LEGO Ideas Gizmo is fan designer’s ‘long-held dream come true’

The upcoming 21361 Gizmo proved to be a surprising ‘dream come true’ project for the fan designer who created the original LEGO Ideas set.

The LEGO Ideas theme will be joined by its 69th addition on October 1, 2025, when 21361 Gizmo is released. The brick-built Mogwai is based on the character’s appearance in the 1984 movie, Gremlins, and a successful LEGO Ideas challenge submission from fan designer Fuma Terai.

In a pair of interviews on the LEGO Ideas blog and LEGO.com, Fuma has talked about his road to becoming a LEGO builder, his love for the original Joe Dante film and how surprised he was when he discovered his LEGO Ideas design would ultimately become 21361 Gizmo.

“When I was about three years old, my parents bought me a bunch of LEGO sets and my older brother and I played with them,” Fuma explained. “Ever since then, it’s been a fun hobby for me. It satisfies my imagination and improves my understanding of colour and creativity.”

“Gremlins is a movie I watched with my family when I was little,” he said, “and it’s one of my favourite movies to this day. I saw it in cinemas in 1984, I loved the film, and like most kids, wanted a Mogwai of my own!”

As with many LEGO Ideas creations based on existing IPs, there were a number of unique challenges to overcome to translate the original version of the Mogwai into its brick-built form and specific changes required for the final iteration of 21361 Gizmo, such as the distinct look of the cute Gremlin.

“I wanted to make sure my model captured his rounded body and fluffy fur,” said Fuma, “so I used curved and textured parts. I love that it can be moved to create different poses [too’].”

When it came to the fan designer’s model being selected as the winner of the 'If I Could Turn Back Time' challenge, the thought of his creation becoming a finished LEGO Ideas set proved to be a slight shock.

“I was very surprised when I found out that the product I made would be released!,” exclaimed Fuma. “My long-held dream has come true. I wish I could tell my childhood self this!”

21361 Gizmo is due to launch online and in stores on October 1, priced at £89.99 in the UK, $109.99 in the US and €99.99 in Europe. Those wanting to pick up the brick-built Gremlin can place their pre-orders for the 1,125-piece set right now.

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