Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory

Our little journey here has reached its end.

Today, August 5, 2024, the LEGO Ideas team has announced that the project "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Here We Go Again!" by @2PPL has been chosen to become an official LEGO set. And, before anything else, I would like to wish them a massive congratulations and round-of-applause on this great achievement. I wish the same to @Galaxy333, as their "Italian Rivera" has also been chosen to become an official LEGO set.

However, what this does unfortunately mean is that the journey of this project, "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory", is now at an end. That is a very bittersweet feeling. This was my first LEGO Ideas project, and the one I had wanted to make ever since I first learned about the platform in 2012 - back when it was CUUSOO. I remember being a tot, and making drawings of "blueprints" of how the set would be designed, and everything it would entail. I remember starting on a design of it back when LEGO Digital Designer was still around, but ultimately not feeling satisfied with where I was as a builder. I, of course, remember in 2021 when I finally started laying bricks in Stud.io, and the ensuing year over which I iterated on every aspect of the model until I was satisfied. And I remember when, on the day I finally posted it back in February of 2022, "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory" managed to accrue its first 100 supporters in less than 16 hours - the most explosive launch I've ever had for one of my projects, and a memory I will always cherish.

I would like to thank each and every person who has supported either submission of this project over the past two-and-a-half years. Combining both submissions, this project received a total of 5,719 supports. 5,719! That's insane! It's difficult to imagine 5,719 of anything (except LEGO bricks), and I will eternally be greatful that so many of you stopped to support my little project. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

So, is this the end? Of course not! I still have three other Ideas projects up on the site right now with two more in the works to drop later this year. There are other LEGO projects I'm working on outside of Ideas, and other-other projects I'm working on outside of LEGO at all! If you want to keep up with where I'm at, feel free to follow my profile on Ideas to see future projects when they release, and check out the other projects I've already posted.

As for me, I'd better get back to work! There's so little time with so much to do, and there's no time to dally when wonders await.

Thank you again,

David, "Retro Brick Renders"