One LEGO The Nightmare Before Christmas piece came from an unexpected set
A unique element from an existing LEGO Ideas set enabled the 21351 The Nightmare Before Christmas team to fully complete the upcoming model.
The LEGO Group this week officially revealed 21351 The Nightmare Before Christmas, a 2,193-piece set priced at £169.99 / $199.99 / €199.99. The LEGO Ideas model will be available for Insiders to pick up from September 3, with a wider launch for everyone else from September 6.
Based on Tim Burton’s 1993 stop-motion animated classic and fan designer Simon Scott’s winning submission, 21351 The Nightmare Before Christmas includes a unique new yellow moon element that was in fact inspired by a material created for an existing LEGO Ideas model.
In a recent roundtable interview with the 21351 The Nightmare Before Christmas design team, Brick Fanatics was told how the development of 21345 Polaroid OneStep SX-70 Camera led to some clever problem solving with the upcoming spooky set.
“Simon’s original submission had a moon,” explained LEGO Ideas creative lead, Jordan David Scott, “but it was the background image. Spiral Hill is so iconic with the moon [behind it], so I think pretty early on, we were like, we need to include the moon somehow. How do we do it? We did explore brick built solutions, but it becomes so chunky, as you want that perfect round circle that structurally would have meant more bricks on the back that you’re not really going to see because we have to support it.”
Fortunately, a ready-made solution already existed thanks to the matte polypropylene plastic material that was developed for 21345 Polaroid OneStep SX-70 Camera’s three photographs.
“We’d recently done the Polaroid Camera, so we [thought], ‘why don’t we look at that as the material?’ It’s not like the thin foils for NINJAGO wings and things. It’s quite a thick, good quality foil. Then we get this beautiful, vibrant colour that’s just a perfect circle. So it was quite a nice, simple solution, and we just worked with our textiles department to get [the moon] looking like it does.”
21351 The Nightmare Before Christmas will be released for Insiders members from September 3, for £169.99 / $199.99 / €199.99, while everyone else will be able to get their hands on the LEGO Ideas set from September 6.
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- From video game journalism to kids’ publishing, I’ve been there, seen it, done it and worn the T-shirt. I was also the editor of the first-ever official LEGO magazine way back when, LEGO Adventures. I have a passion for movies, comic books, tech and video games, with a wallet that’s struggling to keep up with my LEGO set wish list.
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