Since 2012, LEGO Friends has grown far beyond the box of bricks: animated series, books and digital stories are all part of it. Now the franchise takes its biggest step yet. LEGO has turned Heartlake City into a world with real actors. LEGO Friends: Heartlake The Musical is the first special of its kind, and on 9 October the LEGO Group released the trailer. The premiere of the full 50-minute film was set for 16 October on the YouTube channel of the LEGO Group.
A story about moving and belonging
At the centre is Daisy, played by Jada Langley: a bright, creative teenager who has to cope with a big move and the question of where she belongs. Any family that has changed schools or cities with children will recognise the theme. Friendship, creativity and the courage to show who you are run through the plot, carried by four original songs written exclusively for the musical.
Kenny Ortega as executive producer
Behind the camera the production lines up well known names from the world of musicals. Kenny Ortega is one of the executive producers, together with Jill Wilfert of LEGO Entertainment and Michael McKenna and Hanah Draper of Final Pixel. Final Pixel produced the special, and Paul Becker directed and choreographed it. Virtual production technology from Final Pixel turns the familiar locations of the sets into a colourful backdrop for the songs and dance numbers.
Jill Wilfert, SVP Global Entertainment Partners & Content at the LEGO Group, sees the musical as a message to girls that they can build far more than models: “stories, friendships, possibilities and positive change”.
Where families can watch it
After the YouTube premiere, the special is set to reach audiences worldwide through broadcast and streaming partners. The LEGO Group names Netflix, Peacock, Tubi, RTL and AMC Networks, each in selected markets. The announcement does not say which service shows the film in which country, so it is worth checking the usual apps. On top of that come screenings, media events and LEGO Friends experiences in Canada, the Czech Republic, Poland, Mexico, the UK, the Netherlands, Türkiye and the USA.
A café you can walk into
Families in London at the end of October get a playful extra. From 29 to 31 October, a life-sized version of the LEGO Friends Unicorn Café stands in Potters Field Park. The café exists as a LEGO set, appears as a location in the musical and now becomes a pop-up that visitors can step into. Inside there are exclusive screenings of the musical, building challenges, builds to make and take home, photo spots and themed spaces inspired by places in Heartlake City.
What it means for families
Children who already know Heartlake City from the sets and cartoons meet the characters here in a new form. For parents it is a 50-minute family film with a theme that fits many real lives: moving, starting again, finding friends. And it shows how far a toy brand now reaches beyond the playroom, from the box to the screen to a pop-up café.
