LEGO News & Releases
A Record-Setting Reveal: The $1,000 UCS Death Star
LEGO officially unveiled the Ultimate Collector Series Death Star (set 75419) during this week, it’s now LEGO’s most expensive-ever release, with a retail price of $999.99 (or €999.99 / £899.99) and containing a whopping 9,023 pieces along with 38 mini-figures.
This monumental build is designed as a vertical cross-section diorama of the Death Star, showcasing iconic scenes like the trash compactor, Emperor’s throne room, detention block, hangar bay with Imperial Shuttle, and a comical “stormtrooper in a hot tub” easter egg.
Availability kicks off October 1 for LEGO Insiders, and the general public can buy it starting October 4. Early buyers may receive a TIE Fighter gift set, plus LEGO Insiders can redeem rewards and potentially enter to win exclusive merchandise.
What We Think
Personally? I LOVE this set, the level of detail and presentation make it a breathtaking display piece, and the nostalgia factor absolutely hits home. While it’s sparked debate among fans for its price and the decision not to produce a full sphere, nor dual moulded legs, but this slanted diorama format is compact, eye-catching, and perfect for shelf display.
September Releases Rolling Out
Beyond the Death Star news, this week also brought early access or launch excitement for several highly anticipated LEGO releases:
- Hogsmeade Village Collectors’ Edition (Harry Potter, 76457), Early Access began September 1.
- WALL-E & EVE (Disney/Pixar, 43279), launched September 1.
- Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse Minifigures (71050), available from September 1.
- Wicked series sets, including Emerald City Wall Art, Elphaba’s Retreat, Glinda’s Wedding Day, and more, also released on September 1.
- Arkham Asylum (DC, 76300) – Early Access starts tomorrow September 9 (Insiders) with general release later this week.
- Captain Jack Sparrow’s Pirate Ship (Icons, 10365) and Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (21360) dates rolling out mid-September.
Other LEGO-Related World News
In broader LEGO media, LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy – Pieces of the Past, the sequel to last year’s miniseries, dropped a trailer on September 4 revealing Revan, and the full series is set to release on September 19, 2025 on Disney+. Luke is so excited about this – he has been wanted more Rebuild the Galaxy episodes for almost a year.
Plus, LEGO is expanding into gaming with LEGO Voyagers, a cooperative puzzle-platformer scheduled for release September 15, 2025 across multiple platforms.
Our Builds
What We Built
- We dove into the Hogsmeade Village Collectors’ Edition, constructing the cosy streetscape and adding detail with light brick effects from the Room of Requirement GWP.
- Our family also tackled the WALL-E & EVE set, it’s delightful with its expressive heads and movable elements. Luke and Rose especially loved programming WALL-E’s articulation to mimic the movie scenes.
- In anticipation of the Death Star, we started building a modular shelving test, dusting off our old Millennium Falcon and scene shots to pair alongside the upcoming set.
- Work also continued on MOCs for Dublin Brick Con, next month.
What We Reviewed
- My review of the $1,000 UCS Death Star: I couldn’t be more enthusiastic, its diorama structure is imaginative, iconic, and practical, with such depth of detail that it became my standout of the year so far. I declare this a masterpiece despite negativity elsewhere.
- On the flip side, I noted some fan criticism around price and the absence of a full sphere, but I personally think the display-friendly format wins. I’m sure our next blog will feature high-angle shelf shots once the set arrives in October. I loved looking at Bricksie’s review and build-along feature, and watched an empty space video for MandR’s review.
Our Hauls
Ulster Adventures
- Cavan & Monaghan:
We hit the road to Virginia, Cavan and Emyvale, Monaghan, which marked counties number 16 and 17 out of 32 on our mission to collect LEGO from every county in Ireland. Nana, Luke, Rose, and Darren were all on board for this road trip. The pickups included Technic sets like 42045 Hydroplane Racer and 42112 Cement Mixer Truck, plus City sets such as 60195 Arctic Exploration Truck and 60214 Burger Bar Fire Rescue.
Dublin & Surrounds
- Carnew Story: A tale of buyer’s remorse, seller’s remorse, and a happy ending, sparked by the “Jungle Gym” Clio finally leaving the driveway.
- Templeogue Tuesday & Beyond:
Midweek was a Dublin-local circuit. We collected in Tallaght (75365 Yavin 4 Rebel Base, albeit missing a few minifigs), then Newcastle (a welcome return visit for a bundle of LEGO Friends sets), and finally Palmerstown, where a kayaking rockstar generously donated a big blue crate of LEGO filled with mixed treasures – from Ferraris to Captain America builds. - Epic September 4th Journey:
A quick run for minifigures turned into a 4.5-hour odyssey across Leinster.- Blanchardstown: €40 for minifigures.
- Navan: €140 haul with Technic and City sets.
- Ashbourne: Another stop for a big haul of LEGO, over 40 sets, before looping back home.
A trip that started as a “mini” pickup turned into a full-blown adventure across counties.
- Rathfarnham (Sept 8th):
To close the week, another Dublin pickup added more bricks to the ever-growing Forge stockpile.
Events & Memories
- Taney Brick Saturday: Between Luke’s football in Ballyogan Park and swimming for both kids at Dolphin Swimming Pool, the family squeezed in a visit to Taney Parish Hall for the Brick Saturday show, part community, part inspiration for the Forge.
AI & The Forge
- The week wasn’t only about LEGO. I also explored AI for toy evaluation, testing system architectures that could classify mini-figures and sets, the groundwork for automating valuations.
- The Forge’s blog also ran pieces on AI in children’s books (Luke & Rose travel stories) and weekly AI news summaries, with custom graphics to match.
Looking Ahead
- Oct 1 (Insiders) / Oct 4 (Everyone): Mark your calendars for the UCS Death Star release, I’ll be first in line at Dublin’s LEGO store that day, hoping to snag that TIE Fighter GWP!
- Sept 15: LEGO Voyagers hits consoles and PC, perfect for rainy build days, and perhaps inspiration for our next narrative blog.
- Sept 19: Season two of Rebuild the Galaxy airs; we’ll be watching with the kids and sketching scenes for a mini-MOC animation.
- Mid-September: More epic sets arriving: the Pirate Ship, Willy Wonka, and Arkham, so plenty to look forward to building and reviewing in coming weeks.
In Summary
That’s the round-up for this past week in Lego and at Redmond’s Forge was a blend of epic new releases, reviews, road trips across counties, treasured hauls, family building time, and forward-looking experiments.
Seventeen counties are now ticked off the list, and the museum vision grows clearer each day.
