LEGO Harry Potter Sorting Hat Actually Speaks And Selects Your Hogwarts House

The LEGO Harry Potter lineup expands today with the launch of the 76429 Sorting Hat set, which includes a sound brick that will activate 1 of 31 randomized sounds when you tip it or place it on your head. This includes Hogwarts house selection and the Sorting Hat sound.

The 561-piece Sorting Hat LEGO set also includes a stand with Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw crest decorations and a Harry Potter character minifigure wearing a Sorting Hat of his own. Pre-orders are live here at the LEGO Shop for $99.99 with a release date set for March 1st. The product page also includes a video of the hat in action. UPDATE: Pre-orders are now available on Amazon as well. 

Note that the LEGO Sorting Hat set measures roughly 9.5 in. (24 cm) high and 7.5 in. (19 cm) in diameter, so it’s not exactly life-size, but it will make for a great display in much the same way as the LEGO mask / helmet series does. 

In other Harry Potter merch news, some cuddly new Wizarding World additions have arrived in the Squishmallows lineup. The collection includes 10-inch Squishmallow plush of Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger in their Hogwarts uniforms. Rounding out the list is Hedwig, who is the cutest of the bunch. Pre-orders for the new Harry Potter Squishmallows are live here on Amazon now. Inside that link you’ll also find previously released Harry Potter Squishmallows inspired by Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw Hogwarts houses.

Harry Potter TV Series Is Coming to Max

Last year, Warner Bros. Discovery announced that they are set to reboot the Harry Potter franchise for the Max streaming service. They describe the upcoming series as follows; 

 “The stories from each of Rowling’s Harry Potter books will become a decade-long series produced with the same epic craft, love and care this global franchise is known for. The series will feature a new cast to lead a new generation of fandom, full of the fantastic detail, much loved characters and dramatic locations that Harry Potter fans have loved for over 25 years. Each season will be authentic to the original books and bring Harry Potter and these incredible adventures to new audiences around the world, while the original, classic and beloved films will remain at the core of the franchise and available to watch globally.”

“We are delighted to give audiences the opportunity to discover Hogwarts in a whole new way,” said Casey Bloys, chairman and CEO, HBO & Max Content. “Harry Potter is a cultural phenomenon and it is clear there is such an enduring love and thirst for the Wizarding World. In partnership with Warner Bros. Television and J.K. Rowling, this new Max Original series will dive deep into each of the iconic books that fans have continued to enjoy for all of these years.”

Added Rowling, “Max’s commitment to preserving the integrity of my books is important to me, and I’m looking forward to being part of this new adaptation which will allow for a degree of depth and detail only afforded by a long-form television series.