Today we take a look at the second completely new setting from summer 2022: 12 Grimmauld Place, the Fidelius-protected headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix. Like 76403 The Ministry of Magic, this set includes scenes and references from both the Order of the Phoenix and the Deathly Hallows, though it leans more heavily towards the Order of the Phoenix. If you’re going to represent Grimmauld Place, there’s one key feature: how do you represent how it only appears to those who know the secret? It’s quite possibly this challenge that kept LEGO from modeling this key location previously. Have they risen to it? 76048 12 Grimmauld Place has 1083 pieces and nine minifigures. It will be available from the LEGO Shop and worldwide starting June 19th for US $119.99 | CAN $149.99 | UK £114.99.

This set is based on a license The LEGO Group has with the Warner Brothers films, not J.K. Rowling directly. The transphobic views expressed by Rowling do not reflect the values of The Brothers Brick or, indeed, those of The LEGO Group. The magical world Rowling created, in which many who felt a bit different could see themselves, meant a great deal to so many people, including those that Rowling now demeans. TBB affirms each individual LEGO fan’s choice to claim a piece of the world for themselves, or to reject it entirely.

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The LEGO Group provided The Brothers Brick with an early copy of this set for review. Providing TBB with products for review guarantees neither coverage nor positive reviews.

The box and contents

The back of the box shows 12 Grimmauld Place from the back, with insets that illustrate the appearing/disappearing feature and highlight some of the locations around the interior. Our review copy of this set didn’t have any paper bags or cardboard envelopes, just the usual plastic. Inside are bags numbered one through seven (somewhat unusually in a set of this size, there are two bag fives), the instructions, a modest sticker sheet, and a loose long flexible piece that will represent an Extendable Ear.

For parts fans, this set includes a new broom mold that appears in several of the Summer 2022 Harry Potter sets, which is much more accurate to the on-screen brooms the characters use; it’s also arguably simply better scaled for a minifigure. The approach of only molding the bristles also makes the part much more flexible – I guarantee someone will be able to make engine plumes from these – and there is an anti-stud on the bottom offering more attachment possibilities.

The barrel piece is also new in Sand Blue in this set, representing part of a troll-leg umbrella stand, which will no doubt also prove popular in mech and engine construction. Finally, animal fans get a new tan bat, another very useful piece for architectural detailing, and 13 black 1×5 plates are included.

The build

The build starts with the front steps and the base for the sliding mechanism which is the core feature of the set. Ingot pieces and half-stud spacing with jumper plates give the steps appealing texture and spacing, while several bright colors help to tile the pieces of the mechanism that will be hidden. Two reddish brown 2×6 tiles are hidden here; these are relatively rare still and I’m tempted to replace them with more common tiles to save them for visible use.

Bag two finishes the base of the build, with a central area for No. 12, and wings that move outwards for No. 11 and No. 13. Some 2×2 corner triangle tiles make even fully covered areas nicely polished, but also make sure that there is nothing for the opening and closing mechanism to catch on. The bottoms of all of the moving pieces are also well covered with smooth inverted circle tiles (boat studs), ensuring the building will slide easily on almost any surface. At the end of the bag, the main feature is established, with angled technic link pieces connecting the back “No. 12” section with the wings in a way that drives them to slide backward/forward and inwards/outwards. It’s not really obvious at this point what the best grip for those actions is, but there’s a bit of cleverness coming later for that!

Next, we start on the facade and kitchen for No. 12. There are some nice bits of headlight bricks and tiles to give texture to the building, making it a cut above most City builds. I must say though that applying stickers to door elements is something I find incredibly stressful. I think it’s the fact that the handle creates several extra easy comparison points for your eyes, so if the sticker is just slightly off you know it. A print would have been really appreciated here. Still, it’s a nice-looking door.

The kitchen is nicely stocked – another way the standard stays better than regular City sets – and quite possibly has the most mugs ever placed in a single step (six). We have some cabinets, a stove that is removable to allow some more play space, and a table with four seats and laid with more cups, mugs, and a Daily Prophet. 1×5 plates fit the geometry of the kitchen well in places; the previous alternative would have been combining 1×2 and 1×3 plates, and this does give more stability and keep things straighter. We finish off with some drainpipes, and a frog tucked up in the ceiling – possibly a reference to Mundungus Fletcher telling a story about stealing toads and selling them back again. But LEGO also enjoys just hiding frogs in sets, so we can’t be sure.

Bag four starts with the facades for No. 11 and No. 13., and one of my small complaints about the set: 11 and 13 don’t get working doors! I suppose the decision was made not to include them because opening them would reveal No. 12 awkwardly sitting behind them, and break the illusion of appearance/disappearance in that way. But it still feels odd. On the other hand, windowpane stickers are less fussy to apply than ones that go around a doorknob. No. 13 is built first and includes almost no interior detail, just a set of doors set back-to-back to represent Kreacher’s den. No. 11 gets a bit more detailing, adding the bigoted portrait of Walburga Black and its somewhat ineffective curtain, the troll-leg umbrella stand that Tonks often knocks over (waking said portrait), and a small desk with a bowl and lamp.

It’s worth noting that the design of the play function does impact the interior of the set. Every floor of either No. 11 or No. 13 is triangular, leaving only half the eight-by-eight stud area. However, this really only loses us one wall, since the back of a playset is not going to be closed in, and in my opinion, it’s a worthwhile compromise to implement something that’s not just a smooth play feature, but a core element of what this location is.

The bag finishes by connecting 11 and 13, adding the final layers of tile that will let the upper stories sit on them, and attaching a second set of bent technic links to ensure that the top of the model doesn’t buckle in and obstruct the function. We also build two lamp posts, one on either side of the model. These diverge from the movie, but are another very worthwhile touch – they form handles! Each post is connected to the main building by a 2×3 plate near the top, making them very stable. They provide an excellent grip point for opening and closing the model, and also signal effectively, “this is where to grab the build”. You certainly can pull the upper floors off if you try to open or close the building holding them, but the lamps make it easy to use the function in the way that works best.

From the back, you can see what the play side of the build will look like now – a larger central area, with the smaller angled areas on the side. There are also chandeliers built into the upper set of technic links, a nice touch that both disguises the links a little and keeps the chandeliers themselves safe when the building is transforming.

Bag 5 finishes the rest of No. 12. The facade is dark grey, to distinguish it from its non-magical neighbors. The middle story has the piano that Hermione attempts to teach Ron to play on while Harry, Ron, and Hermione are hiding at Grimmauld Place during the Deathly Hallows. On top of the piano is a radio, which they use to listen for reports on Death Eater attacks. Hanging on the wall is a painting of the Black family crest, and opposite it, a still life of a cup or chalice with some grapes and a skull.

The top floor is a relatively empty hallway-type space; the set photos show Fred and George goofing off here or nearby. There is a small table with a candle, and two more portraits – an empty silhouette that is likely sometimes occupied by Phineas Nigellus Black, and another Black family member holding a skull. But the most notable feature is a really rather grim inclusion by LEGO – two skulls under glass domes, which represent the heads of house elves who were beheaded when they were too old to carry a tea tray!

The exterior details are minimal but continue the standard set by the ground floor. Every time I placed 2×2 curved macaroni tiles on this build I felt like I was applying eyebrows. One nice little touch to keep those brows aligned – a 1×2 door rail plate is placed so that the middle two macaroni tiles sit flush on it. The top gets a little extra detail with some slope bricks that are staggered with inverted slopes to create some cracks.

Bags six and seven finish off 11 and 13 Grimmauld Place. The building here is pretty simple, though the simple cornices on top look quite attractive. The standout feature of the interiors is the tapestry of the Black family tree. I love the work that LEGO does by taking source material with human figures in it and adapting it to minifigure form instead, and this is a great example. The design and colors remain true to the source material, with the “traitors” to the Black family scratched out of the tree, although there should be a skull for Regulus instead of a regular head.

The three other rooms are a sitting area with a nice armchair, and bedrooms for both Sirius and Regulus. It’s a shame that there isn’t a nod to the initials R.A.B. or Regulus’s full name, since that provides a key clue for Harry, but the Slytherin locket (and Horcrux) is hidden above one of the windows in Regulus’ room.

The Minifigures

Of the nine minifigures, eight are exclusive to this set. Harry Potter is the glaring exception, with a torso that has appeared multiple previous times. We do get three of the new brooms, in two colors, with Harry and two of the members of the Advance Guard that accompany him to Grimmauld Place for the first time after the Dementor attack in Little Whinging. Kingsley Shacklebolt has appeared before in a Collectible Minifigures series; his printing here is slightly different though still quite nice, but misses the decorated hat from the previous appearance. Nymphadora Tonks has also only appeared once before, but this version impresses with more elaborate printing, including on the legs, and a pig snout from when Tonks is joking with Hermione and Ginny showing her Metamorphic abilities.

Until now, Dobby was the only house-elf available in minifigure form. Kreacher appears for the first time with a unique head mold, with a good representation of his hooked nose, and unique printing for his tattered clothing – simple, but there’s only so much you can do with a pillowcase. Sirius Black has appeared twice before, but only in his Azkaban garb. Here he has a nice green pinstriped outer coat with a black suit underneath. It’s an excellent minifigure and great to get a non-prison version.

The Weasley family is well represented. Fred and George – you’ll need to stare at the names on the box to make sure which is which – have their heads from 75978 Diagon Alley, but feature new striped shirts. Ron’s shirt is even louder, very fitting for a Weasley and to the movies. Molly Weasley has appeared three other times, though only once, back in 2010, with printed legs. This version is much brighter than previous iterations in shades of tan. Neither seems quite a match for her movie appearance, though the texture and color of these legs match her skirt fairly well. Finally, we have Hermione’s cat, Crookshanks. I’m happy to get another color of a cat figure, but the inclusion is odd in that it further emphasizes that Hermione herself is missing. It’s also a different color than the Crookshanks that was included with Hermione in the first Collectible Minifigures series. Again neither is quite right for the tabby, but we can certainly say this one is very, very orange!

 

Finished Build and Recommendation

One of the most important aspects of 12 Grimmauld Place is the fact that, to the non-magical world, it simply does not exist. That elevates the appearance/disappearance of the middle part of the build from a nice-to-have play feature to a core requirement. For us, LEGO has risen to that challenge. The movement is smooth both opening and closing, and the lampposts built into the side of the building provide excellent handles that stand up to play. I can easily imagine this being incorporated into a LEGO city display, maybe even with a motor! Also in contract to 76403 The Ministry of Magic, the set is solid if you pick it up or move it by any of the ground floors.

It’s not a perfect set – the interior is compromised to make the play feature work – but there are a good variety of scenes from the later books and movies and space to arrange a wide selection of figures. Of the minifigures attached to the build in the below picture, only Kreacher was knocked off when I “closed” the building to hide No. 12.

At under 1,100 pieces and 9 minifigures for $120, it’s okay value for a licensed set, but not great. At $100, this would be an easy recommendation. I think casual collectors, or LEGO fans who aren’t Harry Potter fans, will probably want to let this one pass. However, if you are a fan of the later books and movies or just of Grimmauld Place itself, then I recommend this set wholeheartedly because of how well it executes its core feature. I promise you’ll be showing whoever will watch the smooth appearance and disappearance of No. 12 Grimmauld Place whenever you can.

76048 12 Grimmauld Place contains 1083 pieces and 9 minifigures. It will be available from the LEGO Shop and worldwide starting June 19th for US $119.99 | CAN $149.99 | UK £114.99 or from Amazon. It may also be available from third-party sellers on eBay.

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The LEGO Group sent The Brothers Brick an early copy of this set for review. Providing TBB with products for review guarantees neither coverage nor positive reviews.

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After the teaser of the Hindu mythological movie ‘Adipurush’, directed by Om Raut, was released on October 2, there has been a spate of questions, threats and insinuations over the portrayal of Lord Ram, Lakshman, demon Ravana and Lord Hanuman in the film. Netizens have been trolling the director and producers of the movie on social media.

Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra asked the director and producer to remove misapprehensions from the mind of people and make necessary changes, or otherwise be prepared to face action. He warned the producers of legal action if “the objectionable scenes, especially those showing Lord Hanuman in leather straps, were not removed”.

Maharashtra BJP leader Ram Kadam threatened that his supporters would not allow the movie to be shown in Mumbai theatres. A local Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader from Sambhal, Meerut warned that the movie would not be allowed to be screened in theatres as it has “ridiculed Hindu society”.

The funniest part of this controversy is that nobody has watched the movie in its entirety, nor its rushes. The teaser’s duration is less than 100 seconds, but more than 200 questions have already been raised. Some have questioned why Hanuman has been shown wearing a leather dress, some asked why Sita was shown wearing ornaments while in exile, some others have questioned why Ravana, who was a Brahmin and a scholar of Vedas, was shown like the mediaeval Muslim emperor Allaudin Khalji.

Some have also questioned why Hanuman was shown with beard minus the moustache. Some said, Ravana’s famous Lanka was made of gold, but in the movie it was shown as a haunted place. A few also asked why Lord Ram, who was always shown as calm, was portrayed as an angry hero in the movie. There were numerous other questions.

The brief movie teaser has already garned more than 8 crore views on YouTube, and it was trending as No. 1 for four days on that social media platform.

Since most of the questions were being raised on social media, I invited the movie director Om Raut and the dialogue writer Manoj Muntashir to India TV studio to reply to all these queries. One should keep the fact in mind that it is only a brief teaser and the movie is yet to be completed.

You will be surprised to know that more questions have been raised about the portrayal of demon king Ravana compared to questions raised about Lord Ram.

Questions were asked why Ravana was shown without his golden crown and ornaments. Actor Saif Ali Khan has done Ravan’s character, but most of the questions have been raised about the looks of the character. Some said, Saif’s look does not resemble Ravana’s even by an inch. Some others said, Saif’s dress and his hairstyle do not match Ravana’s from any angle. Rather he looks more like Alauddin Khalji, they said. People have also pointed out that Ravana used to travel in his Pushpak aircraft, but in the movie, he has been shown riding a horrible, giant bat-like flying creature.

Manoj Muntashir pointed out that most of the cine-goers are making the mistake of viewing a teaser as a full movie, and are also making the error of comparing a new-age movie with a story of a bygone age. “In the movie, we have tried to mould Ravana’s character to show how today’s Ravan should have looked”, he said.

Many cine-goers have pointed out that Ravana, though a demon, was a great scholar who studied the four Vedas and six Shastras, and he was a great devotee of Lord Shiva. Ravana was the creator of ‘Shiva tandava Stotram’. How can such a strong king and scholar of Vedas be portrayed like a normal villain, cine-goers have asked. Manoj Muntashir said, “There can be different opinions about the looks, but Ravana was a demon, no doubt. It will not be fair to say that Ravana was a good soul.”

Questions have been raised about Lord Ram’s looks. In the Ramayana, Lord Ram has been portrayed as calm and polite, but in the movie, Lord Ram appears to be angry and violent. Superstar Prabhash, of ‘Bahubali’ fame, is playing the role of Lord Ram.

Manoj Muntashir said, “it is true that Lord Ram’s persona in Ramayana was calm and controlled, but we should not forget that he was a great warrior, who slayed demons. Lord Ram too once got angry when despite several days of penance (tapasya), the sea god did not part to give way to his army to invade Lanka. Ram had then threatened to shoot the agni-vaan(flame of fire) to dry up the sea.”

On the question of portrayal of Lord Hanuman with beard, minus moustache (a normal look of Muslims) and wearing a leather jacket in place of ‘angavastram’, the movie director Om Raut replied that “it is not a leather dress. None of the characters in my movie has worn a leather dress. All the dresses are made of rexine.”

One more objection that has been raised about ‘Adipurush’ is that the storyline is from Ramayana, but the looks of characters appear as if they belong to a Hollywood movie, or from any web series like ‘Game of Thrones’. 

Director Om Raut agreed that while making the movie he had Hollywood films in his mind. “In this new age, if we have to take Ramayana as a storyline, the movie’s language, visualization and presentation should be in such a manner, that it should be liked by today’s young generation. Today’s youths prefer Harry Potter and Lord Of The Rings type movies, that is why special visual effects were given in Adipurush”, Raut said.

Already, Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij has commented that “nobody can be allowed to portray Lord Ram as Harry Potter. Lord Ram is the venerable god for millions of Hindus”.  

Dialogue writer Manoj Muntashir said, “I am myself a Sanatani, a Brahmin. Every person who worked in Adipurush worked with full devotion. Each one of us want that the fame of Lord Ram should spread worldwide. Nobody is greater than Lord Ram.”

Director Om Raut, too, said, “I can never think of tampering with Ramayana or with the portrayal of Lord Ram. I want today’s young generation to learn lessons from Ram’s life. In this movie, we have kept the choice of today’s generation in mind, but the ‘soul of Ramayana’ is present in the movie. Only some changes have been made in the body.”

But sadhus and Hindu religious leaders do not agree. Vishwa Hindu Parishad spokesperson Vinod Bansal said, “it’s the mistake of the film producer and director. People will naturally make their mind after seeing the teaser. Anybody watching the teaser will say Ravana has been portrayed not as a devotee of Shiva but as a Muslim ruler.”

Several other sadhus also said, “Ramayana TV serial was based on Valmiki Ramayana and Ramcharitmanas. The movie that is being made in the name of the new generation’s choice is unacceptable because coming generations will get confused about Lord Ram and Ravana, after watching this movie.”

After listening to arguments from both sides, I have only two questions: One, are the director and scriptwriter of this movie anti-Hindu? Two, do they belong to that group which wants to make fun of Hinduism?  The answers to both these questions are ‘No’.

I checked the backgrounds of both Om Raut and Manoj Muntashir. Both are devotees of Lord Ram and Lord Hanuman. Their thoughts are closer to the ideology of RSS and Vishwa Hindu Parishad. The natural corollary arises: Was this a publicity stunt by creating controversy? The answer is again: No.

When I met both the director and producer of this movie, they looked hurt and worried. The question is, why so much opposition without watching the movie in full? The answer lies with social media. Any negative portrayal on social media soon becomes viral, and becomes the talk of the town. The more negative the issue is, the bigger the controversy.

My view is that since the movie is not complete, and since nobody has watched it, except the 95-second teaser, it would be unfair to make a decision about a two-and-a-half hour movie on the basis of a one-and-a-half minute teaser.

All of us should wait for the release of the full movie. After watching the film, if people feel that the director, or producer, or writer has portrayed the characters incorrectly, or has hurt the sentiments of devotees, questions must surely be raised. But a demanding ban on an unfinished movie based on a 95-second teaser is sheer injustice.

I have always been saying that people should make a considered opinion after watching the pros and cons of any issue and refrain from reacting. Do not hastily jump to conclusions on the basis of hearsay. Already, social media is rife with rumours and baseless insinuations. To react to all such insinuations can lead to grave consequences.  

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Broadway’s Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, currently running at the Lyric Theatre, is getting a new Harry and Ginny Potter. Steve Haggard has already taken over the title role after James Snyder’s dismissal earlier this year following allegations involving backstage conduct. Haggard has re-joined the production after making his Broadway debut in the production’s ensemble in 2019.

Angela Reed will succeed current Ginny Potter Erica Sweany beginning May 3. Reed was part of the work’s original Broadway cast and played Ginny in its San Francisco premiere. She’s also been seen on Broadway in A Doll’s House, Part 2; The Country Girl; and Rock ‘n’ Roll.

Inspired by J.K. Rowling’s seven-part book series, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child brings the boy wizard to the stage in a new story taking place two decades after the events of the books. Penned by Jack Thorne, the work is based on an original story by Rowling, Thorne, and John Tiffany, who directs the production. The play premiered in London’s West End in 2016, winning nine Olivier Awards including Best New Play; and made the jump to Broadway in 2018, winning six Tony Awards including Best Play. The work was originally designed as two full-length two-act plays, though the Broadway production was streamlined into one two-act play when it re-opened following the shutdown last year. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child has also opened productions in Melbourne, Toronto, and Tokyo.

The production features movement by Steven Hoggett, scenic design by Christine Jones, costumes by Katrina Lindsay, music and arrangements by Imogen Heap, lighting by Neil Austin, sound by Gareth Fry, illusions and magic by Jamie Harrison, and music supervision and arrangements by Martin Lowe. Casting is by Jim Carnahan. The work is produced by Sonia Friedman Productions, Colin Callender, and Harry Potter Theatrical Productions.