With Your Help, This Monkey Island LEGO Set Could Be Real

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It feels like only yesterday the Monkey Island series had its last resurgence, but half a decade has passed since the last time anything new sprung from this beloved LucasArts franchise.

Between 2009 and 2010, three separate Monkey Island games shipped: the Special Editions of Monkey Island and LeChuck's Revenge, and Telltale's supremely underrated episodic series, Tales of Monkey Island. The recent announcement of Grim Fandango Remastered let all of us old-school PC adventure fans know Disney hasn't completely forgotten about its newly acquired catalog of classic games, but it's unlikely Monkey Island will again see such a concentrated amount of renewed interest.

... Well, maybe not in video game form, anyway. A savvy LEGO maniac has recently made it their mission to recreate scenes from Monkey Island using the famous interlocking blocks, though on a much bigger scale than a simple personal project. Thanks to the LEGO Ideas program, fans can now submit their concepts for dream playsets, and any project with 10,000 or more votes goes under review by a shadowy committee of LEGO overlords, who presumably wear cloaks and speak in a secret code only they can understand. Currently, the proposed Monkey Island set has nearly reached the 25% point with close to 2500 supporters—and if this number seems too small, keep in mind it still has 299 days to reach its goal.

These LucasArts LEGOs stand as one of many fan-based attempts to see beloved properties in plastic block form, but, in this case, a set based on Monkey Island feels extremely appropriate. Since most of the older LucasArts games present their environments via proscenium staging, playing these classic games often feels like you're peering into a digital diorama. The biggest example of this would have to be Maniac Mansion, which presents its setting as if it were an elaborate dollhouse—though most homes frequented by Barbie and friends typically aren't filled with so many creeps and weirdos. And yes, the same designer has a LEGO Ideas project that features the titular Mansion, though it hasn't received nearly the same amount of support as the Monkey Island sets. (Possibly because it might be tough to render the impossible layout of Dr. Fred's residence in three dimensions.)

That said, even if this project makes it to the review phase, LEGO would have to go through Disney for licensing rights, and history has shown they aren't receptive to these sorts of ideas unless they promise to bring in tons of money. But if these hypothetical LEGO sets are priced anywhere near the cost of the recent Simpsons house, that could provide enough of an incentive to make the company loosen its grip on their LucasArts properties. And if they're made aware of the beloved property they're sitting on, who knows what's next? Maybe one day, the circle will be complete and Guybrush and friends will find themselves within the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, where they've always belonged.