2024 is another massive year for the LEGO company with a range of brand new partnerships resulting in brand new themes releasing throughout the year. We've already seen the likes of Animal Crossing and Dungeons & Dragons have their first LEGO models revealed, teased and will soon be released. But now we turn our attention to another brand new theme, the return of Minions in brick-built LEGO form...
That's right, to mark the release of the fourth Despicable Me film LEGO will be partnering with Illumination Entertainment once again. LEGO surprised a lot of people when they first partnered with Illumination back in 2020. This was to coincide with the release of Minions The Rise of Gru but COVID-19 impacted both the movie and subsequently the range of LEGO models.
However, Despicable Me 4 looks extremely unlikely to be delayed whatsoever as the latest animated blockbuster is set to hit cinemas at the beginning of July. LEGO though will be releasing four sets and a polybag based on the film starting on the 1st of May 2024. These sets will remain exclusive to LEGO and SMYTHS until the 1st of June 2024 when a wider, global release will take place.
The brand new LEGO Despicable Me 4 theme includes a polybag numbered 30678 and four generic playsets numbered 75580 to 75583. Avid LEGO fans will know these numbers were previously associated with another licensed LEGO theme: LEGO Avatar. However, with the next Avatar film reportedly coming in 2025, LEGO seems to be giving these set numbers to Despicable Me.
It's likely that LEGO may crisscross the set numbers between LEGO Despicable Me and LEGO Avatar each year depending on movie releases, popularity, sales, etc. Either way, it has been confirmed that all four set of 75580, 75581, 75582 and 75583 are Despicable Me 4 based LEGO models.
Even for a licensed theme, LEGO Despicable Me 4 looks to be on the expensive side. The cheapest of the four playsets is 75580 which includes only 136 pieces for $24.99 indicating a fairly lacklustre build, heavily influenced by bigger pieces and moulds. A more friendly price-per-piece ratio is 75581 which includes 379 pieces for a retail price of $39.99.
All four of these sets will be Minifigure based so it'll be interesting to see how LEGO spreads the main characters of Gru, Lucy, Margo, Edith and Agnes across these new for 2024 sets. Both 75580 and 75581 are the smaller sets of the wave so two to three Minifigures in each are expected. One of these will most likely be a Minion, but the other two should be one of these previously mentioned characters which will be exclusive.
Moving on to the two biggest sets of the wave of 75582 and 75583. Contrary to the other models in this wave, 75582 has an extraordinarily friendly price-per-piece ratio retailing for $54.99 with 839 pieces. This indicates a much more intricate and detailed build, possibly focusing on more of a display piece with fewer Minifigures.
And finally, we have 75583: saving the best until last. 75583 is the biggest set of the wave retailing for $99.99 with a total of 868 pieces and will reportedly be the place where the plan to steal the moon was first announced, Gru's House. The supervillain's house is iconically dark and black amongst a friendly neighbourhood of much brighter, white-coloured homes. Even his garden is dark and villainy!
75583 Gru's House will likely be similar to another iconic house which appeared in brick-built form early last year of 43217 Up House. Even though this LEGO Disney set retailed for a lot less at only $59.99, Gru's House will still be very similar.
The difference in the price will most likely be because Gru's house is naturally bigger, particularly from the front-on angle. LEGO may also have listened to fan complaints and included a much more expansive interior, stretching a few studs further back and including a lot more of the iconic rooms from all four Despicable Me films. Hopefully, the lab, the girls' room, the kitchen, the sitting room and much more is included for $99.99.
30678 *LEGO Despicable Me 4 Polybag*
Set Name - *LEGO Despicable Me 4 Polybag*
Set Number - 30678
Age Range - 6+
Piece Count - 48
Price - $4.99
Release Date - 1st May 2024
75580 *LEGO Despicable Me 4*
Set Name - *LEGO Despicable Me 4*
Set Number - 75580
Age Range - 6+
Piece Count - 136
Price - $24.99
Release Date - 1st May 2024
75581 *LEGO Despicable Me 4*
Set Name - *LEGO Despicable Me 4*
Set Number - 75581
Age Range - 7+
Piece Count - 379
Price - $39.99
Release Date - 1st May 2024
75582 *LEGO Despicable Me 4*
Set Name - *LEGO Despicable Me 4*
Set Number - 75582
Age Range - 9+
Piece Count - 839
Price - $54.99
Release Date - 1st May 2024
75583 Gru's House
Set Name - Gru's House
Set Number - 75583
Age Range - 8+
Piece Count - 868
Price - $99.99
Release Date - 1st May 2024
So that's all four LEGO Despicable Me 4 sets to kick off another brand new LEGO theme in 2024 but what do you think? Are you excited to be getting LEGO sets based on Despicable Me? What part of the movie would you like the three unknown sets to be based on? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
And if you want to read even more LEGO Despicable Me 4 speculation, have a look at this article over at Brick Release: https://brickrelease.com/latest-2024-lego-despicable-me-sets/
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