LEGO Shrek's unlucky Ideas past could still spark inspiration

LEGO Shrek is rumoured to be coming later this year, after an unlucky series of rejections for fan designers in LEGO Ideas.

LEGO Shrek has been rejected on LEGO Ideas not once, not twice, but three times in recent years, with fan-designed projects from Petrus Odyssey, Zeus Bricks (aka Daniel Bradley, designer of 21355 The Evolution of STEM), and YouTuber AshnFlash. All three of those models focused on Shrek's Swamp, although with unique spins on the design.

The latest rumours suggest that we could be getting not just LEGO Shrek sets but also a Collectible Minifigures series: 71051 Shrek, LEGO BrickHeadz 40923 Shrek and Donkey, and 72423 Buildable Shrek and Donkey. If we're speculating based on those rumoured names, none of those sound like they'll be based on the same source material as the fan-designed projects, with the LEGO Group said to be going down the buildable character route, rather than locations.

That could be an attempt to avoid a repeat of the criticism levelled at 43242 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’ Cottage, where a similar LEGO Ideas project was rejected, only for the LEGO Group to release a similar set under the LEGO Disney banner.

Whatever the reason, the popularity of the LEGO Ideas Shrek sets proves that there's certainly an appetite among at least 10,000 people in the community for minifigure-scaled models based on the swamp. As a central starting location for all of the Shrek movies, Shrek's house certainly seems the best place to start.

Other locations, like Lord Farquad's palace, the Dragon's castle, or the various locations in Far, Far Away are a lot more sprawling and hard to condense into one model. Plus, almost all the major characters are seen in Shrek's swamp at one time or another, providing a good base to include a lot of minifigures all at once.

All three fan-designed models lean into the earthy, plant-covered style of Shrek's house. With the advances in LEGO plant elements thanks to LEGO Botanicals, an official set could easily build on those concepts, perhaps in a similar way to 77092 Great Deku Tree 2-in-1, the retired 21318 Tree House, or even the tree from 21365 Love Birds

Considering the interior of Shrek's house in the movies is very simple, made up of just one that serves as kitchen, living room, and bedroom all at once, it feels like any future versions could easily recreate it in LEGO bricks too, along with the obligatory outhouse as a side-build. Indeed, the layout of 43242 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’ Cottage could provide a good starting point for such a set, replacing the well with the toilet and using the same hinge function to allow both access to the inside while keeping a closed, display-ready structure.

While there's no whisper of a LEGO Shrek's Swamp among the rumours at the time of writing, it does feel like the logical next step, if the rumoured CMF, BrickHeadz, and buildable figures are indeed on the way. That has not yet been confirmed by the LEGO Group just yet, so those rumoured details should be taken with a pinch of salt for now. That said, the franchise's history in LEGO Ideas is proof enough that there are thousands of LEGO fans waiting to pick up such a set.