Which Film Franchises Should Get The LEGO Game Treatment Next?

By Simon Gallagher / November 20, 2011

If you didn't already know, round these parts we like to compile wish-list articles, and I've just put down my 360 controller having finished the latest Travelling Tales/Lego team-up in the shape of Lego Pirates of the Caribbean, so I thought it as appropriate a time as any to ponder which film franchises will get the same treatment in future. Obviously, Lego Harry Potter Years 5-7 comes next in the series this autumn, but beyond that all we have is rumours: so to fan the fires a little and get the mental juices flowing, what follows below is a brief list of the franchises I'd love to see transformed into the colorful little blocks...

Back To The Future This one would be a dream come true: the BTTF universe is rich and diverse enough to offer the breadth that the Lego treatment requires, and the potentially huge maps it would involve, including, crucially the opportunity for vehicular levels. There's also a vast crop of potential humour for the Lego wizards to mine, which fits in with the slightly tongue in cheek tone of what they've made so far.

The Lord of the Rings Large cast of characters? Check. Opulent, fantastical surroundings? Check. The greatest Lego game franchise to be released, if it ever were to be? Double check. Story-wise, you can't really beat JRR Tolkien's master-piece, and there's enough material to make some seriously impressive levels, and there's the added bonus of a good few Hobbit levels to swell the size of what would already be a great big game.

Jurassic Park An impressive array of characters - though some obviously become Dino Chow in the film franchise - and the added bonus of a large number of "special" characters are the obvious draws: just consider for a moment the possibility of playing as a Lego velociraptor! Brilliant. Not only that but again, the films feature some brilliant settings, which would work perfectly for the Lego level builders to show off both their skill and their dedication to detail.

Spiderman So, the comic book movie world probably represents an easy pick at this stage, given that there's already a Batman title on the market (and thoroughly bloody excellent it is too), and while the X-Men series would probably be a better option for me as a gamer, it's the Spider-Man world that should come next if Lego and Traveller Tales decide to turn their attention back to comics. There is a broader gallery of villains for one, and the web-slinger would present an immediate problem (his tendency to swing between buildings) that I'd love to see the clever development team figure out.

Die Hard Ok, so it's not exactly the most likely, but I want it dearly. The Die Hard franchise should at least be considered even just at the earliest stages, because the chance to take on a selection of Lego headed European foes with a dirty-vested plastic hero is pretty much one of the single most joyous recurrent fantasies I have. It's a little bit grown-up, but that'd just make for better humour - plus, any opportunity to invite new fans into the world of the franchise, whose primary experience was of the relative atrocity that was 4.0 is a more than worthy cause. What do you think, then? Any hugely glaring misses? Any personal fantasy picks? Don't be shy, let's hear them...