A surprising new LEGO Star Wars-themed set has been revealed, one that ties into an unexpected project from the era of the Sequel Trilogy.
The Galaxy Far, Far Away has long held an association with LEGO. In fact, Star Wars was one of the first licensed brands explored by the Denmark-based toy company.
Over the past decades, LEGO produced many Star Wars sets, ranging from gigantic to tiny, and covering all sorts of eras for the beloved spacefaring franchise.
Of course, when Disney and Lucasfilm got around to making the Sequel Trilogy, merchandise based on those films (and particularly The Force Awakens) got a sizable push in toy departments, and LEGO became no exception to making a Death Star-sized marketing effort.
A New Sequel-Era LEGO To Ring in the Holidays
Recently, LEGO showed off a new Star Wars set based on the characters and setting of the Sequel Trilogy. More specifically, the offering takes cues from The LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special, which was added to Disney+ in 2020.
The model, which is now up for preorder for a Fall 2023 release, marks the first Star Wars Sequel Tilogy-era product to be made by LEGO since the Resistance X-Wing from March of 2021.
The set in question is titled 40658 Millennium Falcon Holiday Diorama. Given that it’s the first Sequel-based set in more than two years, this could be seen as something of surprising inclusion, but when one takes into account that it’s themed around the upcoming Holiday season, it does make a bit more sense.
This diorama of the Falcon’s main hold includes Minifigures of Chewie, a Porg, BB-8, Rey, and Finn (the latter two complete with ugly Life Day sweaters), some winter-themed decorations, and even a hearty holiday meal.
The model also features a lightsaber storage compartment and the sacred Jedi texts as seen in The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker.
For reference, the 2021 Resistance X-Wing set can be seen below, it features Poe Dameron and BB-8:
LEGO’s official product description indicated that the Millennium Falcon Holiday Diorama will only be available for a limited window.
“Let young fans relive the Christmas party from the LEGO® Star Wars: Holiday Special with this Millennium Falcon Holiday Diorama. A great gift idea for ages 8 and up, it features an instantly recognizable brick-built version of the lounge area and sleeping quarters inside the iconic Millennium Falcon. A buildable Christmas tree, string of colorful Christmas light elements, mistletoe and a plate of turkey and carrot elements on the table recreate the festive atmosphere. Build, play and mix The set also features 5 LEGO Star Wars™ characters, including new-for-October-2023 Rey and Finn LEGO minifigures in holiday sweaters, plus accessories such as Rey’s Jedi book, to bring the scene to life. For even more creative play possibilities, add the builds and characters found in the 2023 LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar (75366). Limited availability. Please note that this hot LEGO Star Wars building toy is only available to buy from 1 October to 31 December 2023.”
The model is built from 282 pieces and is priced at $29.99 USD.
Sequel Trilogy Merch Has Never Been Overly Popular
Now, even given the runaway success of Episode VII - The Force Awakens, toys and merchandise based on the Disney-produced Sequel movies have historically never moved well. And as the subsequent installments were subject to diminishing returns, sales fell even further.
Hasbro orchestrated a huge marketing blitz for all three films, and yet, products from Episodes VII-IX still linger on store shelves in some places, years after the movies have come and gone from theaters (Looking at you, Black Series Constable Zuvio.)
So, it makes sense that LEGO would shy away from developing new items from the films if they would have difficulty selling based on the available data.
The LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special, though, was well-enjoyed by critics and fans, and with November/December being the mother of all periods in which toys are purchased, perhaps LEGO is onto something.
Putting out a model with limited availability that ties into not only the streaming special but the holiday season in general could prove to be a wise move.
