Lego Star
The Lucasfilm Ltd. Star Wars saga of fantasy adventure movies and the Lego Star Wars series of kits and minifigures seem to be a match made in galactic heaven. And it's a match that is expected to last until at least 2011. Or longer, perhaps.
The first Lego Star Wars themed kit, model #7410, was released in 1999 and featured the X-wing fighter. The kits that followed closely in the X-wing's fantasy-fueled wake were all based on the original three movies and all released in 1999, coinciding quite nicely with the release of the movie, The Phantom Menace.
The next line of Lego Star Wars sets were based on the prequel trilogy, which are technically Episodes I, II, and III. The grand opening of each movie in the series was accompanied by a similar release from Lego. The newly released Lego Star Wars sets corresponded closely with scenes, ships, and characters from the new films but were supplemented by additional Lego kits based on the older movies, too.
The original Lego Star Wars licensing agreement with Lucasfilm started in 1999 and was set to expire in 2007. Lego and Star Wars fans loved the series so much, however, the original licensing agreement was extended until 2011.
The traditional Lego Star Wars interlocking playing pieces sets are so popular that the line has even been expanded. It now includes three video game releases that were developed by Traveller's Tales, an award-winning British software developer that specializes in video and computerized games. One new video game per year was released in 2005, 2006, and 2007.
Some of the most avid collectors in the world of collecting collect Star Wars movie memorabilia. Other seriously avid collectors collect Lego products. It's little wonder that the entire line of Lego Star Wars products are collectors items, with many a parent buying two kits instead of just one. That way, they'll have one for the kids to enjoy playing with and one, kept in pristine condition, to add to the collection.
To fuel the collecting frenzy, the Lego Star Wars series includes a few Ultimate Collector Series kits that make excellent brickfilming locations. These sets, designed for collection and not for play, are of much higher quality, and higher price tags, than the standard Lego Star Wars kits and they are best as display pieces. Or film sets.
The ultimate Ultimate Collector Series Lego Star Wars set? The Millennium Falcon, released on October 1, 2007, of course. Consisting of 5,195 pieces, it is the largest kit, of any theme, that the Lego Group has ever released.
