Let's go for a few months of speculation ...

The official announcement by LEGO of the license Lord of the Rings et The Hobbit Kicks off speculation and other rumors about what future minifigs and sets could be that will make us spend even more money in 2012.

Fans of Tolkien and LEGO are eager to see what the manufacturer will offer concrete, based on a universe immensely rich in characters, places, events, etc ... The possibilities are numerous and the forums are already brimming with hypotheses. all kinds. Assumptions which are, as usual, a little too optimistic ...

In my humble opinion, one should not expect a miracle with this new license. We will be entitled to pretty minfigs, no doubt about it. LEGO has a know-how in this area that must be recognized. The visual of Frodo published today is also impressive, even if it is only a 3D rendering.

Concerning the sets, I am more reserved. When we see the Pirates of the Caribbean range, the set 6860 The Batcave (2012) from the LEGO Super Heroes range, or the set 7879 Hoth Echo Base (2011) from the Star Wars range, we quickly understand that LEGO offers playsets which quickly show their limits: reconstitution of places very (too) symbolic to be faithful, somewhat limited playability, rough finish ...

Commercial constraints have gone through this and LEGO must find a certain balance. LOTR & The Hobbit license sets will not escape this rule and you should not expect a Hobbiton verdant with leafy foliage and ultra-detailed playhouses or a 3000-piece UCS from the Battle of Helm's Deep... The MOCs on the LOTR universe that we've seen so far are certainly exciting, but LEGO won't be producing this type of set.

As far as I'm concerned, minifigs are a priority. I can't wait to be able to get a Frodo, a Gandalf, a Gimli or even a Legolas ... A few wagons, horses, trees, rocks, boats will do to accompany these minifigs. One or two Battle Packs with orcs will also be welcome.

I know the fans of Castle or kingdoms will have no trouble integrating these minifigs into their medieval universe. Adding a touch of fantasy, they'll be able to recreate many scenes from the LOTR trilogy movies.

In fact, now that the license is official, many questions remain: How will LEGO reproduce the ring, the precious? How will Gollum take shape? Will we be entitled to a minifigure or an assembly of parts? ...

If LEGO succeeds in offering a range of quality sets, this license could quickly become a big commercial success. However, it will probably be limited in time, since it is directly linked to the LOTR films already released and those which will be released in 2012 and 2013.

LEGO will also undoubtedly take the opportunity to do away with the Kingdoms range, completed in style with the marketing of the set. 10223 Kingdoms Joust at the end of the year.

Finally, I put you the text of the press release which could imply that the minifigs would also be marketed separately (in sachets?):

... Information about the sets and collectible mini figures from both collections will be unveiled at a later date at TheLordoftheRings.LEGO.com.