“Lego® Group, Warner Bros. Unveil New Harry Potter™ Range of Sets”

Lego System A/S (doing business as The LEGO® Group) and Warner Brothers Consumer Products announced on Monday, April 27, A.D. 2020 that a new range of LEGO® Harry Potter™ Wizarding World playsets would be released on Saturday, August 1, A.D. 2020.[1] The LEGO Group has previously had a licensed LEGO® Harry Potter™ theme three times. The first time was from 2001 to 2007, the second time was from 2010 to 2012, and the third time began in 2018. [I previously profiled LEGO® Harry Potter sets that depicted Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in “Other Lego Castles.”] Marcos Bessa, LEGO® Harry Potter™ Design Lead, commented, “Each year we get the chance to recreate some of the most action-packed and exciting settings from the films. We hope these new products inspire young builders around the world to believe anything is possible as they act out their own adventures in the Wizarding World.”

LEGO® Harry Potter™ Wizarding World Playsets

Set Name and Number	Number of Pieces	Measurements	Minifigures™ Included	Recommended Age Range	List Price
LEGO® Harry Potter™ Hogwarts™ Room of Requirement (75966)	193 pieces	Model measures over 2” (7cm) high, 7” (19cm) long, and 2” (6cm)	Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Luna Lovegood	7+	€19.99 (E.U.) $19.99 (U.S.A.)
LEGO® Harry Potter™ Forbidden Forest: Umbridge’s Encounter (75967)	253 pieces	Tree measures over 4” (12cm) high and Grawp stands over 5” (13cm) high	Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Dolores Umbridge	8+	€29.99 (E.U.) $29.99 (U.S.A.)
LEGO® Harry Potter™ Hogwarts™ Astronomy Tower (75969)	971 pieces	Model measures over 15” (40cm) high, 11” (29cm) wide and 6” (17cm) deep	Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Horace Slughorn, Luna Lovegood, Neville Longbottom, Ron Weasley, Lavender Brown, and Draco Malfoy	9+	€99.99 (E.U.) $99.99 (U.S.A.)
LEGO® Harry Potter™ 4 Privet Drive (75968)	797 pieces	House measures over 6” (17cm) high, 6” (16cm) wide and 4” (12cm) deep Car measures over 4” (12cm) long	Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Dudley Dursley, Vernon Dursley, Petunia Dursley, and Dobby	8+	€69.99 (E.U.) $69.99 (U.S.A.)
LEGO® Harry Potter™ Hedwig™ (75979)	630 pieces	Mechanical Hedwig™ measures over 7” (20cm) beak-to-tail and has a wingspan of 13” (34cm)	N/A	10+	€39.99 (E.U.) $39.99 (U.S.A.)
LEGO® Harry Potter™ Attack on The Burrow (75980)	1,047 pieces	Weasley family house measures over 13” (34cm) high, 8” (22cm) wide, and 7” (18cm) deep	Ron, Ginny, Arthur and Molly Weasley; Nymphadora Tonks; Bellatrix Lestrange; Fenrir Greyback; and Harry Potter	9+	€99.99 (E.U.) $99.99

In the U.S.A., one playset will be sold exclusively at Barnes & Noble and another will be sold exclusively at Target. LEGO® Harry Potter™ Hedwig™ (Item #75979) will be sold exclusively at Barnes & Noble and LEGO® Harry Potter™ Attack on the Burrow (Item #75980) will be sold exclusively at Target.

Figure 1 Credit: The LEGO® Group Caption: LEGO® Harry Potter™ Hogwarts™ Room of Requirement (Item #75966) is a 193-piece playset for children seven-and-over. The model measures over 2” (7cm) high, 7” (19cm) long, and 2” (6cm) deep. The composite sections of the playset can be attached in multiple configurations.

Figure 2 Credit: The LEGO® Group Caption: This is a “lifestyle” photo of a young girl playing with the playset LEGO® Harry Potter™ Hogwarts™ Room of Requirement (Item #75966). The playset comes with three Minifigures™: Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Luna Lovegood. The list price is $19.99 in the United States of America (U.S.A.) or €19.99 in the European Union (E.U.).

Figure 3 Credit: The LEGO® Group Caption: With the set LEGO® Harry Potter™ Hogwarts™ Room of Requirement (Item #75966), Harry Potter fans can slide a panel to reveal the hidden entrance to the Room of Requirement where Harry Potter secretly imparts knowledge to Hermione Granger and Luna Lovegood because Dolores Umbridge is not teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts lessons, as she should be, as seen in *Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix* (2007).

Figure 4 Credit: The LEGO® Group Caption: The 253-piece LEGO® Harry Potter™ Forbidden Forest: Umbridge’s Encounter (Item #75967) is meant for children eight-and-over. The list price is $29.99 in the U.S.A. or €29.99 in the E.U. In the novel and film *Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix*, Dolores Umbridge, Senior Undersecretary to the Minister of Magic, imposes herself on Hogwarts as Professor of Defence Against the Dark Arts, and then refuses to teach the students how to defend themselves, while also persecuting Harry Potter for telling the truth, that Lord Voldemort is back.

Figure 5 Credit: The LEGO® Group Caption: This is a “lifestyle” photo of a young boy playing with the playset LEGO® Harry Potter™ Forbidden Forest: Umbridge’s Encounter (Item #75967). The tree representing the Forbidden Forest measures over 4” (12cm) high and the giant Grawp stands over 5”(13cm) tall. The playset comes with three Minifigures™: Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and “Professor” Dolores Umbridge.

Figure 6 Credit: The LEGO® Group Caption: With the playset, LEGO® Harry Potter™ Forbidden Forest: Umbridge’s Encounter (Item #75967), children can re-enact the scene from *Harry Potter and the* *Order of the Phoenix* (2007) where Harry Potter and Hermione Granger trick “Professor” Dolores Umbridge into entering the Forbidden Forest, where the giant Grawp (Rubeus Hagrid’s younger half-brother) and two centaurs confront her.

Figure 7 Credit: The LEGO® Group Caption: The 971-piece playset LEGO® Harry Potter™ Hogwarts™ Astronomy Tower (Item #75969) is meant for children nine-and-over. The model measures over 15” (40cm) high, 11” (29cm) wide, and 6” (17cm) deep. It connects seamlessly with LEGO® Hogwarts™ sets 75953, 75954, and 75948.

Figure 8 Credit: The LEGO® Group Caption: The playset LEGO® Harry Potter™ Hogwarts™ Astronomy Tower (Item #75969) includes Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Horace Slughorn, Luna Lovegood, Neville Longbottom, Ron Weasley, Lavender Brown, and Draco Malfoy. The list price is $99.99 in the U.S.A. or €99.99 in the E.U.

Figure 9 Credit: The LEGO® Group Caption: With the playset LEGO® Harry Potter™ Hogwarts™ Astronomy Tower (Item #75969), children can visit Potions Master Horce Sluhorn’s classroom and office, check out the magical mandrake in the greenhouse, explore the Ravenclaw dorm, and use astronomy equipment.

Figure 10 Credit: The LEGO® Group Caption: The 797-piece playset LEGO® Harry Potter™ 4 Privet Drive (Item #75968) is meant for children eight-and-over. The Dursley family home measures over 6” (17cm) high, 6” (16cm) wide, and 4” (12cm) deep. Arthur Weasley’s magically modified Ford Anglia measures over 4” long. In the novel and film *Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets*, Ron Weasley borrows his father’s car to liberate Harry Potter.

Figure 11 Credit: The LEGO® Group Caption: This is a “lifestyle” photo of two young children play with the playset LEGO® Harry Potter™ 4 Privet Drive (Item #75968) It has a list price of $69.99 in the U.S.A. or €69.99 in the E.U.

Figure 12 Credit: The LEGO® Group Caption: The playset LEGO® Harry Potter™ 4 Privet Drive (Item #75968) includes the Dursley family home, Mr. Weasley’s magically modified Ford Anglia, and six Minifigures: Harry Potter, Ron Weasley (Harry’s best friend), Dudley Dursley (Harry’s 1^st cousin), Vernon Dursley (Harry’s uncle by marriage), Petunia Dursley (Harry’s maternal aunt), and Dobby (the elf). It also has two owl figures.

Figure 13 Credit: The LEGO® Group Caption: The 630-piece playset LEGO® Harry Potter™ Hedwig™ (Item #75979) is meant for children ten-and-over. The list price is $39.99 in the U.S.A. or €39.99 in the E.U. In the U.S.A., it will be sold exclusively at Barnes & Noble.

Figure 14 Credit: The LEGO® Group Caption: This is a “lifestyle” photo of a child playing with the playset LEGO® Harry Potter™ Hedwig™ (Item #75979).

Figure 15 Credit: The LEGO® Group Caption: The playset LEGO® Harry Potter™ Hedwig™ (Item #75979) consists of a mechanical model of Hedwig on a display stand, a Harry Potter Minifigure™ and a Hedwig figure. The mechanical model has a wingspan of over 13” (34cm) and measures over 7” (20cm) from beak-to-tail.

Figure 16 Credit: The LEGO® Group Caption: The 1,047-piece playset LEGO® Harry Potter™ Attack on The Burrow (Item #75980) is meant for children nine-and-over. This model of The Burrow, as the Weasley family home is known, measures over 13” (34cm) high, 8” (22cm) wide, and 7” (18cm) deep. The list price is $99.99 in the U.S.A. or €99.99 in the E.U. In the U.S.A., this set will be sold exclusively at Target.

Figure 17 Credit: The LEGO® Group Caption: This is a “lifestyle” photo of two young children playing with the playset LEGO® Harry Potter™ Attack on The Burrow (Item #75980). With it, kids can re-enact the attack by Death Eaters on The Burrow, as the Weasley family home is known, in *Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows – Part 1* (2010).

Figure 18 Credit: The LEGO® Group Caption: The playset LEGO® Harry Potter™ Attack on The Burrow (Item #75980) includes a model of The Burrow and eight Minifigures™: Harry Potter, Ron Weasley (Harry’s roommate and best friend), Ginny Weasley (Harry’s future wife), Arthur & Molly Weasley (Ron and Ginny’s parents), Nymphadora Tonks, and Death Eaters Bellatrix Lestrange and Fenrir Greyback.

J.K. Rowling’s wrote seven best-selling Harry Potter fantasy novels: Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (called Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone in the U.S.A.), published in 1997; Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, published in 1998; Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, published in 1999; Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, published in 2000; Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, published in 2003; Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, published in 2005; and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows, published in 2007. Warner Bros. Pictures adapted them as eight films: Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, called Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone in the U.S.A. (2001); Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002); Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004); Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005); Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007); Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009); and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows – Part 1(2010); and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows – Part 2(2011). J.K. Rowling also authorized a stage play adaptation sequel to the novels, which proved controversial. Warner Bros. has released two out of a planned series of five prequel films that are set in the early 20^th Century (specifically the interwar years) decades before the Harry Potter films: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016) and Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018). Those films have their fans but are not universally beloved like the Harry Potter films, to put it mildly. Warner Bros. is using the “Wizarding World” banner for both series of films set in the world of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter novels. Universal Parks & Resorts, the theme park arm of NBCUniversal, which is now owned by Comcast, has developed licensed theme attractions under the banner “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter” inspired by J.K. Rowling’s books and the Warner Bros. films. In a press release, The LEGO® Group and Warner Bros. Consumer Products stated, “People of all ages have been enthralled by these extraordinary adventures, set within an expanding universe, inspired by the vision of J.K. Rowling.”

According to Warner Bros. Consumer Products and The LEGO® Group, “For today’s growing worldwide fan community, and for generations to come, the Wizarding World welcomes everyone to explore more of this magical universe – past, present and future. The Wizarding World also provides fans with an instant, trusted kite-mark of quality and authenticity.”

Warner Bros. Consumer Products (W.B.C.P.) is a WarnerMedia Company. In 1989, Time, Inc., publishers of Time, Life, People, Sports Illustrated, and other magazines, outbid Gulf + Western (the a conglomerate that was then the parent company of Paramount Pictures) to acquire Warner Communications, which was the parent company of the Warner Bros. movie studio, Dimension Pictures (not to be confused with Dimension Films), the Warner Music Group, Warner Books, D.C. Comics, and Mad magazine. Turner Broadcasting, a media conglomerate founded by Ted Turner that included the T.B.S. super-station and cable channel, the cable channels C.N.N., T.N.T., Turner Classic Movies (T.C.M.), Cartoon Network, Hanna-Barbera Productions, and New Line Studios, merged with Time Warner in 1996. In 2000, America Online (A.O.L.) announced it would purchase Time Warner, though it was more of a merger. AT&T proposed the acquisition of Time Warner in 2016, and the acquisition took place in 2018 (after the U.S. Government approved it). Before AT&T’s acquisition of Time Warner, the media conglomerate had spun-off or sold off its magazine-publishing house (Time. Inc.); TW Telecom; AOL: Time Warner Cable; Warner Books; and the Warner Music Group. [For example, Time Warner sold Warner Books to the Hachette Book Group,[2] which renamed Warner Books Grand Central Publishing.] WarnerMedia, L.L.C. is now a division of AT&T, which re-organized Time Warner assets and integrated some its own assets under the WarnerMedia umbrella. WarnerMedia is now the parent company of Warner Bros.; Warner Media Entertainment (which covers the entertainment channels of Turner Broadcasting, such as T.B.S. and T.N.T.; H.B.O., Otter Media, Cinemax, and the HBO Max streaming service); and WarnerMedia News & Sports (which includes the news and media networks of Turner Broadcasting, such as C.N.N., and AT&T Sports). Under the umbrella of Warner Bros., one finds film, television, and animation studios; D.C. Comics; NewLine Cinema; the Cartoon Network; and T.C.M.); as well as a 50% ownership stake in the CW network, the other co-owner being ViacomCBS.

According to W.B.C.P. and The LEGO® Group, “Warner Bros. Consumer Products (WBCP), a WarnerMedia Company, extends the Studio’s powerful portfolio of entertainment brands and franchises into the lives of fans around the world. WBCP partners with best-in-class licensees globally on an award-winning range of toys, fashion, home décor, and publishing inspired by franchises and properties such as DC, Wizarding World, Looney Tunes, Hanna-Barbera, HBO, Cartoon Network and Adult Swim. The division’s successful global themed entertainment business includes groundbreaking experiences such as The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi. With innovative global licensing and merchandising programs, retail initiatives, promotional partnerships and themed experiences, WBCP is one of the leading licensing and retail merchandising organizations in the world.”

In 2020, The LEGO® Group is also releasing Wizarding World Series 2 (Set #71028) in the Collectible Minifigures™ theme. The visual dictionary LEGO® Harry Potter Magical Treasury: A Visual Guide to the Wizarding World, published by DK, will be released on Tuesday, July 7, A.D. 2020 and it will come with a Tom Riddle Exclusive Minifigure™.

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ENDNOTES

[1] Wizarding World and all related trademarks, characters, names, and indicia are copyrighted and trademarked by Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc. Publishing Rights are copyrighted by JKR (s20).

[2] The Hachette Book Group is owned by the French publishing house Hachette Livre. It, in turn, is owned by the Lagardère Group, a French multimedia, retail, marketing, sports and talent management, and live entertainment management company.