The End of Harry Potter LEGO?

legolander · January 2012

Am I the only one who's disappointed in LEGO's decision to cease production of Harry Potter sets? =(

I was hoping that this year's Toy Fair(s) would offer us new Harry Potter sets. But instead we'll get to see more of the same old themes (with the exception of some really good ones). I just can't understand why LEGO decided to put a stop on this magical theme. If they can keep on re-releasing and redesigning old Star Wars sets, why can't they do it with HP?

The only themes that I find interesting this year are LOTR and Superheroes. But as far as collecting LEGO sets is concerned, I think I'm done; especially now that Harry Potter is about to leave the store shelves. *sigh*

LostInTranslation · January 2012

Nope, you're not alone. There's still so much they could have done - Ministry of Magic, more of Hogwarts and Hogsmeade, Malfoy Manor, shell cottage, plus there are plenty of improvements that could be made on some of the earlier sets - Triwizard tournament, for example.
And damn it all, why couldn't we have had just ONE fig from each of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw?!?!

legolander · January 2012

I agree... There's still a LOT to modify or recreate in the HP universe. I was hoping for Malfoy Manor and Grimmauld Place sets as well as a second version of Privet Drive. I hope the people behind LEGO will reconsider this.

tamamahm · January 2012

Nope. You are definitely not the only one. I know a number of kids that are disappointed by this decision.
I have to agree, I would think that HP would have staying power. I did read an article once, though, that while HP does really well the first year it was out, it doesn't do so well the following year. I do not recall if that article was talking about the past release or this release. At the same time, I really was a bit disappointed with 2011's release, except Diagon Alley. I thought the sets from 2010 were far, far stronger. (again, I'm not counting DIagon Alley here). I think Lego shot themselves a bit in the foot, by not putting out better 2011 sets.

For me, I am particularly disappointed, because it was one of the few themes that Lego has that is great for either gender. Out of the 9 sets, 6 of them contained female minifigs!! Compared to almost any other line, that is an amazing number of sets.

I have not told my girls that the series is ending. I'll need to purchase the forest, but that is the only set we do not have.

Tammy

mr_benn · January 2012

It's surely not just Lego - I think that they can probably see how popular the HP licence is - but Warner Bros too who licenced it to Lego - why would they want promotional material on the shelves when there are no longer films ro promote? LOTR is filling the gap for Warner Bros now HP is gone!

andhe · January 2012

With the movies finished and DVDs being withdrawn (they're aiming to repackage and drip feed them back out into circulation over time to create demand) I'm guessing it just doesn't have the continuing appeal of over themes (licensed and non-licensed), such as Indiana Jones.

cheshirecat · January 2012

Harry Potter is finished, no new books, no new films. And whilst its true that Star Wars is in a similar situation I can see a few other differences (all of this is just my opinion of course!)

1) Star wars is better than Harry Potter ;)

2) The age range that Star Wars fits to is bigger than Harry Potter. I happily allow my kids to watch SW Ep IV-VI but i don't think I would want them watching Harry Potter. (They are 3 and 5 by the way and in fairness only started watching last week. So far we are up to 3x Empire Strikes Back and 2 x Return of the Jedi and about half way through Episode I.). From experience with my niece I can't see them being that interested in Harry Potter beyond about 14. She was madly into HP but now its all Twilight this, Twilight that.

3) As above, I think its easier for Harry Potter to be replaced as a fantasy/growing up genre than Star Wars which will always remain at the head of science fiction films.

4) Those that grew up with the original Star Wars trilogy are now in their 30's 40's with more money and children old enough to 'push' into lego (and with a ready made excuse to buy some!). Those that grew up with Harry Potter are presumably in their late teens, early twenties and not that interested in Lego.

5) Harry Potter still has to prove that its got the longevity that Star Wars has already proved.

6) Not meaning to reignite the 'Friends' debate, Harry Potter is (I get the feel anyway) more popular amongst girls. Star Wars is more popular amongst Boys. Like it or not Lego remains a predominately boy thing.

Vorpal · January 2012

I'm actually not that disappointed. In general I am happy when they stop producing licensed sets.

I just recently started paying attention to lego again after a loooooong hiatus since childhood. I walked into a lego store and was amazed at how much of their space was dedicated to licensed sets: literally half the store was star wars, pirates of the caribbean, harry potter, prince of persia, cars, toy story, etc.

With the exception of star wars, I really don't like the vast majority of most of these sets. Making lego sets of movies is a bad idea: the entire point of legos is the endless possibilities of the set: you are limited only by your imagination. But when you are just recreating one specific scene from a movie...well, that's what you can build and that's it. For example: the Aqua Vida set from POTC. What a terrible set!

What happened to the old awesome themes of Castle and Pirates? There were some terrific sets in there. (I actually think the new Kingdoms theme has/had some excellent sets - though a LOTR fan I am very ambivalent about it being replaced by LOTR licensed sets). I find most of the POP, POTC, etc, sets, beyond underwhelming. (Ostrich race? really?)

The other issue is the atrocious distribution of minifigs. When you make a series that follows a handful of specific actors through a movie -well guess what, they show up in every set. So now you have a jack sparrow in every single pirate set. You get a harry potter in every single HP set. Etc etc. When I was a kid we had amassed what seemed to us a rather impressive army of footsoldiers, guards, pirates, crewmen, etc, who could set the stage for a variety of sweeping conflicts.

When you have 30 copies of harry potter it's just not the same.

Star Wars gets a very small exception to this because Star Wars is, at this point, far more than just a movie. It's an entire universe whose story spans multiple generations. Also, it's very vehicle focused, which translates well to lego. Movies which are more about characters I don't think will translate as well. Especially LOTR I am worried about: there you have a central cast of NINE characters and many of the environments they travel through are sweeping outdoor scenes that you couldn't possibly recreate in LEGO.

That said, we'll see. If they release a Harry Potter Virtual Reality movie a decade down the road to appeal to a whole new generation of kids maybe we'll see a new line for HP.

davee123 · January 2012

Well, there's a reason that no new HP sets came out in 2006, 2008, and 2009-- they weren't selling all that well. It's not that they weren't selling at ALL, just not as well as other opportunities that LEGO has. If LEGO could wave a wand (ha!) and still make HP sets, it could be that it's still a money-making venture-- but LEGO has decided that its time and money is best spent elsewhere.

DaveE

legolander · January 2012

Thanks for sharing your insights guys! It's becoming clear to me now why the HP line is being discontinued. It's plainly all about business and they won't care whether fans would crave for more HP sets. The fact that the series has ended meant it was time for the merchandise to cease production and distribution. The buying power of the public no longer matters at this point (but it still should, in my opinion).

cheshirecat · January 2012

@legolander - no you miss the point entirely. The buying power of the public is entirely what matters - its just that Lego believes that not enough of the public are going to buy it. And of course its about business - it is a business. No sales, no income, no income no lego. And I think we'ld all agree that's a very bad idea.

monkey_roo · January 2012

For all that has been said i still have to say i am disapionted as @Lostintranslation said there are many locations and sets that could have been (should have been) made and many older sets that could do with an update.

princedraven · January 2012

^^^ TLG 'are' a business, they will always be looking to make the best profit it can.
They can only make more profit by selling more units, therefore if they are selling more units they are clearly doing what the public wants (even if its not what you or I want).
But, they can never keep everyone happy.

princedraven · January 2012

^^ Is there not an argument that this is LEGO, we can build what we want, so whats stopping us making Malfoy Manor, etc....
I suppose as this is a collector forum its just as much about having the collection, box, etc..

monkey_roo · January 2012

^ Totally agree my major MOC project right now (and for the next few years I suspect) is a scale Hogwarts Castle based on the Half Blood Prince schematics with Hogsmeade included. But as much as we can all build and create things there is still something nice/special about buying something official from Lego, after all their designers are full time professionals and often have access to pieces MOC'ers may not, even creating new elements to fit, plus their designs will invariably be different from anything a MOC might end up as.
But just because Lego no longer sell it doesn’t mean it will go away. I am sure HP MOC’s will continue to appear on the Web for years to come.

Amiko · January 2012

In my opinion, Harry Potter LEGO was never going to be able to match the Star Wars stuff in terms of longevity. Harry Potter has few army building opportunities for a start - the Dementors are about the only exception, compared to the mass of classic, prequel, Expanded Universe, clone wars etc armies available in star wars to keep people buying sets for minifigs. Also, with Potter, once you have a main character in figure form, casual and uniformed, you've done. It's harder to keep releasing new versions and the only option is to make sets with characters who are further and further away from the central three characters. When it comes to the buildings (which are gorgeous), perhaps these too are limited in some way... in Star Wars we're on another planet every five minutes, almost making each subset of Hoth, Space, Endor etc into a range in itself. With Potter, we have one world to play in - albeit a beautiful one - and I'm sure once casual buyers have got hold of the 'iconics' such as Hogwarts and the train, the temptation to buy more may recede.

As a buyer it's nice - I get to collect most of the characters and some great sets as momentos of the films, on a quite limited budget - and any additional treats can be MOCd quite easily using other ranges. However, this means for the seller, LEGO, they're not going to make as many sales out of me. Result: when the hype is over, the sets are over.

You never know though... it just takes a bit of nostalgic interest in a few years' time and LEGO could do some re-released tweaks.

It's a lovely line and I've only just got into it (bad timing eh ? lol) so it's a shame but I can see why it's had to happen. At least the last couple of years' goodies have been a great celebration of the series.

legolander · January 2012

@cheshirecat - What I meant was, despite the fact that there are avid fans of HP out there who are capable of buying the most expensive sets and those even willing to shell out some serious cash, it no longer mattered to the company. Even if some collectors would buy new sets, they (LEGO and WB) may find it pointless to carry on with the theme. The percentage of supplies would surpass that of the demands. So basically, they won't be earning much if they continued the HP line.

@monkey_roo - I agree. The first wave of HP sets were good but they weren't as detailed as those that were released from 2004 onwards.

Amiko · January 2012

@princedraven and @monkey_roo Yeah! The good thing is that the sets we do have provide the special pieces and minifigs to do more... Malfoy Manor is possible with some imagination and the right minifigs! Hurrah!

princedraven · January 2012

^^^ Amiko, think you hit the nail on the head.
I am no fanatic, but have seen all the films and love Lego, but once I had Hogwarts, Express and Diagon Alley I had little to no interest in the other sets.
You have all the main characters (some 3 times just from getting those 3 sets!), and the main key buildings and transport.

Matthew · January 2012

My thought on seeing this discussion was 'No, you're most certainly not!' I don't really feel there's much point me writing a long and detailed post here, as most of what there is to be said has been said. I did wonder briefly whether something through Cussoo might work? I know it's licensed, but if it was 10000 people asking for it back, and if they are still dealing with WB over LoTR, it might be a possibility...

and

1) Star wars is better than Harry Potter ;)

You want to be careful saying things like that in front of me, you might end up kicked off the site!

J/K :o)

Amiko · January 2012

@princedraven Aye! I've only got a few sets at the tail end of things and I still get a proper buzz looking at my minifigure lists... I've got pretty much everything that's available at a minimum layout. Compare that to my Star Wars Lego minifig collection - it's all over the place and I've spent far much more money on 'em. Still not got a Lando!!!

I'm aiming to do a 'Wizarding World', with Hogwarts, a train track, Diagon, maybe some Hogsmeade houses - it's a flippin pipe dream and will take me years if I ever crack on with it, but the stuff I've bought will be all I need to mix in with other sets. Bearing this in mind, perhaps LEGO will see Harry Potter stuff as a way to tempt people into buying additional ranges... trains, city, castles etc etc. By using Potter as a doorway into the wider world of LEGO, they could bring Harry back every five or six years in order to fuel general LEGO sales. It's certainly worked like that for me - although Potter's over, I have a wishlist as long as my arm now!

Steve_J_OM · January 2012

Disappointed, sure, but there has been an air of inevitability about it for a while now. Whatever about how well HP sells, you've got to think capacity too - both in terms of production and shelf space. TLG can only pursue a limited amount of avenues in terms of themes, and there is only a limited amount of space in retailers. It just makes more business sense to prioritise themes that are easier to cash in on: TDK Rises, The Avengers, and The Hobbit - the same reason why POTC is likely on hiatus, until a new film is released.

The only vague hope I have is that some day TLG might give us an anniversary HP set. I could see WB going down the avenue of 3D re-releases in theatres (HP is such a lucrative license I think something of the sort is inevitable).

richo · January 2012

My initial thought was no, but all good things come to an end, and the last thing you want is the line to go stale with a fourth iteration of the Hogwarts Castle and Hogwarts Express.

Yes there are lots of unexplored more obscure things they could do, but in reality it would just come back to the core scenes and iconic images that people associate with Harry Potter, therefore it would probably mean re-designs.

In this respect, I am now of the mind to say that this is probably for the best.

tamamahm · January 2012

Harry Potter is finished, no new books, no new films. And whilst its true that Star Wars is in a similar situation I can see a few other differences (all of this is just my opinion of course!)

1) Star wars is better than Harry Potter ;)

Haha!! I think there are many that would debate that. (This coming from a female that adored my Star Wars action figures [still have them] and Death Star Station.) The world of Harry Potter is amazingly rich, and in the end our family finds more appealing.

4) Those that grew up with the original Star Wars trilogy are now in their 30's 40's with more money and children old enough to 'push' into lego (and with a ready made excuse to buy some!). Those that grew up with Harry Potter are presumably in their late teens, early twenties and not that interested in Lego.

Yes. I very much agree with this, and I feel this is the issue. I've stated similarly this to people before. HP I believe has the staying power, but it needs more time. 20 years down the road, it will be as big of a deal as Star Wars.

6) Not meaning to reignite the 'Friends' debate, Harry Potter is (I get the feel anyway) more popular amongst girls. Star Wars is more popular amongst Boys. Like it or not Lego remains a predominately boy thing.

Part of the reason Lego has remained predominantly a boy thing is because of that. Lego needs sets like HP, just as it needs sets like Star Wars and Friends. It needs those amazing sets that cross both sides. I've known plenty of boys that have wanted HP sets, and sure Star Wars will be the bigger draw among boys, but HP has been just as big with many that I know. As a female, with girls and boys, I want the choice of these sorts of lines.

Obviously Lego does know that it has some sort of staying power for them to bring it back. They would not have if they didn't think it was profitable. It just goes back to that previous statement. Until they get those that grew up with Lego in their 30s/40s, it won't have the even power that Star Wars does.

dougts · January 2012

While I agree the potential is there, Harry Potter needs more than just time to reach a sustainable level of widespread popularity sufficient enough to support licensed product offerings on a continued basis.

Even Star Wars' mainstream popularity was rapidly declining in the mid to late 1990s. The kids who had grown up on it were now in their 20s and 30s and consumed with adult life. Kids born in the 1980s and early 1990s weren't gravitating en masse to old Star Wars movies. It took 2 years of prequel hype, 6 years of prequel movies, and since then the brilliant marketing ploy that has been Clone Wars to introduce whole new generations of kids to Star Wars. Without all that, SW LEGO wouldn't have happened, or certainly wouldn't have lasted, and neither would have the resurgence of SW product tie-ins across many other categories either.

Star Wars is chugging along because Lucas decided for him it it isn't about making good movies, it's about creating a continual and constant stream of new consumers year after year after year that will keep coming back for more Star Wars products. He's building a brand, like Disney, etc. And like Disney, the goal is always to sell product.

So, for Harry Potter to have some big huge similar resurgence 10 or 20 years down the road, having the childhood fanbase growing to adulthood alone isn't nearly enough. The franchise will also have to be renewed and reinvigorated through new books and/or movies.

doriansdad · January 2012

I am sorry to see the line go even though I was majorly disappointed by the last wave. Diagon Alley for me was the exception and I feel it is one of the best Lego sets ever made in any genre. I would have liked more sets from the earlier movies but in the end it comes down to what sells and with no new movies on the horizon there is simply nothing left to pedal. I would love more Indy sets as well but will have to wait for the next movie :(

PurpleLego · January 2012

I'm very disappointed. I was very much hoping for more Harry Potter and it does seem like a slap in the face not to have one student in Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw house.

omgitsrenzo · January 2012

I haven't even got all the new ones yet T_T

curse the meager wages of a Highschool musician/stage diver/ concert manager/mosh pit warrior

madforLEGO · January 2012

LEGO HP does better when movies are out bringing it to the public awareness. Otherwise I'd say LEGO would be better to release two lines, let them sell out... wait another few years, put them out and sell new sets again.
The issue is that aside from Hogwarts castle (not just the drawbridge or whatever the cheaper set is) there are not very many nice play sets (They never bought back Shrieking shack, which is a shame to be honest) and again the license does better when it is in the mainstream, like LoTR because of the Hobbit, etc....
Maybe if Rowling would make another Potter book or something...

BoiseState · February 2012

I'm guessing this has been discussed before, But is the HP line done for good? I'm guessing LOTR takes it's place?

And how long do you think Lego will keep Diagon Alley in stock?

Coolsplash · February 2012

HP line is slowly disappearing from the shelves so expected date of retirement is end of this year. Same case with Diagon Alley but since its now a must buy for any HP fan or collector, it should be purchased before prices rise.

BoiseState · February 2012

I just started collecting again and I missed the train.. Was hoping to see it in the store again without going the eBay route.

jadedanc · February 2012

Yeah same here! :(

Michelle

Supersympa · February 2012

@boisestate and @jadedanc
I got one spare of the 4841 if you want it, i am based in Europe.

rmarkworth · February 2012

I Berlin, you can still find the train in the ToysRUs or SpieleMax stores...
(or try amazon.de, it's not that expensive...)

jadedanc · February 2012

How much would it run for it and the shipping? I would have to wait till I get my Army bonus in April to get it. I don't get much pay serving in the Army lol but I REALLY want this one. As well as everyone's fantasy sets of the Modular bldgs and Carousel lol

Michelle

BoiseState · February 2012

It's the only HP set I haven't found yet in the last few months. I saw some around Christmas time, but I wasnt a diehard Lego fan like I've become 3 months later. My local store just stocked some Hogwart's Castle's, but that was it. I've bought a few older onces off of ebay, trying to collect all 50+ sets.

doriansdad · February 2012

HP line will be done by the end of this year, EXCEPT for Diagon Alley which will still be sold at Lego branded stores and [email protected] thru the end of 2013. When the next HP movie re-appears so will this line.

jtkauff · February 2012

When the next HP movie re-appears so will this line.

Next HP movie? Isn't the series finished with the 8 movies that have been made? Those covered the whole book series as far as I knew

LegoFanTexas · February 2012

^ Yes, I have heard nothing about another movie... Doesn't mean they won't try, but what would they base one on?

The other challenge is I think the original cast is more or less done with it, they have spent half their entire lives doing this, and probably want to move on. They sure don't need the money anymore. :)

Coyotelily · February 2012

I've just checked out argos ho have hogwarts express reduced, also still available at tru in the u.k

bixtrix77 · February 2012

Maybe they will re-release hp in cinemas in 3D like star wars are doing. Not for a few years though surely.
The only set I need now is the train. got diagon alley a couple of weeks back. Bagged myself an old final challenge on ebay two days ago too.

The_Brick_Builder · February 2012

Hopefully LEGO will release HP again next year. I'm too occupied by City to start collecting HP, but I would like a chance before prices explode!

BoiseState · February 2012

They didn't really do any Deathly Hallows sets.. Just the small forest pack with Narcissa Malfoy and maybe you could call the smaller Hogwart's castle with the broken bridge a Deathly Hallows set. After 2005 they kinda put HP on the back burner.

dawidos · February 2012

After much deliberation I eventually decided to sell my collection. To your happiness I have more than 100 sets including 5 sets HP for sale :
! 4708 HARRY POTTER - Hogwarts Express (2001)
4721 HARRY POTTER - Hogwarts Classrooms (2001)
4722 HARRY POTTER - Gryffindor house (2001)
4723 HARRY POTTER- Diagon Alley Shops (2001)
4731 HARRY POTTER - Dobby’s Release (2002)
If anyone is interested please contact with me. My e-mail address is : [email protected]

David
Edit 24/02/12 19:59 GMT by @Matthew - See below

richo · February 2012

^ perhaps needs to move to the marketplace.

Matthew · February 2012

^^ Please refrain for posting long off topic posts like that. I've removed all but the Harry Potter, the rest is still in your marketplace thread.

dawidos · February 2012

OK. Sorry

Venunder · February 2012

I think JK Rowling is reluctant to do any more Potter things for now.

She had quite a lot of control over the films so I think she got pretty much what she wanted from the producers and directors in light of that I cannot see her agreeing to directors cuts like Star Wars had, or a revamp into 3D.

Equally JK did not have any prequils in mind when the films were made.
Unlike Star Wars which started with Episode IV....

Maybe in five years time when the stars of the HP films have built their careers and agree to do any extra work that would be required??? JK may agree to do a 3D version???

Or maybe a 10 year anniversary edition???
Or even a 20 year Holographic version???

Lego may go on to re-release HP sets and may add the Hufflepuff and Griffindor things to the new HP lines. I would guess it will really be the fans who drive this forward???

BoiseState · February 2012

Yep.. Rowling has more control and isn't desperate to pump the Harry Potter brand. I think Harry Potter could have every bit the staying power of Star Wars, but I don't think Rowling will allow cartoon spin offs and what not.

Lego seemed to kinda give up on HP, taking off years at a time.

evileddie1313 · February 2012

Harry Potter and Star Wars are both fantastic franchises, but when considering 'building' these worlds and characters out of Lego bricks, it's much easier to build spaceships. Maybe that's why Star Wars is still chugging along... ;-)

The End of Harry Potter LEGO?

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