LEGO Lord of the Rings set heads to the Shire in new 2,017 piece set

To paraphrase the wise wizard Gandalf, “All you have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to you.” And I have definitely decided that I’m going to spend the time given to me to head to the LEGO store and pick up the brick-building brand’s new LEGO The Lord of the Rings set, themed around the eternally-cosy Shire.

Launching on April 5th, the set is a diorama build, showing off some of the key landmarks of Hobbiton, as seen in Peter Jackson’s movie trilogy.

There’s Bilbo’s hobbit hole, complete with round green door and welcoming interior, Gandalf’s horse and cart, and Bilbo’s party pavilion.

Interactive elements include a transforming burning letter that can turn into the ill-fated One Ring, a disappearing Bilbo trick, and Gandalf’s eye-popping dragon fireworks.

Nine minifigs are included too, letting you populate the green getaway - Bilbo Baggins, Frodo, Mrs. Proudfoot, Farmer Proudfoot, Merry, Pippin, Rosie Cotton, Samwise Gamgee, and Gandalf the Grey. Merry and Pippin even come with interchangeable heads, so you can recreate their shock at the fireworks party.

A guest appearance from a Shire star

"Not all those who wander are lost... especially when travelling through the astonishing detail of the Shire made out of LEGO bricks!” said Samwise Gamgee himself, Sean Astin, who partnered with LEGO to make a mini-film discussing the details of the set.

“From the smallest hobbit-hole to the grandest fireworks, building this set brought back so many fond memories of Middle-earth. Now fans can journey there themselves and build their own adventures."

The set is made up of 2,017 pieces — so plenty to work on while you do a 100th rewatch of the extended edition trilogy movies — and will set you back £229.99 when it goes on sale. LEGO Insiders can pick up the set a little earlier on April 2nd, and Insiders who grab the set before April 8th either in LEGO Stores or via LEGO.com will get the Sméagol & Déagol minibuild as a nice freebie.

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