LEGO has officially pulled the curtain back on LEGO Ideas 21370 E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, and it looks like one of the stronger nostalgia plays the theme has made in a while. The new set is scheduled to launch on August 1, 2026, with pre-orders already open in several regions, and it builds one of cinema's most recognizable characters into a sculpted display piece rather than a scene based playset. That choice feels smart. E.T. has always been more about expression, silhouette, and emotional memory than vehicles or action beats, so a character-first model was probably the best route LEGO could take.
The set comes in at 1,226 pieces and is priced at $139.99 in the US. Supporting details shared by Jay's Brick Blog also list pricing at AU$229.99, GBP119.99, EUR129.99, CAD199.99, and SGD199.90, which gives collectors a clearer sense of where it lands globally. At roughly 24.5 cm, or about 9.5 inches tall, this is not being positioned as a small desk trinket. It is a full display model that leans hard into shelf presence, with enough size to make the sculpting and articulation matter.
That sculpting is really the make-or-break point here, and early images suggest LEGO understood the assignment. E.T. is not an easy character to translate into brick form because the design depends on an unusual shape, a long neck, spindly limbs, and a face that needs to look gentle and slightly odd at the same time. From the official reveal images carried by The Brick Fan, the final model appears to lean into texture and contour instead of over-smoothing everything. The wrinkles, proportions, and slightly hunched stance seem to do a lot of the heavy lifting, helping the figure read instantly even before you notice the details.
There are also a few features that give the model more personality than a static statue. The head can angle up and down, and coverage from both The Brick Fan and Jay's Brick Blog notes that it can rotate as well. One raised forefinger recreates the character's most iconic gesture, and LEGO has included a red light brick so the chest can glow. That last touch could have been gimmicky, but for a set based on E.T. it is exactly the kind of feature fans will expect. It taps into one of the most memorable visual beats from the film without overcomplicating the build.
What makes this reveal especially interesting is where it sits inside the recent LEGO Ideas lineup. Jay's Brick Blog pointed out that LEGO Ideas has been on a strong run with pop culture nostalgia, following earlier releases like Gremlins: Gizmo and Peanuts: Snoopy's Doghouse. E.T. fits that pattern neatly, but it also feels a little more ambitious as a sculptural object. Instead of relying on a vehicle, house facade, or compact vignette, LEGO is betting that the character alone can carry the set. For older fans who grew up with the 1982 film, that may be enough. The design looks aimed squarely at collectors who want something instantly recognizable but still a little unusual beside more predictable franchise display pieces.
There is also a broader appeal here beyond strict LEGO Ideas collectors. Spielberg fans, 1980s movie fans, and shoppers looking for a more personal gift item around the holiday season will probably see this as one of those sets that connects faster than a deeper cut license would. The price is not exactly casual, but it sits below the very top end of the adult collector market, which could make it a realistic pickup for fans who only buy one or two nostalgia-driven sets a year.
Based on the reveal, LEGO Ideas 21370 E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial looks like a focused release that knows exactly what it needs to do. It does not need to be the biggest set of the summer. It just needs to capture a beloved character convincingly, and right now it looks like it does. If the final build experience is as thoughtful as the finished model appears, this could end up being one of the more memorable LEGO Ideas launches of 2026.
