Glickman, who
looked at a straw while attending
a wedding and wondered what he
could build with it. Apparently a
whole lot, as K’Nex can now be
made into everything from a stick
figure to an elaborate roller coaster.
The sets come in versions for both
5 to 12-year-olds and toddlers.

K’Nex
Cobi motorcycle
and car sets
are popular.
The Polish building block company in our lineup,” company official
goes where Lego has never ventured, Aleksandra Niewierkiewicz told The
with realistic military sets to make New York Times. “We try and develop
Jeeps, warships and fighter jets—a categories that don’t compete
market Lego likely won’t ever directly with our competition, which
embrace. “From the very beginning, is why this continues to be such a
this line has been the key product strong category.”

45
 Bricks: Then, Now, Next

Lego itself
originally copied
Kiddicraft bricks
created by British
toymaker Hilary
Page in the 1940s.

ATTACK OF
THE CLONES!
AFTER LOSING PATENT PROTECTION,
LEGO FENDS OFF IMITATORS IN COURT.

ometimes, the fun-and-

S games business isn’t all fun

and games. While Lego
may have literally patented
the industry-leading building brick,
its patent protections expired decades
Enlighten, a
Chinese brand,
makes sets
ago, allowing other companies to that are very
create their own bricks advertised as similar to Lego.
“compatible” with Legos. With billions
of dollars at stake, Lego has gone to
court to fight against Lego clones,
with mixed success.
In the 1980s, Lego sparred with
Tyco Industries for years over Tyco’s
Super Blocks, ending with Tyco being
ordered to stop using slogans such

46 • A N N I V E R SA RY S P OT L I G H T | LEGO
as “Lego, but only cheaper,” but still Bela was ordered
being allowed to continue making to stop copying
Lego’s packaging
the bricks. “We’re delighted with
and logos.
the outcome,” a Lego lawyer told the
Washington Post. “If Tyco is forced to
market its blocks honestly and
truthfully, we believe we’ll beat
the pants off them.”
Lego also took on Mega Bloks,
arguing that its design using
studs and tubes violated Lego Best-Lock has
trademarks. In the early 2000s, been involved in
courts in Canada and Europe multiple cases
with Lego.
handed mega victories to Mega
Bloks, allowing the company
to keep on selling. Today, Mega
Bloks are Lego’s biggest, though end of a copyright case when fashion
still distant, competitor. designer James Concannon filed suit
Also in the early 2000s, Lego Lego company official hailed the in 2022 alleging that Lego modeled a
scored a victory in a lawsuit decision for putting Lego “in a “blatant copy” of one of Concannon’s
against Best-Lock for violating the better legal position acting against jackets without his permission.
trademark of Lego’s minifigures. The infringement of Lego trademarks.” The offending garment, the lawsuit
court found that Best-Lock products “We see this as a recognition of our alleges, can be found in the Queer
are “indistinguishable” from Lego’s. status in China as a known and loved Eye—The Fab 5 Loft Lego set on the
“A comparison of the works makes brand by parents and children,” the teeny-tiny minifigure based on cast
clear that Best-Lock has copied official said, adding this warning: “We member Antoni Porowski, who has
protectable, expressive elements that will continue to take action globally been wearing Concannon’s designs
are original to Lego,” the court stated. when we see attempts to mislead since 2017.
Lego won a 2017 copyright consumers and infringement of our “Lego did not offer to compensate
infringement lawsuit against two trademarks and copyrights.” Concannon for copying his creation,
Chinese companies that sold toys The company also scored a victory did not ask Concannon’s permission
called Bela that were nearly identical over the Chinese clone brand Lepin. to copy his creation, and did not give
to Lego’s Friends line of blocks. A The counterfeiters were fined $13 Concannon any credit when it did
million for copyright infringement in copy his creation,” says the lawsuit.
2020 and XinhuaNet reported that Instead, Concannon alleges,
the “chief culprit” was sentenced Lego offered as compensation a free
to six years in prison, while eight Fab 5 Loft set, worth $100, for his
others were also imprisoned. 6-year-old son. According to news
Rip-Off? More recently, The Lego reports, Lego had not commented. The
The Queer Eye Group found itself on the other case is still in litigation as of press time.
minifigure’s jacket
has sparked
a lawsuit.

Antoni Porowski
(second from left)
wearing his James
Concannon jacket.
CONQUERING FILM AND TV
LEGO USES THE CONSTRUCTION SETS AS THE FOUNDATION FOR
A REALITY SHOW AND A MEGA-HIT MOVIE FRANCHISE.
 Conquering Film and TV

“Everything in The
Lego Movie is, indeed,
awesome,” a review on
RogerEbert.com raved.
 BUILDING A HIT MOVIE

FRANCHISE
FROM BRICKS TO BLOCKBUSTERS, HOW LEGO
INSPIRED A POPULAR BIG-SCREEN SERIES.

or years, executives at The movie had to not only appeal

F Lego listened to movie

pitches. And for years
the ideas, to coin an
appropriate phrase, didn’t stack up.
“We are not an entertainment
to the nervous Danes back at Lego
HQ, but also to both grown-ups and
children, as well as generations of
hardcore Lego fans. The look of the
film needed to be both slick and tactile.
company,” Mads Nipper, Lego’s chief The story had to be interesting and
marketing officer, told The Hollywood exciting. And the jokes had to land.
Reporter. “And we were very much in But Lord and Miller, who also
doubt about what a Lego movie would directed the film, dove in anyway. “We
look like, so we said no many times.” have this flaw where we get excited by
That didn’t stop producers from what seems like unsolvable problems,”
plugging away at one particular Miller told The New York Times. “We
project, with Phil Lord and enjoyed the challenge of a puzzle.”
Christopher Miller (who wrote and One of the most important
directed the animated film Cloudy decisions was casting, and from
With a Chance of Meatballs) grinding the beginning the directors
out a script inspired by a story from envisioned Chris Pratt as their hero,
Dan and Kevin Hageman. It was the construction worker Emmet
based on this winning—if somewhat Brickowski. The Parks and Recreation
convoluted—premise: What if a actor was rocketing toward
10-year-old version of real-life superstardom thanks to Guardians
blockbuster movie director Michael of the Galaxy—which came out the
Bay kidnapped 10-year-old Coraline same year as The Lego Movie—and
director Henry Selick and forced him the directors got a pleasant surprise
to make a movie in the basement? when he said yes.
In addition to nailing the everyman
THE LEGO MOVIE voice role, Pratt proved invaluable
Lego finally committed, and the result on the promotion circuit, dishing out
was The Lego Movie, a 2014 mega hit the charm as he did in an interview
that grossed $468 million worldwide with GQ about his favorite things of
while charming the little plastic 2014: “Movie of the year would be a
minifigure pants off movie tie between two of the greatest
critics who found it both masterpieces in the history
funny and hip. of cinema. One would be
While the final The Lego Movie, and
outcome was a the other would be
success, making The
Lego Movie had posed
Fun Fact Marvel’s Guardians
of the Galaxy.”
The Lego Movie
challenges not unlike contains 3,863,484 The dream cast also
those of a novice taking unique bricks. included Elizabeth
on the 9,090-piece Lego Banks in the twin roles
Titanic model. of Wyldstyle and Lucy,

51
 Conquering Film and TV

Elizabeth The first

Banks with film features
directors 183 unique
Christopher minifigures.
Miller (left)
and Phil Lord.

Alison Brie as Princess Unikitty, and told Animation World Network, “We THE LEGO
Will Ferrell as Lord Business. Many wanted to make the film feel like the BATMAN MOVIE
of the characters were delicious riffs way you play, the way I remember When a movie makes nearly a
on pop culture figures, which made playing. We wanted to make it feel half-billion dollars at the global box
getting the legal rights a slog—Harry as epic and ambitious and self- office, a sequel doesn’t just seem
Potter’s Dumbledore doesn’t come serious as a kid feels when they play inevitable—it seems fiscally required.
cheap—but the effort paid off. with Lego. We took something you And when the breakout star of said hit
Will Arnett’s gloomy Dark Knight could claim is the most cynical cash film is a comically insecure Batman
out-Batmans every Batman ever put grab in cinematic history, basically voiced brilliantly by Will Arnett, it
on screen, with hilarious results. a 90-minute Lego commercial, doesn’t take a cinematic visionary to
Balancing the schedules of these and turned it into a celebration of figure out who the next film should be
A-listers posed logistical headaches creativity, fun and invention.” built around.
as directors wanted to get as many of
them together in the same recording
booth as possible. “We did Chris Pratt,
Elizabeth Banks and Will Arnett
together a couple times because
they play off each other,” Miller told
Collider. “We ended up getting a lot of
good stuff that way.”
Next, the filmmakers wanted to nail
the feel of the film. The actual Lego Emmet
bricks provide pleasures that are both “does
tactile and sublime, something the resemble me,”
Pratt said.
directors tried to tap into.
For realism, they couldn’t do stop-
motion with real bricks—that would
have blown up the budget—so they
used 3D computer animation that
looked very much like the bricks. As
animation supervisor Chris McKay

52 • A N N I V E R SA RY S P OT L I G H T | LEGO
 Chris Pratt said that
like Emmet, he’s “a very
ordinary, regular guy.”

Making
Money
But one thing Lego profits to play with the overcome his greatest fears so he
nobody could have skyrocketed by 15% silliness and the can vanquish the Joker escaped the
seen coming in The after the first film absurdity of us sequel curse to reap $312 million
Lego Batman Movie was released. making these movies at the global box office and score
is Arnett’s Dark Knight in Lego. It’s a fun gear an impressive 90% “fresh” rating
having a moment of self- to add to this thing and we on Rotten Tomatoes.
discovery while talking to Ellie always try to add extra jokes Once again, celebrities could
Kemper’s free-floating Lego brick in a that are Lego-specific jokes.” not resist the pull of their favorite
scene that is both hilarious and very, Audiences and critics clearly building brick, with The Lego Batman
very weird. got the joke. Released in 2017, the Movie attracting a stellar lead voice
“I love that stuff,” director Chris star-studded animated romp about cast including Zach Galifianakis,
McKay told CBR.com “I love getting the Caped Crusader’s struggle to Michael Cera, Rosario Dawson and

Will Arnett said his

voice was “wrecked”
after recording
Batman’s rasp.

53
 Conquering Film and TV

and Olivia Munn—and a live-action

appearance by Jackie Chan, who
pulled double duty with a voice role
and “choreographed” the animated
fight scenes for the artists.
The Lego Ninjago Movie
underwhelmed film critics and
underperformed at the box office,
grossing just $123 million worldwide,
though it did deliver other economic
benefits. Along with an affiliated
video game, the film inspired more
than 20 Lego sets and a collectible
set of minifigures.
It was also a surreally
emotional experience
Dave Franco
Fight for Franco, who
voiced Lloyd Scenes said he surprisingly
Garmadon Jackie Chan worried found himself “crying
(center) in The
Lego Ninjago Movie.
about choreographing uncontrollably” in
characters who don’t the recording booth
have knees. during his father-
son scenes with Justin
Ralph Fiennes, and supporting roles in very appropriate Lego Theroux. “Then we finished
going to Billy Dee Williams, Conan style with a life-size Lego the scene, and I kinda took a
O’Brien, Channing Tatum, Jonah Hill Batmobile unveiled at the step back and evaluated the room
and Mariah Carey (as the mayor). North American International Auto and it was an interesting energy,” he
Batman also inundated viewers Show in Detroit. told CinemaBlend. “I realized I was
with one pop culture reference after playing a green Lego ninja piece and I
another—everything from the great THE LEGO needed to reel it in a bit.”
white shark in Jaws to a gag about a NINJAGO MOVIE
chilling Twilight Zone episode that Inspired by the Ninjago toy line THE LEGO MOVIE 2:
proved to be nerd candy to fans, and and tied in with the animated TV THE SECOND PART
no doubt another licensing headache series Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu, Chris Pratt and Elizabeth Banks
for Lego’s lawyers. this 2017 project was as much a reunited with Will Arnett in this
It’s all wrapped up in a zany marketing campaign as a film. This 2019 direct sequel to The Lego
comedy style that McKay borrowed third installment of the Lego movie Movie, though the fourth film in the
from The Naked Gun and Airplane! franchise follows a teenage ninja’s franchise. Set five years after the
films, pitched to the studio brass journey to uncover the truth about events of the first movie, The Second
as “Jerry Maguire as directed by his evil father and stars the vocal Part has the miniheroes scrambling
Michael Mann,” and later promoted talents of Dave Franco, Michael Pena to fend off a Lego Duplo invasion
from outer space.
“I think you should only make
There are more
than 10,400 a sequel if it’s going to expand on
Lego minifigures. what was originally there, and really
remind everyone about the original—
why we loved the original so much,”
director Mike Mitchell told Fandango.
“It feels like that’s what this one did.”
While The Lego Movie 2 garnered
mostly good reviews, its $192 million
worldwide box office fell short of
expectations, particularly in light of
the movie’s $90 million budget and
the additional $100 million spent on

54 • A N N I V E R SA RY S P OT L I G H T | LEGO
Alison Brie voiced
Unikitty (right) in
The Lego Movie 2.

Tegan and
Sara’s video for
the song has
been viewed
74 million times
on YouTube.

promotion. With two Lego films in a

row underperforming, it raised the
possibility that everything was not
awesome behind the scenes.

THE FUTURE OF
THE FRANCHISE
After The Lego Movie 2 failed to light
up the box office, Warner Bros. let their
Lego film rights lapse and shelved
plans to make the spin-offs The Billion
Brick Race and Lego Superfriends.
Universal, however, snapped the
rights up in a deal set to last until at
least 2025 with Dan Lin remaining The Earworm Song
as producer. In the summer of 2022, ALL ABOUT THAT TUNE, “EVERYTHING IS AWESOME.”
Lin told The Hotseat podcast that The
Lego Movie 3 remains in the works. When composer you’re like me / We are considerably more
“We know we have to switch it up and Shawn Patterson working in harmony.” serious “Glory,” from
take to a different art form that’s still wrote The Lego Movie An earworm of a song the civil rights drama
true to Lego,” he said. “We should have theme “Everything Is that mocks earworm Selma. (In 2017,
some announcements soon.… I think Awesome,” he never songs, it’s performed “Awesome” went
we’ve reinvented it in a cool way.” thought the song would by the indie duo Tegan platinum, selling more
become such a smash and Sara with help than a million copies.)
with children. “I don’t from Andy Samberg’s But as The Lego
know if kids actually comedy rap group, Movie’s voice star Chris
get the degree of Lonely Island. Pratt told Vulture,
sarcasm,” Patterson, The “Awesome” song “Awesome” has its own
who was depressed quickly caught on with kind of heft. “Twenty
and in the midst of children, who couldn’t or 30 years from now, I
a divorce when he stop streaming it on think people will look
wrote the song, told YouTube. Then the back at ‘Everything Is
the New York Post. adults took notice. Awesome,’ and it’ll be
This anthem to It became a more than just a cool
conformity and mainstream hit on the pop song,” he said.
Producer Dan following orders dance charts and scored “It’s really reflective
Lin says the
next film will be contains such barbed an Oscar nomination of where we are right
a reinvention of lyrics as “We’re the for Best Original Song now, and that’s what
the franchise. same / I’m like you, in 2015, losing to the art is all about.”

55
Conquering Film and TV

CELEBRITY

MINIFIGURES
ACTORS—AND THEIR MOST FAMOUS ROLES—GET THE LEGO TREATMENT.

Chris Pratt
JURASSIC WORLD’S OWEN
GRADY AND GUARDIANS OF
THE GALAXY’S STAR-LORD
The action star has multiple
minifigures—in addition to The
Lego Movie’s Emmet Brickowski
and the sequel’s Radical Emmet
Xtreme “Rex” Dangervest, Pratt is
featured with a 6 o’clock shadow as
Owen Grady from Jurassic World,
and his Guardians of the Galaxy
minifigure, Star-Lord, has cool
space boots and more stubble.
Does Lego make a shaver? Pom
Klementieff
MANTIS FROM GUARDIANS OF THE
Owen GALAXY VOL. 2
Grady “I have my own Lego!!!” the French
star, who is set to reprise her role in
the franchise’s third film, gushed on
social media back in 2017.

Paul Rudd
ANT-MAN
Before his Marvel movie came out
in 2015, the Anchorman actor told
Collider, “I want a Lego. I think
the coolest thing of all is that I’m
wondering if there’s going to be one
of me in Lego. That’s the best thing.
That’s the only thing I want.” His
wish was granted, with not with just
one minifigure, but a Microfigure
and Giant-Man as well!

Star-Lord
 Nick
Fury

Mace
Windu

Samuel L.
Jackson
MARVEL’S NICK FURY AND STAR
WARS’ MACE WINDU
The actor (who also had a
minifigure for his Jurassic Park
character, Ray Arnold) goes from
bad—in a good way—with an eye
patch and goatee as the Marvel
Cinematic Universe’s antihero
to cool and determined with a
(slightly oversized) lightsaber as
Star Wars’ Jedi Master Windu.

Helena Bellatrix
Lestrange Indiana

Bonham Harrison Jones

Carter Ford
HARRY POTTER’S INDIANA JONES AND
BELLATRIX STAR WARS’ HAN SOLO
LESTRANGE The actor gets just the
More like Lescary! right amount of cockiness
Bonham Carter’s as Han Solo from Star
character from Wars and a mighty
The Lone Red whip as archaeologist
Ranger, Red Harrington Dr. Jones. There are
Harrington, 39 different minifigure
was also versions of his two
released as a iconic characters. Han Solo
minifigure in 2013.

Chris
Hemsworth
THOR
The Aussie actor has another
minifigure made of one of his
movie characters—Ghostbusters’
Kevin Beckman—but his
hammer-wielding god with
flowing blond locks is the
one fans love. “How in
the hell is it possible
that Chris Hemsworth
is still super hot
in Lego form?!”
EOnline marveled.

57
 Conquering Film and TV

Carrie
Fisher Will
Turner
STAR WARS’ PRINCESS
LEIA ORGANA
The blaster-toting princess
inspired 16 minifigures based
on her appearances in the
original Star Wars trilogy
and sequel trilogy (with
hairstyles including those
iconic sweet-roll buns).

Legolas

There
are three
minifigure
Orlando Bloom
versions LORD OF THE RINGS’ LEGOLAS AND PIRATES OF THE
of Leia’s CARIBBEAN’S WILL TURNER
slave outfit. The self-confessed Lego fan, who said he had “hours
of fun” building Technic and Creator Expert cars with
his son during the COVID lockdown, has a Lego room
in the house he shares with fiancée Katy Perry. “Just
figured out the word Lego is in Legolas coincidence? I
think not,” he tweeted in 2020.

Jason Momoa
AQUAMAN
“So awesome!” the star tweeted about
the very, very, very small version of
his DC Comics’ superhero.
 Baby
Harry

Daniel Zoe Saldana

Radcliffe AVATAR’S NEYTIRI AND GUARDIANS
OF THE GALAXY’S GAMORA
HARRY POTTER
The real-life Lego fan’s wizard The actress didn’t get the collectible
character appears in 38 of the 50 minifigure treatment when the first
Harry Potter-themed sets. The boy Avatar film came out in 2009, but her
who lived is also a microfigure, character was featured in the 2020
nanofigure and BrickHeadz character Lego release Avatar: The Illuminated
(with his owl, Hedwig) and is World of Pandora. Two Neytiri figures
featured as a baby with mom Lily were also released in October 2022 Neytiri
Potter in the Wizarding World Series for sets tied to the sequel, Avatar: The
2 set that was released in 2020. Way of Water. Gamora

MVP!
Warwick
Davis
MULTIPLE CHARACTERS IN
STAR WARS AND HARRY POTTER
The actor, who made his acting
debut as an Ewok named Wicket W.
Warrick in Return of the Jedi, has
been immortalized five times: as
Wicket, then as Wald, one of Anakin

Cate Skywalker’s playmates, as well as

vigilante Weazel in Episode I—The
Blanchett Phantom Menace, and as Harry
FRANCHISE QUEEN Potter’s Professor Filius Flitwick and
The Oscar winner has played three the goblin Griphook.
characters that have been turned
Wald Griphook
into minifigures: Galadriel from
The Hobbit, Hela from Thor: Ragnarok Wicket
and Irina Spalko from Indiana Jones
and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

Weazel
Hela Irina Professor
Galadriel Spalko Filius Flitwick
59
 Conquering Film and TV

Luke Skywalker’s
pal Biggs is
included in 1999’s
X-Wing Fighter set.

A PARTNERSHIP MADE IN

THE HEAVENS
AFTER INITIALLY REJECTING STAR WARS, LEGO ENJOYS ONE OF
THE MOST SUCCESSFUL FRANCHISE DEALS IN TOY HISTORY.

ack in March 1999, Lego launching one of the most successful Two of the sets most cited by Lego

B debuted the X-Wing

Fighter set, a 266-piece
model of the Star Wars
spaceship selling for $30. Timed
to the release of the blockbuster
partnerships in the history of
Hollywood and toy manufacturing.
Over the next 23 years, Lego has
released more than 850 Star Wars
sets, along with video games, short
fans as the best ever are both from
the Star Wars line: the Millennium
Falcon from 2011 and the Death Star
from 2016. Luke Skywalker is believed
to have the most Lego minifigures of
The Phantom Menace, the X-Wing films, TV series, and merchandise any character (see sidebar, right).
sets rocketed off the shelves, ranging from key rings to T-shirts. And yet, back in 1997, it nearly
didn’t happen. According to the
authoritative Lego history Brick
by Brick, executives at the Danish
Sadly, Boba Fett’s
Lego helmet is headquarters repeatedly rejected
not life-size. a deal with Star Wars producer
LucasFilm two years ahead of the
release of The Phantom Menace.
One VP was quoted as saying,
“Over my dead body will Lego
ever introduce Star Wars.”
The partnership flew in the
face of Lego’s longstanding fierce
independence—it didn’t just turn
down Star Wars, but all licensing
deals, even as competitors were
scooping them up—but also spoke to
the company’s aversion to products
Baby linked to violence and war. To this
Yoda has
adjustable
day, Lego does not produce any
ears. real-life battleship or fighter pilot

60 • A N N I V E R SA RY S P OT L I G H T | LEGO
sets. “The very name, Star Wars, was The Death
anathema to the Lego concept,” the Star even has
moving walls
company’s chief of operations in the in the trash
Americas, Peter Eio, told the Brick compactor.
by Brick authors, who related how
his argument that Star Wars was
more about the clash between good
and evil than real blood-and-death
fell largely on deaf ears in Denmark.
Only when a Lego-sponsored
survey of parents in the United States
and Germany came back with an
overwhelmingly positive response
to Star Wars did the Danes finally

bend. Star Wars became the first

intellectual property licensed by
Lego in company history. And not a
moment too soon. Jurassic World, Super Mario, Indiana
After a series of business Jones, Pirates of the Caribbean, the
misfires, the early 2000s saw the slate of Marvel superheroes, Lord of
once-mighty Lego teetering on the the Rings, Spider-Man, Monkie Kid,
brink of bankruptcy. It was largely Stranger Things, and even the friends
thanks to Star Wars—whose early from Friends.
The Bad sets accounted for a big chunk of But the most successful marriage
Batch Attack Lego sales—that the company got of all has been the one with Star
Shuttle has the fiscal breathing room it needed Wars. Originally only licensed
movable to regroup and find a way to sell through 2008, the deal was extended
wings.
analog toys in a digital age. until 2011, then again until 2016, and
The same year that Lego signed again until 2022. The current license
with Star Wars, it also allied with runs through 2032, guaranteeing
Harry Potter. There would follow a that The Force will be with Lego for a
long string of partnerships: Batman, long time to come.

Lego Can’t Get Enough Luke Skywalker

THE JEDI MASTER WAS THE FIRST EVER LICENSED LEGO MINIFIGURE.
According to hairstyles, and nifty
Luke even
BrickPedia.com, lightsaber and helmet cameos in the
there are 29 different accessories. In one Indiana Jones
Luke Skywalker version, he even has a Lego video
minifigures in the Lego black hand for the one game.
universe, the most of that got sliced off.
any of the tiny people. In 2017, Mark
The Star Wars hero Hamill interviewed
made his debut Lego Luke and asked
in 1999 with an him, “Why are you so
impressive mop of hair. darn popular, Lego
Over the years, little Luke? You’re more
Luke underwent popular than the real
multiple makeovers Luke!” The minifigure’s
with all sorts of response: “Ha ha, that’s
costume changes, a good one.”

61
 Conquering Film and TV

MR. LEGO
HOW ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT STAR
WILL ARNETT BECAME LEGO’S GO-TO GUY.

side from the fame, told me when I was a kid building

A money and TV show

hosting gig, playing
Lego’s Batman offers
other benefits for Will Arnett. For
instance, just for kicks, he slips into
with Legos, which I did a lot, that
later in my adult life, Lego was going
to play such a huge part of my life, I
would have thought, ‘Well, that’s
impossible,’” he told Parade.
the deep voice when ordering Chinese “And the last almost 10 years,
food. Or he can get really deep to make Lego has been such a huge
sure his young sons pay attention to part of my life.”
him when they’re fighting. The Ontario-born Arnett
But most of all, he says, he can enjoy got his show business start
a side of the character that George behind the microphone,
Clooney, Christian Bale, Ben Affleck, lending his gravelly
Val Kilmer, Michael Keaton, Robert baritone to network
Pattinson, and even Adam West never promos, movie trailers
could experience. “I get to play the fun and TV commercials,
Batman,” he told ET Canada. “I get to which he still does today.
just show up and goof around.” That’s Arnett’s voice
Actually, according to those on those GMC truck
who work with him, Arnett brings commercials saying,
considerably more than that to his “It’s not more than
work. His co-star Michael Cera from you need, just more
The Lego Batman Movie is in awe of than you’re used to.”
the Arrested Development alum’s vocal He got to show his
talents, describing the Batman voice face in a string of
as “sandpaper on Velcro,” while Lego pilots for shows
Batman Movie director Chris McKay that either didn’t
calls Arnett deceptively gifted. get picked up
“He’s, like, a real actor,” he told the or were quickly
Los Angeles Times. “And I guess what canceled, failures
I’m trying to say when I say that is that that contributed
he’s not just a comic presence. I think to his lifelong battle with
there’s a live-action movie role that alcoholism, a subject he has
is going to be able to use his charm, always been candid about.
his charisma, his roguishness. His Arnett was so soured on pilots
potential still has yet to be tapped.” that he almost didn’t audition
Until then, Arnett will content for a quirky comedy called
himself with being one of the busiest Arrested Development. His
actors in Hollywood, with a slate of breakout role as George Hard
voice and on-screen gigs to go with Oscar “Gob” Bluth
hosting the building competition show won him audience
Pass
Lego Masters on Fox (see page 64), acclaim and an He doesn’t want
Emmy nomination
to portray Batman
securing his position as the official
because the suit is
face of the Lego empire, a role he finds and set his career on
“a pain in the
as enjoyable as it is unlikely. “If you the fast track.
neck.”

62 • A N N I V E R SA RY S P OT L I G H T | LEGO
 In the ice-skating competition
spoof Blades of Glory, Arnett paired Other Lego A-Listers
with then-wife Amy Poehler as a THE FACES BEHIND THE VOICES.
creepy brother-sister skating act
with incestuous overtones. The 2007 CHANNING TATUM
film went to the top of the box office The Magic Mike hunk lends
and propelled Arnett to a string of his voice to Superman in three
movie and TV roles, including several Lego movies.
guest-starring spots with Poehler on
Parks and Recreation.
In between, Arnett continued his
voiceover work. He signed on for
the critically acclaimed cartoon-for-
grown-ups BoJack Horseman on
Netflix at the same time that producers
approached him to play a Caped
Crusader with self-esteem issues in
the animated The Lego Movie.
His clever take on the Dark
Knight was such a hit in the
2014 film that producers built
the 2017 sequel around him JACKIE CHAN
in The Lego Batman Movie, He also appears on-screen in
which also scored with critics The Lego Ninjago Movie, but Chan
and audiences, and brought wasn’t a major Lego fan because
him back a third time in the bricks weren’t available in
2019’s The Lego Movie 2: China when he was growing up.
The Second Part. The three
movies cemented a mutual
admiration society between
Arnett and Lego, to the point ROSARIO DAWSON
that he went outside his The Ahsoka star goes behind
comfort zone and agreed to the microphone as Batgirl in
host Lego Masters in 2020. The Lego Batman Movie.
“If it weren’t for the fact
that it’s Lego, and something
that I’ve been involved with WILL FERRELL
now for 10 years, it probably The funnyman gets to play
wouldn’t be something that I the heavy, Lord Business,
would be inclined to do,” the actor in the Lego films.
told Variety.
Plus, he added, it’s a show he’s
ELIZABETH
comfortable bringing his sons Archie
BANKS
(age 14), Abel (12) and Alexander (2)
As Batman’s
to, certainly not something he could
former
do in the recording booth of the foul-
girlfriend, The
mouthed BoJack Horseman, which he Hunger Games
doesn’t let his kids watch. star really gets
“I just got to be myself and kind of around in the
goof around,” he told the Associated Lego films, also
Press. “And I make mistakes and I hanging out
make jokes and I say stuff that is with Star Wars’
dumb. My kids call them ‘dad jokes,’ Han Solo,
I call them ‘bad jokes,’ and I just try to Chewbacca
go out there and have fun.” and C-3PO.

63
 Conquering Film and TV

Lego Masters host

Will Arnett (center)
with judges Jamie Berard
and Amy Corbett.
 THE LITTLE SHOW
THAT BECAME

A BIG HIT
WE HAVE BRAD PITT TO THANK FOR BRINGING
LEGO MASTERS TO THE U.S.

hen a Lego-building within weeks the cameras were rolling

W competition show
premiered in
Britain in 2017,
audiences couldn’t get enough of
watching teams turn out incredible
at Los Angeles’ Chandler Valley
Center Studios, familiar to millions
as the exterior of the Dunder Mifflin
building on another British import
show, The Office.
creations with the little bricks. From the beginning, producers
After Lego Masters debuted as the of the American version of Lego
highest-rated series on the U.K.’s Masters sought to capture the spirit of
Channel 4, the show soon became creativity and the vibe of the original
one of the country’s leading exports. to create a gentler competition that
An Australian version also shot was more The Great British Baking
to No. 1 in key demographics, so it Show than The Hunger Games.
was only a matter of time—a very As Fox executive Rob Wade
short amount of time—before the explained, “Lego Masters has
series arrived in the United States, everything you want in a reality
coproduced by Brad Pitt, through competition: an incredibly quirky and
his Plan B Entertainment company, unique twist on a brand revered by
for the Fox network. billions of people, exciting team-based
The casting call went out in 2019 at battles driven by creativity and a
San Diego Comic-Con for “the most premise that’s ultra-family friendly.”
creative, passionate, and innovative For the show’s host, the producers
Lego builder teams of two,” and tapped Will Arnett, who as Batman

The Boss
Brad Pitt voiced a
Lego version
of himself
in Season 3.

65
 Conquering Film and TV

in the Lego animated films brings a

ready-made link to the toy line with
his goofy humor and supportive
everything-is-awesome personality.
“He’s actually quite good at making
sure that even in this stressful
environment with a giant clock
ticking over your head and you’ve got
to make up these amazing models in
a relatively short period of time, he
Brickmaster
just comes in there as almost like a
Corbett is a
senior design cheerleader, the coach, to tell them,
manager ‘That’s awesome, you’re going to do
for Lego. great,’ but also give them a little
bit of fun on the side,” Amy
Corbett, one of the show’s
judges, explained.
A Big Hit The two-person
A Marvel-themed teams of “builders”
episode that aired draw from the show’s
on Thanksgiving 2022 astonishing collection
drew an impressive of 3 million Lego pieces
2.94 million to make creations later
viewers. judged by Corbett and

Winning Creations Over the Seasons

RECALLING SOME OF OUR FAVORITE BUILDS.

A CLOCKWORK
TREASURE OF MAN
THE GRIFFIN The debut season
Season 1 SOARING DRAGON featured one of the
champions, Tyler Season 2 got off to a dazzling start most astonishing
and Amy Clites, with Zack and Wayne Macasaet’s pair builds. Instructed to
constructed a of colorful Chinese dragons gliding use real-life objects
moving griffin down the street as a parade float. with the Lego, Richard
protecting its nest Board and Flynn De
from a predatory Marco won their round
lizard atop a tower with an amazing robot
in what Amy guarding a ticking
called a metaphor cuckoo clock as mini
for parental love townspeople go about
and protection. their lives down below.

66 • A N N I V E R SA RY S P OT L I G H T | LEGO
Jamie Berard, who have day jobs as
creative minds at Lego. The teams
do work under a clock, but it’s a very
slow one, five to 12 hours, and even
longer—the finale was 24 hours of
work—reflecting the real-life pace of
working with Legos. The judges stroll
between competing teams offering
advice while trying not to make them
too nervous. The champion team at
season’s end wins $100,000.
Debuting in February 2020,
the show became a COVID-era hit, Twins Caleb and
mirroring the boost in Lego sales Jacob Schilling
were fan favorites
during lockdown. It also featured on Season 2.
a heartwarming side story: The
eventual winners, Tyler and Amy
Clites, a husband-and-wife team,
found out during the competition that Lego Masters, according to Arnett, connection there for them with Lego
they were expecting a baby, news benefits most of all from generations of that they’ve carried through their
that was announced on the show. people’s love for Lego. “Lego is such a whole lives. What you find is that it
Seasons 2 and 3 followed, with big part of their lives,” he told Variety. really does cross a variety of people.”
a fourth one ordered, and a second “This is something that they’ve been And, yes, the Arrested Development
celebrity special is set for late 2023. doing forever. There’s an emotional alum concludes: “It’s awesome.”

SPACELAND
A spinning motorized Ferris wheel
towered over other attractions in a MOSASAURUS MADNESS
Dream Park Theme Park build by A giant Mosasaurus rose from the sea
Christian Cowgill and Aaron Newman in Emily Mohajeri Norris and her son
in the first week of Season 1. Liam’s standout build in Season 3’s
dinosaur-themed episode, with Jurassic
World’s Chris Pratt as a celebrity guest.
WARDEN OF THE WOODS
In what became the battle of three
sets of brothers, Mark and Steven
Erickson won a marathon 24-hour
final build in the Season 2 finale in
September 2021, with the day-and-
night theme featuring a mystical
scene of a creature with glowing eyes
rescuing lost minifigures.

67
 FUN FOR EVERYONE
LEGO MOVES INTO A GLOBAL CHAIN OF THEME PARKS WHILE VIDEO
GAMES, CONVENTIONS AND COLLECTIBLES EXPAND THE EXPERIENCE.
 Fun for Everyone

LEGOLANDS AROUND

THE WORLD
A BUSINESS PROMOTION EVENTUALLY GROWS INTO
A GLOBAL AMUSEMENT PARK EMPIRE.

The resort’s
Castle Hotel
opened in 2019.

Miniland has
boats that move
up and down
the waterways.

Denmark In the summer of 1968, Christiansen

opened the first Legoland, a 14-acre
LEGOLAND park next to the factory that was an
BILLUND RESORT immediate success, drawing 625,000
By the 1960s, as Lego entered its visitors in its first season. The big
second decade as a plastic toymaker, attraction was Miniland, a world
the factory in Billund, Denmark, drew of Lego-built miniatures created by
tens of thousands of visitors a year Christiansen’s cousin, sculptor Dagny Holm worked
for Lego until she
eager to see how the company created Dagny Holm, who became Lego’s retired in 1986.
its colorful little bricks. chief model designer.
Tapping into this fascination—and Expanded over the years to 45 acres
to further promote the brand—Lego’s with nine themed areas such as Duplo
The Dutch village has
chief Godtfred Kirk Christiansen, who Land, Pirate Land and Imagination spinning windmills.
had taken over the company from his Town, the original Legoland inspired
late father, envisioned an attraction a string of the company’s parks
like Madurodam, the popular around the world. It still ranks as one
Netherlands park featuring miniature of Denmark’s biggest attractions, with
models of Dutch landmarks. tens of millions of visitors each year.

70 • A N N I V E R SA RY S P OT L I G H T | LEGO
 The Mythica
attraction is
an immersive
experience.

Miniroyals wore
hats created by
The Trooping the Colour the late Queen
for 2022’s Platinum Jubilee Elizabeth II’s
took 280 hours to create. milliner in 2014.

England Safari Park. They sent the animals off year—but like the original park in
to other parks, and transformed the Billund, it got mired in the larger
LEGOLAND site into a world of bricks. financial problems afflicting Lego in
WINDSOR RESORT The centerpiece of the attraction the early 2000s.
Searching for a second Legoland was, naturally, a scale replica of the The Danish and English Legolands
in the late 1980s, the company iconic Big Ben clock tower, along were sold, and these and other
considered 1,000 locations around the with other famous U.K. sights such affiliated parks are now run by the
world. Executives settled on Windsor, as Buckingham Palace. Opened in British theme park company Merlin
25 miles west of London, scooping up 1996, Legoland Windsor drew big Entertainments, though Lego still
the bankrupt and shuttered Windsor crowds—1.4 million guests that first holds a financial stake.

The port of Neuschwanstein

Hamburg is nestled Castle is almost
on a large pond. 10 feet tall.

Brick
Mania!
Designers used
25 million bricks to
create the cities
at the German
park.
Germany The park boasts a
The domed
recreation of the 19th- Berlin Cathedral
LEGOLAND century Neuschwanstein Castle, also is just one of the
DEUTSCHLAND RESORT known as the Disney castle because impressive builds.
With a Miniland of German cities it inspired a vacationing Walt Disney
and farms, the park that opened in when he created Sleeping Beauty’s
May 2002 in the Bavarian town of and Cinderella’s castles. Legoland’s
Günzburg, halfway between Munich version took six model designers six
and Stuttgart, puts a Teutonic twist months to create, with more than
on the Legoland experience. 300,000 Lego bricks.
 Fun for Everyone

United States Universal Studios. With eight themed

areas at the beginning, Legoland
LEGOLAND CALIFORNIA California Resort held its own,
The first of the three American bringing in millions of visitors a year
Legolands, the park in the Southern until COVID shut down the park from
California community of Carlsbad, 2020 to 2021.
35 miles north of San Diego, opened Now reopened, Legoland California
its doors in 1999, taking on fierce Resort is welcoming back visitors to
competition in the amusement park its 60 rides, shows and attractions The Splash Battle
ride features
business to the north in the form of and 22,000 Lego models made water cannons.
Disneyland, Knott’s Berry Farm and from more than 57 million bricks.

Sea Life Aquarium The hotel offers

puts Lego creations in Pirate, Kingdom
an underwater world and Adventure-
with real-life sharks, themed rooms.
stingrays, jellyfish and
sea turtles.

The Ninjago
LEGOLAND FLORIDA
Ride “rivals the In another market teeming with
most innovative amusement park options, Lego
attractions at Disney opened Legoland Florida Resort,
and Universal,”
TripSavvy wrote.
50 miles south of the Mouse House,
on the old Cypress Gardens park
grounds in 2011. Lego kept the
botanical gardens—opened in 1936—
and a giant banyan tree, rebranded the
waterpark and added Lego-themed
attractions and rides. Highlights
include a recreation of The Lego
Movie’s Bricksburg, where you’ll find
Emmet’s apartment and performers
in life-size minifigure costumes.

Fight Duplo
aliens on this
water ride.

72 • A N N I V E R SA RY S P OT L I G H T | LEGO
LEGOLAND
NEW YORK RESORT
The third American Legoland opened
in 2021 in the historic 18th-century
town of Goshen, N.Y., 65 miles north
of Manhattan. It ranks as the largest
Legoland in the world, which means
a lot of walking for the little ones but
a wealth of everything Lego-themed
New York, including a Lego Statue
of Liberty and a (real water) New Hotel
York Harbor. Hijinks
The resort also offers this The resort’s hotel has
unique event: Adult Night, in large talking models The Dragon is “hands-down the
which grown-ups can visit on a in Brick’s Family best ride,” one website declared.
kids-free evening...with booze. Restaurant.

NYC’s St. Patrick’s Lady

Cathedral in Miniland. Liberty
stands near
the Coast
Guard
Academy
ride.

Dubai The Burj

Khalifa
LEGOLAND skyscraper
DUBAI RESORT with Egypt’s
pyramids
The first Legoland in the Middle in Miniland.
East, Legoland Dubai Resort
arrived in 2016 with the usual
rides and attractions, along with
something tailor-made for the desert
environment. The Miniland not
only features models of such United
Arab Emirate landmarks as the Burj
Khalifa skyscraper—the world’s tallest The Hanging Gardens
building—but is the only Miniland of Babylon, one of
the Seven Wonders
in the Lego empire that is fully of the Ancient World.
air-conditioned.

73
 Fun for Everyone

Malaysia
LEGOLAND
MALAYSIA RESORT
The first Legoland in Asia opened
as part of Malaysia’s effort to spur
development and raise the standard
of people’s living conditions. “By God’s
grace,” the prime minister said at
the 2012 opening, “we have reached
another level through the efforts of
all those involved.” Miniland features
models of such landmarks as Angkor Miniland took
three years
Wat in Cambodia, The Forbidden City to complete.
in China, and the Taj Mahal in India.

What a See historic sites such as

Ride! Angkor Wat as well as the
Petronas Towers, one of the
In 2017, the park world’s tallest twin skyscrapers.
launched the first
virtual reality
roller coaster.
The hotel’s
smallest South Korea
room fits
a family LEGOLAND
of five.
KOREA RESORT
Built on an island, Legoland Korea
Resort welcomed guests in May 2022
with high expectations and rumblings
of controversy over financial troubles
during construction and high ticket
prices that have contributed to below-
expected attendance.
It’s the second largest Legoland
in the world, after New York, and
boasts more than 40 rides, shows and
attractions. There is also a hotel with
Lego-themed rooms.

74 • A N N I V E R SA RY S P OT L I G H T | LEGO
Japan
LEGOLAND
JAPAN RESORT
A special commuter train brings
visitors to the 23-acre Legoland Japan
Resort, opened in 2017 in Nagoya,
the fourth-largest city in the country.
The park has seven themed zones—
Bricktopia, Adventure, Knight’s
Kingdom, Pirate Shores, Miniland,
Lego City and Ninjago World—and
there are more than 10,000 models,
made of about 17 million Lego bricks. The Robotic
The resort also features a Lego Factory Play Centre
is for kids
Tour, a Robotic Play Centre and a ages 5 to 10.
Creative Workshop for rainy days.

Miniland
has several
Japanese
landmarks.

Watch for
surprises on the
Factory Tour.

Future
Legolands
Lego’s next amusement park frontier
lies in China, with Legoland Resorts
in Shanghai, Beijing and Shenzhen,
all targeted to open in 2023 or 2024.
Legoland’s operator, Merlin
Entertainments, is already deeply
invested in the country with five
Madame Tussauds wax museums,
Sea Life centers, and three Legoland
Brussels got a Discovery Centers.
Lego Discovery
Center in 2022. Also in the planning stages is a
Legoland in Belgium in 2027.

75
 Fun for Everyone

A NEW WAY
TO PLAY
LEGO HAS RELEASED MORE THAN
80 VIDEO GAMES SINCE 1995.

76 • A N N I V E R SA RY S P OT L I G H T | LEGO
 ith gags, parodies,

Pepper Roni
is the star
of the Lego
W satire and jokes
aimed at both
kids and adults,
Lego has done video games the
Lego way for decades, with more
Island trilogy than 80 releases, including some
of games. perennial favorites.

LEGO ISLAND (1997)

The first game released in the United
States, Lego Island looks positively
primitive with its 1997 PC-platform
graphics, but gamers say it still holds
up in the most important
categories: fun and
nostalgia. (Sort of like Lego
bricks, themselves, come to
think of it.)
The game also features
the sort of silly dad jokes
that would better be
employed by Will Arnett on
TV’s Lego Masters. Sample:
Ask a minifigure for a hand,
and he’ll give you his claw.
A big success upon its
release, the game sold
nearly 2 million units and
effectively launched Lego’s
decades-long video game business.
But good luck finding one now.
RELEASE DATE Sept. 26, 1997
SETTING Lego Island (duh)
GAMEPLAY In this nonlinear game
with an advanced 3D look for its
time, players take on the role of one
of five minifigures to stop an escaped
prisoner named Brickster from
destroying the island brick by brick.
The game ends two ways, depending
on whether Brickster succeeds. Hint:
If he wins, expect a lot of gloating.
NOTABLE CHARACTERS Pizza
delivery boy Pepper Roni, pizzeria
proprietors Mama and Papa
Brickolini, and police officers
Laura and Nick Brick.
FAST FACT The game launched a
movement of devoted fans and even a
fan-made sequel called Project Island.

77
 Fun for Everyone

LEGO CREATOR (1998)

What if a video game had no The game
spawned
challenges, no missions, no
two Harry
objectives? Behold Lego Creator, Potter
an early “sandbox game,” designed sequels.
to replicate the experience
of playing with the
physical bricks but with
the unlimited potential
of the digital world. Later
spin-offs got away from
the free-form idea and
imposed video game-style
restrictions. Too bad.
RELEASE DATE Nov. 11,
1998
SETTING Your among others. gibberish. The project could be saved
imagination A Destructa and reopened to work on another day.
GAMEPLAY The free-form Brick packed a FAST FACT Lego Digital Designer—
construction concept had dynamite charge the modern incarnation of Lego
bricks that could not only be stacked to blow up models. Minifigures had Creator—is used to help make Lego
but move and make noises; there a whole range of motions—standing, movies, video games, and even to
was a Hinge, Siren and Propeller, walking, driving, even speaking in design toys.

There are
more than
80 playable
characters.

78 • A N N I V E R SA RY S P OT L I G H T | LEGO
 You can play
as the heroes
or villains.

LEGO INDIANA are the characters’ phobias. Every to follow the storylines of Raiders
JONES: THE ORIGINAL time Indiana Jones sees a snake, of the Lost Ark, Temple of Doom and
ADVENTURES (2008) he freezes up and loses movement Last Crusade. Then, during the free-
Dive into the same adventures from capabilities. Although ancient by play mode, they can use unlocked
the first three Indiana Jones films but video game standards, it’s considered characters that interact with other
with a lot more silliness, a hallmark a relic worthy of any gamer’s quest. players and the environment, solving
of the Lego games, which add humor RELEASE DATE June 3, 2008 puzzles and discovering doorways.
to the more grown-up aspects of SETTING Everywhere Indy goes FAST FACT The game features a
the movies for the sake of younger GAMEPLAY From the hub of Dr. bonus character of Star Wars’ Han
players. The iconic boulder-rolling Jones’ college, players are initially Solo—Harrison Ford played both
and rope bridge scenes are back, as given preselected movie characters Han Solo and Indiana Jones.

LEGO THE LORD As GameSpot wrote in its review video game form as players control
OF THE RINGS (2012) back in 2012, “This latest adaptation characters roaming Middle-Earth,
A humorous, streamlined take on of the classic tale doesn’t feel like a riding horses, battling, solving
The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, cheap substitute for the epic story, puzzles and collecting magical items.
the game uses actual dialogue from even though the protagonists are now FAST FACT Sharp-eyed players
the three movies but tones down the fashioned from plastic.” noticed that as the character
more adult themes. RELEASE DATE Oct. 30, 2012 Elrond welcomes Frodo, an unlikely
SETTING Middle-Earth figure in a black suit lurks in the
GAMEPLAY Main sequences from the background: Agent Smith from The
films—The Fellowship of the Ring, Matrix. Both Smith and Elrond
The Two Towers and The Return of the were played by the same actor,
King—are recreated in modified-for- Hugo Weaving.

Bonus
The game had four
packs of downloadable
content that included
Sméagol before he
became Gollum.

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 Fun for Everyone

Lego City Undercover: GAMEPLAY The mayor of Lego City

The Chase Begins recruits undercover cop Chase McCain
was released for
Nintendo 3DS in 2013. to tackle a crime wave set in motion by
crime boss Rex Fury, who McCain had
once helped to arrest but has broken
out of prison. McCain’s
dim-witted partner
Frank Honey joins in
the mission that comes
as bad news to McCain’s
girlfriend, Natalia
Kowalski, who’s in
witness protection after
testifying at Fury’s trial.
McCain has more than
just a gun and badge:
LEGO CITY crime-themed video He can leap over walls,
UNDERCOVER (2013) game in which a cop swing from poles and
Lego’s first sets were called Lego chases a crime boss. build almost anything
Town, in which kids could construct Lego’s stab at an original story, out of bricks. The game spoofs the
pleasant villages of brick homes and untethered to a licensed property Grand Theft Auto series, flipping the
gas stations based on the burgeoning such as Star Wars or Indiana Jones, POV from the crook to the cop.
Danish communities popping up after made comic fodder out of crime-story FAST FACT The script is written
World War II. tropes to create what the GameStop by former stand-up comic Graham
In time, the town sets grew to Lego blog called “a joyful open-world romp Goring, who included only-adults-
City sets. And as with all cities, things for players of all ages.” will-get-them references to Starsky
are bit grittier. That’s the concept RELEASE DATE March 18, 2013 & Hutch, The Matrix and The
behind Lego City Undercover, a SETTING Lego City Shawshank Redemption.

400+
Characters
The Galactic Edition
includes characters There are also
from the expanded puzzle-solving
Star Wars galaxy. elements that
fans will love.
LEGO MARVEL SUPER
HEROES (2013)
Due to a thicket of copyrights so
dense that not even Thor’s hammer
could smash through it, Marvel
heroes and villains initially couldn’t
play or fight with each other in
video games or on-screen without
inviting a slew of lawsuits. Their little
plastic doppelgangers faced no such
restrictions, thus allowing the release
of Lego Marvel Super Heroes, which
had Captain America palling around
with Wolverine, and Black Widow
hanging with Spider-Man. Gamers
swooned, making Super Heroes Lego’s
bestselling video game and
spawning two spin-offs,
Lego Marvel’s Avengers in
2016 and Lego Marvel Super
Heroes 2 in 2017. to thwart Doctor Along the way, Marvel characters
RELEASE DATE Oct. 22, 2013 Doom, Loki and practically trip over each other in
SETTING New York their gang of villains often comical meetings, as when
GAMEPLAY Players can who are trying to Black Panther goes looking for his cat,
control 180 characters from conquer Earth with Mr. Tiddles, and runs into Nick Fury.
the Marvel Universe, each their whimsically FAST FACT Marvel’s godfather Stan
with special powers and named weapon: the Lee, who made cameos in the movies,
abilities, as they join forces Doom Ray of Doom. is a playable character in the game.

LEGO STAR WARS: THE hopefully gets applied to every Lego

SKYWALKER SAGA (2022) game from here on out.”
You think it’s hard to make a sequel? RELEASE DATE April 5, 2022
Try coming out with a sixth new Star SETTING A galaxy far, far away
Wars game some 20 years after the GAMEPLAY Players dive into the
original. That’s exactly what Lego did Star Wars stories in any of the three
with Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker trilogies—the Skywalker Saga—and
Saga, blowing up the franchise like fight with lightsabers and blasters, fly
the Death Star and putting it all back ships, and use The Force in locations
together again to create a video game from Tatooine to Cantonica.
that had critics’ eyes lighting up. FAST FACT The game includes a
With spoofs and Easter eggs feature called Mumble Mode in which
galore, the game is “a deeper, more players can switch from the original
action-packed take on Lego games,” voice acting to having the characters
game site IGN gushed, “and one that mumble and grunt.

The game recreates

Rey’s leap over
Kylo Ren’s fighter.

81
 Fun for Everyone

OTHER WAYS TO

GET YOUR FIX

FROM PODCASTS AND PLAYING CARDS TO FLOWER
ARRANGEMENTS, LEGO IS EVERYWHERE!

Music
Many builders have favorite
music mixes, but for tunes created
expressly for Lego, pick up The Lego
Movie (Original Motion Picture
Soundtrack). Composer Mark
Mothersbaugh used a 40-piece
choir and a 100-piece orchestra for
“sounds that created a universe for
the Legos that was unique,” he told
Entertainment Weekly. And, yes,
the soundtrack contains the song
“Everything Is Awesome.”

Floral
Arrangement No Need
Decorate the house or surprise to Water
The succulents
a loved one with the Lego Flower
can be slotted
Bouquet. Made of Lego pieces, together.
these $60 bouquet kits come
in bright colors with stems and
leaves and resemble roses, daisies,
snapdragons and asters. For desert
flair, make arrangements from the
$50 Succulents building kit.

82 • A N N I V E R SA RY S P OT L I G H T | LEGO
 Beyond the
Brick has
more than
a million
subscribers.

Creationary
Like Pictionary but with Lego bricks,
pick a card that tells you what to
build under time pressure, then see if
other players can guess what you’ve
created. (resale only; price varies)

Playing Cards Podcasts

These decks ($17 for a set of two) While nobody should ever try
feature Lego brick designs on building sets while driving, fans
one side and minifigure-style can still immerse themselves in all
kings, queens, jacks and jokers things Lego with several podcasts.
on the other. The Extra Pieces podcast
from the Lego chroniclers
The perfect gift behind The Rambling Brick and
for any Lego fan. Jay’s Brick Blog covers new set
announcements, news from the
fan community and their own
thoughts of sets they’ve built.
The Love of Brick podcast
pawns goes for more than $2,000 on interviews expert builders such
Castle Giant the secondary market. as the Lego mosaic specialist
Chess Set For those with a less princely known as Brick Huntress, and the
budget, pick up the Iconic Chess Set activists from the Women’s Brick
It’ll cost you a king’s ransom, but for $65 and build your own board Initiative. Get the latest details on
the 2,481-piece medieval-themed and playing pieces. Lego conventions and other events
chess set is the ultimate Lego board on the Beyond the Brick podcast.
game. Released in 2008 for $200,
this build-it-yourself board with
the Crown King as king, the Crown There are 33 minifigures
Princess as queen and dwarfs as in the 17-pound Castle
Giant Chess set.

83
 Fun for Everyone

BrickCon
challenges
include speed
tests and
blindfolded
building.

AFOL HEAVEN
MEET YOUR FELLOW AFOLs (ADULT FAN OF LEGO)
AND GAZE UPON INSPIRED AMATEUR CREATIONS AS CONVENTIONS
RETURN FROM THE COVID PANDEMIC BLUES.

BRICKCON Seattle. One of the biggest gatherings of Pixar/Disney’s Lightyear, Angus

“Truly massive and fantastic.” That’s of Lego enthusiasts, the event unites MacLane, himself a longtime AFOL
how Douglas Hughes from the Lego homebuilders with the pros. Among who used Lego bricks to build
blog BrickNerd described the 2022 the participants at the October event models for some of the vehicles in
BrickCon, the convention specifically were most of the competitors in last the film. Along with exhibits and
for adult fan of Lego, or AFOLs, as season’s TV show Lego Masters, plus building competitions, BrickCon
they’re known, held each year in a keynote address by the director allows like-minded Lego fans to go a
little crazy after dark with late-night
Lego sessions in the basement of
the Maxwell Hotel where, according
BrickCon
2023 will to the blog Brick Architect’s Tom
be held Alphin, “a handful of tipsy Lego
in Seattle enthusiasts build a complicated Lego
from
Sept. 9-10.
set as fast as they can.”

BRICKFAIR
The East Coast’s leading convention,
BrickFair in Fredericksburg, Virginia,
invites fans of all ages to explore
vendor booths with collectibles,
comic books, movie memorabilia and BrickFair
antiques; watch Lego short films; attracts
Lego fans
participate in group Lego building of all ages.
projects; and gawk at the amazing
creations by homebuilders that
go beyond not only the Lego sets
but Lego’s own anti-combat-
theme policies. The U.S.
Naval Institute’s roving
reporter lauded an What’s
elaborate Battle of MOC?
Okinawa scene of My Own Creation:
Marines landing on Lego projects that
Hagushi beaches in are built with parts
1945, made out of from multiple Lego Con brought Lego sets. Among the highlights
70,000 Lego pieces Lego sets. banter and Lego play were sneak peeks at the first Lego
that took a year to make. from its trio of hosts— castle set in nearly a decade, the
British TV presenters 4,514-piece Lego Lion Knights’
BRICKWORLD Vick Hope and Melvin Castle, with a working drawbridge
Chicago hosts this event for AFOLs Odoom, and actor Joel McHale, who and a water wheel ($400), and new
and TFOLs (Teenage Fan of Lego) voices the Lego Dimensions video Star Wars-themed sets, including
with both a private convention for game. Actress Evanna Lynch—Luna the 1,022-piece The Justifier (bounty
the hardcore enthusiasts and an Lovegood from the Harry Potter hunter Cad Bane’s ship) for $170, and
open exhibition for the public to films—made an appearance, but the the 1,082-piece AT-TE Walker heavy
see everything from elaborate Lego big draw was the unveiling of new artillery unit for $140.
artwork to large ships and sprawling
cities. The private event in June 2022
featured roundtable discussions,
workshops, presentations and a
much-needed opportunity for AFOLs
Coming Up With Ideas
and TFOLs to mingle after a two- One of the groundbreaking some restrictions. They can’t
year break in the event due to the innovations embraced by Lego utilize new molds or be based
COVID pandemic. was the campaign to tap into on intellectual properties
the minds of the world’s Lego owned by Lego’s competitors
BRICK CONVENTION builders for ideas for new sets. or Lego licensed sets already
The traveling Brick Convention This is how the company came on the shelves such as Star
makes its first stop in Orlando, not up with the Central Perk set Wars or Harry Potter (sex, drugs
far from Legoland Florida Resort, from the TV show Friends and and World War II violence are
in March 2023. It will feature Lego the Home Alone movie set. also taboo). Otherwise, the
Masters, a gallery of Lego mosaics, Builders who want to offer competition is limited only
a marketplace with vintage and their ideas to Lego go to a by the builder’s imagination.
retired sets, and the usual array of website and submit a written Designers who get their ideas
impressive home-built model. The description and a sample Lego picked up receive a 1% royalty
event will donate part of the proceeds model. Projects are subject to on sales.
to charities helping children in need
during the holidays. The convention The Home
then travels to Minneapolis; Alone set
Memphis, Tennessee; West Warwick, has three
buildable
Rhode Island; Cleveland; Springfield, models.
Massachusetts; and Mobile, Alabama.

LEGO CON
An official Lego event that streamed
on YouTube in June 2022 from the
company base in Billund, Denmark,

85
 Fun for Everyone

DON’T THROW AWAY

THOSE LEGOS!
VINTAGE SETS AND LIMITED-EDITION RELEASES FETCH
THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS ON THE COLLECTORS’ MARKET.
HERE ARE SOME OF THE MOST COVETED ITEMS.

SPACE COMMAND
CENTER (1979)
Described by the millennial The almost
lifestyle blog The Teal
identical Movie
Mango as a “cult classic
U.S. set
had 189 Shout-Out
among Lego lovers,” this pieces. A slightly modified
extremely rare set came version of this set
from the design mind of appears in The
Lego legend Jens Nygaard Lego Movie.
TOWN PLAN SET (1962) Knudsen, who created the
That boy on the box is Kjeld Kirk minifigure. It’s the first set
Kristiansen, grandson of Lego founder, to include a creator base,
Ole Kirk Kristiansen, who would one a fixture that would become
day become a top Lego executive. But standard. With relatively
in this rare item, he’s just a kid having few made and virtually
fun playing with a Lego set that has a none left in new condition,
thick cardboard base imprinted with this 173-piece set includes
the town layout, bricks to make houses two red astronauts and two
and stores, and little plastic cars. white astronauts and a pair
ORIGINAL RETAIL PRICE $12.50 of space rovers.
VALUE $4,500 (based on condition) ORIGINAL RETAIL
PRICE $25
VALUE $10,000 (new
CASTLE (1978) and sealed)
Never released in the United States,
this 767-piece set known as the
Yellow Castle with 14 breast-plated MONORAIL AIRPORT
minifigures was available only in SHUTTLE (1990)
Canada, the U.K. and Australia. With a full crew of airport
ORIGINAL RETAIL PRICE $50 minifigure employees, including a
VALUE $9,700 (new and sealed) pilot, train conductor and baggage
porter, the 767-piece set whisks
The set included passengers to their gate on a red
accessories such
as helmets, shields train powered by a 9-volt battery
and swords. along an elevated track accessible
by a staircase. The ground-level
hamburger stand is so detailed
it contains tabs for ketchup and
mustard and plates with burgers.
ORIGINAL RETAIL PRICE $140
VALUE $5,200 (boxed and sealed)

86 • A N N I V E R SA RY S P OT L I G H T | LEGO
 He can be
distinguished
by the red on
It included Han his legs.
CLOUD CITY (2003) Solo in carbonite
Tied to the film Star Wars: and Boba Fett.
Episode V—The Empire Strikes
Back, the 698-piece set has
seven minifigures including
Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa,
Han Solo and Darth Vader.
ORIGINAL RETAIL PRICE $100
VALUE $8,500 (new and sealed) SAN DIEGO COMIC-
CON SPIDER-MAN (2013)
A raffle prize at the 2013 Comic-
HAN SOLO Con, this minifigure in a finely
INDIANA JONES rendered blue mesh suit is harder
TRANSFORMATION to spot than the real Spider-Man.
CHAMBER (2008) Han the To get top dollar, Spidey must
The set misspells Solo’s Destroyer be sealed in plastic in a package
name as Hans Solo, just Harrison Ford smashed bearing the words “Marvel Super
one reason this crossover a Lego Millennium Heroes,” the Lego logo, and the
set—originally given away Falcon on Conan age range 5+. Only 300 were
at the Lego 2008 Toy Fair in 2015. originally manufactured.
Collectors Party—is so ORIGINAL RETAIL PRICE Free
valuable. The other is VALUE $15,000 (new and sealed)
that only 100 were made.
The set places the two
characters, both played MINIFIGURES
by Harrison Ford, on a SERIES 10 SET (2013)
rotating platform to This minifigures set of 16 pieces
make it look like one featured a randomly placed Mr.
is transforming into Gold minifigure covered in gold
the other. chrome metallic paint (not real
ORIGINAL RETAIL gold) and Mr. Gold himself looks a
PRICE Free lot like a top-hatted Mr. Monopoly
VALUE $7,500 character. Taller than the regular
minifigure, Mr. Gold stands on
a black plastic display base and
The Han Solo
minifigure is unique holds a staff in his white-gloved
to this set. hand. Only 5,000 Mr. Gold figures
were made.
ORIGINAL RETAIL PRICE $3
VALUE $4,600
OLE KIRK’S HOUSE (2009)
Only 32 hand-numbered sets Beware of fakes!
The real minifigure
were created in this most special
even has gold on
of special editions, which were the soles of his feet.
given to participants of a 2009
Lego Inside Tour. The 910-piece
set replicates the Lego founder’s
childhood home and is virtually
impossible to find anywhere. But
buyers must beware: A similar
later version of the set was
A 2012 version was produced in larger numbers and
given to Lego staff fetches a mere $700.
for Christmas. ORIGINAL RETAIL PRICE Free
VALUE $10,700 (new and sealed)

87
 Fun for Everyone

BY THE
NUMBERS
BREAKING DOWN THE FACTS
AND FIGURES.

24
DIFFERENT WAYS
102,981,500
Possible combinations
TWO LEGO BRICKS that six Lego bricks can be
CAN BE JOINED. clicked together.

3 million
Number of Lego
pieces available in
the studio for builders
on TV’s Lego
Masters.

88 • A N N I V E R SA RY S P OT L I G H T | LEGO
 33
Total number of people
who build displays in
Legoland parks in the
United States.

1968YEAR THE FIRST LEGOLAND

OPENED IN BILLUND, DENMARK.
28
Years until the second
Legoland opened,
in 1996, in Windsor,
England.

700 million
Tires produced by Lego, with Guinness
World Records naming Lego the world’s
largest tire manufacturer, making far more
than Firestone, Bridgestone or Michelin.

89
 Fun for Everyone

36,000
Bricks produced
every minute in
Lego factories.

36
billion BRICKS PRODUCED
EVERY YEAR.

2,350
Different Lego elements,
4 billion
from bricks to plates to LEGO MINIFIGURES IN CIRCULATION. IN COMPARISON,
minifigure hats. THE POPULATION OF EARTH IS 8 BILLION.

90 • A N N I V E R SA RY S P OT L I G H T | LEGO
 15,080,330
Bricks you’d need
to recreate The Lego
Movie by hand.

40 billion
LEGOS YOU’D
NEED TO STACK
TO REACH
THE MOON.

11,695 PERCENT OF LEGOS SOLD DURING THE

Lego pieces in the largest set of
all time, the Lego Art World Map. NOVEMBER/DECEMBER HOLIDAY SEASON.

91
 Fun for Everyone

BRICKTIONARY
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT LEGO, FROM A TO Z.

In 1979, Ole’s son Godtfred Kirk

Kristiansen officially changed his
name to Christiansen but his son
Kjeld uses Kristiansen.

Dark Ages
A time in a Lego fan’s life when they
turn away from the bricks in favor
of other non-Lego interests before
returning to the fold.

“Everything Is
Awesome”
The catchy song from The Lego Movie
that was written sarcastically but
became an Oscar-nominated tune.

FFOL
An acronym for Female Fan of Lego.
Lego boxes initially said the sets were
for boys age 7 to 12. In the 1970s,
Lego wrote a letter to parents stating:
“A lot of boys like dolls houses. They’re

Fun Fact
Black, light bluish
gray, dark bluish gray
Automatic and white make up
Binding Bricks more than 50%
of Lego bricks
A precursor to Lego, these
produced.
construction bricks were made of a
different kind of plastic that didn’t
fit as snuggly as the material that
would later be used.
Christiansen
The Danish family behind the
Brick Lego dynasty. Founder Ole Kirk
The overall term used for any Lego Kristiansen’s name is spelled with
part, regardless of the shape, size a K on his birth certificate, but he
or color. used both the Ch or K spelling.

92 • A N N I V E R SA RY S P OT L I G H T | LEGO
 Advanced builders
tend to add
greebles in gray.

more human than spaceships. A lot of Lego has

girls prefer spaceships. They’re more released
125 Harry
exciting than dolls houses. The most Potter sets.
important thing is to put the right
material in their hands and let them
create whatever appeals to them.”

Greebles
Small technical details added
mostly to the surface of large builds
of space-related and mecha sets.

Harry Potter (two years ahead of the release of the

Kiddicraft
Along with Star Wars, it was the first first Harry Potter film), beginning a
licensing deal struck by Lego in 1999 phenomenally successful partnership. Self-Locking
Building Bricks
The line of British construction bricks
Super Mario
gave Lego Innovation that inspired Lego.
another popular According to the Lego company
licensing deal. history Brick by Brick, Lego serves
as a model for business innovation LURP
with its decentralized system for Short for Little Ugly Rock Piece, it’s
managing innovation. a prefabricated section of rock face.
Some fans prefer to build their own.

Big Ugly Rock

Jørgen Vig Pieces are
Knudstorp called BURPs.

The first non-family member to

lead Lego, Knudstorp succeeded
Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen and was
instrumental in turning the company
around financially during the early
2000s slump.

93
 Fun for Everyone

Think
About This
Four billion minifigures
have been made.
That’s twice the
population of
China.

Minifigure Ole Kirk non-ABS parts were made from sugar

The little Lego people first Christiansen cane and called Plants from Plants.
produced in 1978. Also known The Danish carpenter who founded
as a minifig. The Lego Group.
Quality Control
During manufacturing, Lego
Nanofigure Plants pieces undergo multiple rounds
Even smaller than a minifigure. In 2018, Lego announced that of quality control inspection,
Also known as nanofigs, they it wanted to move away from with only about 18 out of 1 million
sometimes don’t have a stud on plastic and into green materials. pieces getting rejected.
the head. The company currently makes its
pieces from acrylonitrile butadiene
They may be
small but these
styrene, or ABS, a petroleum-based
nanofigures are thermoplastic prized for its strength
superheroes. and rigidity that is not recyclable or
biodegradable. Lego’s first group of

Trees, leaves and

bushes made
from plants.

94 • A N N I V E R SA RY S P OT L I G H T | LEGO
 before switching to injectable plastic
after World War II.

X-Files
In 2019, a Lego fan named Brent
Waller suggested a set based on the
hit TV show to Lego Ideas. Two years
later, he reached the required 10,000
supporters for Lego to review his
X-Files: I Want to Believe submission
(which included minifigures of Mulder
and Scully along with other characters
such as the Lone Gunmen). In
October 2021, the board announced
that they “will not produce this project
as a set.” Hundreds of fans shared their
disappointment over the decision and
urged Waller to resubmit his project.

More than 400

million people have
played with Legos.
Yellow
The color of most minifigures, chosen
so that the figures are not identifiable
with any ethnicity.
Rainbow life violence, an ethos so deeply
Warrior ingrained that executives initially
Someone who builds using every balked at licensing Star Wars. A-Z of Awesome
color available. Creations that use The name of an ongoing campaign
different colors or pieces but still using Lego builds to celebrate
follow official instructions are called Wood inclusivity and embrace self-
a Garbage Build. The original material Ole Kirk expression among fans in the
Kristiansen used to build his toys LGBTQIA+ community.

Sigfig Lego is also

making
A minifigure that is made with features
donations to
that resemble the person who made it. LGBTQIA+
charities.

Tubes
The cylindrical parts inside of a Lego
brick that, together with the studs,
forms a bond that is both snug and
easily disassembled.

UCS
The Ultimate Collector Series of
advanced models is made for older,
more experienced builders.

Violence
Lego shuns any sets rooted in war,
combat and other forms of real-

95
Fun for Everyone

HOW WELL DO

YOU KNOW
LEGO?
PUT YOURSELF TO THE TEST WITH
THIS ULTIMATE QUIZ.

1 The first Legoland 5 Which country does

was in Billund, Denmark. not manufacture Lego:
Where was the second? A Mexico
A Carlsbad, California B Hungary
B Windsor, England C United States
C Malaysia
6 How many Lego bricks
2 Duplo bricks are are produced each year:
named after: A 36 billion
A Duplus, the Latin word B 112 billion
for “double.” C 330 billion
B Spanish coin doubloons
C A region in Denmark 7 The first toys created
by Lego’s founder were
3 Mindstorms kits are made of:
based on: A Rubber
A Robotics B Wood
B Hydraulics C Tin
C Economics
8 The mashup of the
4 ABS relates to: Danish phrase “leg godt,”
A Initials of Lego’s founder which inspired the name
B Braking system for Lego, translates as:
Lego cars A Toy god
C Chemical name for B Play well
Lego plastic C Small hands

9 Lego Day on
Jan. 28, 1958, marks:
A The birthdate of Lego’s founder
B The date of the first sale of
a Lego set
C The date of Lego’s patent filing
10 Lego is the world’s
largest manufacturer of:
A Tires
B Toy trucks
C Plastic palm trees 17 Season 1 Lego
Masters champions
11 Lego’s top toy Tyler and Amy Clites
competitor is: built a model featuring
A K’Nex this mythical beast:
B Mattel A Unicorn
C Hasbro B Push Me Pull You
C Griffin
12 Once-Kids makes
its Lego-compatible 18 MOC in Lego lingo
bricks out of: stands for:
A Ice A Made Of Cheese
B Glass B My Own Creation
C Wood C Manufactured in
Ontario, Canada
13 Which comic actor
performs on the song 19 BrickCon is:
“Everything Is Awesome”? A A convention for Lego fans
A Will Arnett B Short for “Brick Construction”
B Andy Samberg C A joking term for people who
C Jim Carrey steal Lego ideas

14 The Lego Batman Movie 20 The valuable collectible

enjoys this percentage minifigure Mr. Gold is
of “certified fresh” on covered in:
Rotten Tomatoes: A Real gold leaf
A 74% B Brass
B 83% C Metallic paint
C 90%

15 This character has the 16. a; 17. c; 18. b; 19. a; 20. c

most different minifigures: 11. b; 12. c; 13. b; 14. c; 15. a;
A Luke Skywalker 5. c; 6. a; 7. b; 8. b; 9. c; 10. a;
B Indiana Jones
Answers: 1. b; 2. a; 3. a; 4. c;

C Harry Potter

16 The most expensive

Lego set, the Star Wars
AT-AT set from 2021,
retails for:
A $850
B $1,000
C $1,112
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