After 10 years of adventures together, the girls of Heartlake City went their separate ways as the LEGO® Friends theme received a redesign for 2023. This included the introduction of a gang of new Friends, which better reflected real life, with a more diverse cast of characters. Despite these new faces allowing kids to see themselves in the toys they play with, the new sets have concerned some people. In an effort to make even more people feel included, today the LEGO Group has announced a spin-off of LEGO Friends simply called Old Friends. The new sub-theme is similar to the NINJAGO Legacy so sets will run alongside the new releases but focus on the original Friends characters. However, there’s been a time jump and the sets are based some 70+ years in the future.
New sets will be appropriate for the time and see Andrea, Mia, Emma, Olivia and Stephanie take on new activities enjoyed by senior folk. Although this announcement is too early for images of sets to be included, every set will include a new character called Mr Jenkins. This old-timer has seen many different events take place in Heartlake City, his inclusion is also hoped to appeal to those concerned about the new direction the LEGO Friends theme has taken. Senior LEGO Friends Designer Fjols Dag said “At the LEGO Group we strive to appeal to every LEGO fan even those who have never opened a LEGO set, may never hear of LEGO Friends until recently and are clearly not the target audience” they added “by reintroducing the original line-up of characters, it’s hoped we can address concerns of reflecting the difference many kids and adults have in the toys they interact with”
It’s said the new sets will take inspiration from classic TV series such as the Golden Girls and will see the classic Friends characters get into all sorts of mischief including hosting a late-night party in the Heartlake City Retirement Home, Mobility Scooter Racing and visiting the local yarn shop. The new LEGO Old Friends range is set to launch later this year. Until then you can enjoy the new LEGO Friends sets, which are available now.
31st December 2023
Can you creat a character, just like autumn but with a leg difference instead. I don’t have a leg difference but some people do. If you make someone with that, some people won’t feel alone.