5 Upcoming Movies and TV Series We Want To See LEGO Sets For

21st September 2022

Willow

Willow was a 1988 fantasy film directed by Ron Howard and executively produced by George Lucas. For many, Willow isn't a household name, but the movie was by no means a flop, as it made a healthy profit at the box office. Willow also picked up two Academy Award nominations for sound and visual effects, which were pioneering for the time, but received two Golden Raspberry nominations for Worst Screenplay and Worst Supporting Actor.

34 years later, Disney is releasing a sequel TV series, which will premiere on November 30, 2022 on Disney+. The first trailer was teased at Star Wars Celebration back in May and featured sorcery, swashbuckling, trolls, and giant beasts, all set to the backdrop of an expansive and beautiful fantasy land.

There are similarities between Willow and the Lord of the Rings and there is some crossover in their respective fanbases. As it looks increasingly likely that we won't get any Rings of Power LEGO sets in the near future, if at all, LEGO fans with a love of fantasy will be hoping for some Willow sets to help fill that void. The chances of this happening look fairly good, as Willow is going to be distributed by Disney, with which LEGO has a fruitful partnership. Willow also has a connection to Star Wars, as both are produced by Lucasfilm Ltd., which may also help matters.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

The third adventure of the superhero team is due to come out on May 5, 2023 and it's likely to be the last instalment with the current crop of characters. We've already been treated to sets based on the first and second instalments, which were released in 2014 and 2017 alongside the movies. The past couple of years have also seen large models come out based on the iconic orange ship and Groot, as well as an advent calendar. LEGO are clearly keen on the Star Lord and his team and it appears their customer base is too. It looks likely then that sets based on the latest Guardians' movie will hit shelves in 2023.

Looking towards the trailer, which appeared at the 2022 San Diego Comic-Con, gives us clues as to what these might involve. Early on we get a shot of a huge ravager ship, which would make for an excellent large-scale set that would nicely juxtapose The Guardians' Ship (76193) set. Later on we see Drax attacking a gigantic monster, which could make for a good medium sized set. There are also new characters to get excited about that could result in some fantastic looking minifigures. These include Adam Warlock, Cosmo the Spacedog, High Evolutionary, and a full-sized Groot. The band of mercenaries are seen in new blue and red outfits matching their original comic appearance, which could also lead to new versions of their minifigures.

Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania

Ant-Man is another superhero who will get a third outing on the silver screen in 2023, with AntMan and The Wasp: Quantumania being scheduled for a February 2023 release.

To date, there have only been two LEGO sets sold to the general public based on Ant-Man, which is not surprising given that there has been less fanfare about his movies. Both of the first two movies proved popular amongst critics and superhero fans, so it's a shame we haven't seen more of Ant-Man in brick form. We would much rather have one less hashed out Spider-Man set in favour of something involving an underrated superhero. On the face of it the miniature proportions of Ant-Man and his adventures are ideally suited to LEGO, but the quantum world of the third film may pose challenges for set designers. We often see him in relatively vast worlds, with a shortage of vehicles and settings that could be captured in LEGO, which is maybe why he has only made a handful of appearances.

It's fairly likely we'll get at least one new Ant-Man set in 2023, but we'll be keeping our fingers crossed for a couple more.

Haunted Mansion

At the D23 Expo, it was revealed that Disney would be producing a film based on their Disneyland attraction The Haunted Mansion. The spooky ride, which has been welcoming visitors since 1969, is not the first attraction to inspire a feature length movie. The Pirates of the Caribbean franchise is based on an original Disneyland ride and is the most successful instance of such a conversion.

There is little information about the 2023 Haunted Mansion movie, but we do know that it involves Gabbie, a single mother, who seeks the services of a tour guide, a psychic, a priest, and a historian to help exorcise her newly bought mansion after she discovers ghosts are living in it.

LEGO has released many nice sets involving ghosts and haunted buildings, the most recent being the (10273) Haunted House. This set is believed to be retiring at the end of 2023, so if this movie is released towards the end of next year, it would be great timing for an associated set to act as a predecessor. As mentioned earlier, LEGO has a good partnership with Disney, so a Haunted Mansion set is a possibility.

Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is due to be released on March 3, 2023. It's a reboot of a movie franchise that has already seen a trilogy. Whereas the previous three films were all low budget affairs, this instalment is a blockbuster starring well-known actors, such as Chris Pine and Michelle Rodriguez.

The spectacular first trailer was released during the 2022 San Diego Comic-Con and it looks like it's going to be a light-hearted action-packed romp through the legendary role-playing world. There were plenty of amazing characters, settings, and monsters that would provide ample inspiration for associated LEGO sets. If this came to pass we could be treated to some extraordinary minifigures and models, many of which would test the skills of LEGO's designers.

The possibility of this coming true is less promising than other movies and series on this list, but is by no means impossible. Although Paramount Pictures are the distributor and lead production company, with whom LEGO have collaborated with before, Hasbro own the IP for the board game, which could put a spanner in the works.

Comments

Latest features