LEGO Ideas Willy Wonka designers felt ‘inspired’ by original fan build

An original 10K fan submission provided plenty of inspiration for the LEGO Ideas design team when it came to creating 21360 Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory.

The LEGO Ideas theme today revealed the 68th addition to its ever-expanding line-up in the sugary shape of 21360 Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. Comprised of 2,025 pieces, the upcoming model is based on a winning submission from Italian fan designers Roberto Ceruti and Jody Padulano, collectively known as 2PPL.

Although the duo’s original 2021 creation didn’t make the cut back then, a revised version finally managed to achieve success in the third LEGO Ideas review of 2023, ultimately being tweaked and reshaped into 21360 Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory.

In a new LEGO Ideas blog post, the design team behind the upcoming 21360 Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory revealed how they worked closely with Roberto and Jody to achieve the look of the final model and why a number of Easter eggs were added during the development process.

“I was inspired,” said LEGO Ideas designer Laura Perron of Roberto and Jody’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – Here We Go Again! “I instantly took in the colours! The submission was so lush and colourful, we made sure to carry those themes and vibes into the final model.”

“The waterfall stood out to me,” added LEGO Ideas designer Crisy Dyment. “It’s such a fantastic element of the film to focus on!”

The final look of 21360 Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory involved a close collaboration with the original designers, an approach that ultimately improved the LEGO Ideas set.

“Roberto and Jody were wonderful to work with and always brought a strong passion for this universe and a curiosity about the process,” Laura explained.

“Their cheerful spirits were contagious” added Crisy. “We were all smiling every time we had a check-in meeting. They were great at offering inputs and I loved our collaboration!”

As might be expected with such a packed and colourful build, 21360 Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory includes numerous nods to its source material and the original fan designers behind the LEGO Ideas submission.

“We try to put in as many details as we can, both related to the universe we are building and the fan designers who submitted the idea,” said Laura. “For Roberto and Jody, I asked if they had any personal colour combinations they liked. So, in the structure of the waterfall, you will find red, yellow, orange and blue elements.”

“The initials of the members of the fan designers’ families are signed onto the contract in Wonka’s office.” Crisy continued. “And the walking cane is an Easter egg in the movie, where Wonka slowly walks in with a cane and then suddenly does a flawless forward roll!”

21360 Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory will be available for LEGO Insiders to add to their collections from September 15, with a wider release for all from September 18. The LEGO Ideas set will be priced at £199.99 in the UK, $219.99 in the US and €219.99 in Europe.

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