27 July 2026

Review: 21370 E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial from LEGO® Ideas

Posted by Elspeth De Montes

It's time to grab your Speak and Spell and mount your BMX, because E.T. needs to phone home. Set 21370 E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is the latest set to emerge from the LEGO® Ideas platform.

It's not just 1980s nostalgia in the box; there's a new mould, a couple of new prints and a lot of medium nougat to feast on.


We were given this product by The LEGO Group; the author's opinions are their own.
This article contains affiliate links to LEGO.com; we may get a small commission if you purchase.

21370 E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial

  • Release date: 1 August 2026 – pre order now from the links below!
  • Pieces: 1226
  • Ages: 18+

Price: 

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Lego Ideas 21370 E.T. 

Background


Just in case anyone has not heard of E.T. the Extra Terrestrial, this iconic 1982 movie was directed by Steven Spielberg and told the story of a 10-year old boy, Elliot who encounters an alien who was accidentally left behind on Earth. Elliot helps E.T. phone home to get his friends to collect him from Earth, before he becomes a test specimen for the American government.



The original LEGO Ideas submission was submitted by Richard Lemieter (known as Lafabrick on LEGO Ideas) in April 2023. His submission was ⅓ scale, had 2990 parts and included play features of the light up chest brick and an extendable neck.

©2016 LEGO Group

This is not the first official E.T. set of course; you may remember that LEGO® Dimensions also featured an minifigure-scale E.T. along with his red telephone accessory in 71258 E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial Fun Pack, released in 2016.

Elements of interest

We think this is first time that every single one of the new elements (new mould, recolour and reprints) in a set is one colour; welcome to the medium nougat parts pack!

New mould: Brick Round 2 x 2 D. Tube with 90° Elbow

There is one new mould in the set, and it's another macaroni.




  • 2x Brick Round 2 x 2 D. Tube with 90° Elbow and Axle Holes (Crossholes) at Each End in Medium Nougat (6623921 | 8384)


The new mould is a variation on the round 2 x 2 D. tube, but it has a 90° curve rather than 45°.



Each element spans across 3 modules with a 1-module radius arch in the inner curve. Only two are included in the set, but 4 would make a 6x6 donut with a 2x2 central hole.



There is an axle hole at each end with a 3x3 outside curve and a 1x1 inside curve.


The outer 3x3 curve fits with many different elements that have a matching curve, including but not limited to:
  • Brick Round Corner 6 x 6 x 2 in Med Lavender (87559)
  • Brick Arch 1 x 4 x 3 in Dark Pink (80543)
  • Brick Round Corner 4 x 4 x 1 in Vibrant  Yellow (5651)
  • Brick Round Corner 5 x 5 Macaroni with 1/3 Inner Side in Sand Blue (5532)
  • Brick Round Corner 5 x 5 x 1 Curved, Bottom Cut Outs, No Studs, 9 Bottom Tubes in Lime (7033)
  • Plate Round Corner 5 x 5 with 4 x 4 Round Cutout in Yellow (80015)
  • Brick Round Corner 4 x 4 Macaroni Wide with 3 Studs in Dark Turquoise (48092)
  • Brick Arch 1 x 5 x 3 1/3 Curved Top in Light Bluish Gray (5845) but the macaroni needs to be raised by a plate to match the 3⅓ height.

Recolours

  • 12x Tile Special 2 x 2 Corner with Cut Corner - Facet in Medium Nougat (6561194 | 27263)
  • 11x Bracket 1 x 1 - 1 x 1 in Medium Nougat (6605747 | 36841)
  • 16x Bracket 1 x 2 - 2 x 2 Inverted in Medium Nougat (6605751 | 99207)

  • 2x Bar 1L with Clip [Cut Edges and One Side Hole] [Full Clip] in Medium Nougat (6627734 | 3484)
  • 2x Plate Special 1 x 2 Side Handle [Free Ends] in Medium Nougat (6627736 | 2540)
  • 4x Brick Special 1 x 1 with Headlight in Medium Nougat (6595992 | 4070)

  • 6x Brick Curved 2 x 2 with Curved Front, 2 Studs in Medium Nougat (6616675 | 7037)
  • 2x Wheel Arch, Mudguard 2 x 3 x 1⅓ with 2 x 2 Plate in Medium Nougat (6623685 | 49097)
  • 1x Brick Curved 2 x 2 x ⅔ Two Studs and Curved Slope End in Medium Nougat (6627732 | 47457)
  • 4x Slope Curved 1 x 2 Inverted with 1 x 1 Cutouts in Medium Nougat (6627733 | 5847)
  • 3x Slope Curved 3 x 2 Beveled with Stud Notch Right in Medium Nougat (6627739 | 6823)
  • 3x Slope Curved 3 x 2 Beveled with Stud Notch Left in Medium Nougat (6627738 | 6822)

  • 2x Brick Round 2 x 2 D. Tube with 45° Elbow and Axle Holes (Crossholes) at Each End [LONG] in Medium Nougat (6473689 | 5489) – note the shorter version of this element (65473) has appeared before in Medium Nougat.
  • 4x Plate Round 1 x 2 Half Circle with Stud (Jumper) in Medium Nougat (6612452 | 1745)
  • 5x Tile Round 2 x 2 with Hole in Medium Nougat (6627731 | 15535)
  • 5x Plate Round 4 x 4 with Pin Hole in Medium Nougat (6627740 | 60474)
  • 7x Light Cover with Internal Bar / Bionicle Barraki Eye with Hole in Bar in Medium Nougat (6627829 | 4278)

  • 2x Technic Ball Joint with Through Axle Hole in Medium Nougat (6632284 | 53585) 
  • 1x Technic Plate 2 x 6 in Medium Nougat (6632283 | 32001)

New prints

  • 1x Plate Round 2 x 2 with Rounded Bottom [Boat Stud] with print in Medium Nougat (6612339)
  • 1x Plate Round 2 x 2 with Rounded Bottom [Boat Stud] with print in Medium Nougat (6612340)

Rare elements

In one previous set


  • 1x Technic Brick Special 1 x 2 with Ball Socket Wide in Dark Azure (6610805 | 7510)
  • 4x Plate 1 x 1 x ⅔ with Open Stud in Medium Azure (6610949 | 86996)
  • 10x Brick Arch 1 x 4 x 2⅓ Curved Top in Medium Nougat (6611004 | 5844)
  • 16x Brick Curved 2 x 2 x 1⅔ in Medium Nougat (6596462 | 7527)
  • 1x Plate 2 x 10 in Medium Nougat (6607346 | 3832)
  • 3x Slope Curved 2 x 2 with Stud Notch Left in Medium Nougat (6590764 | 5095)
  • 3x Slope Curved 2 x 2 with Stud Notch Right in Medium Nougat (6590765 | 5093)
  • 12x Slope Curved 2 x 2 x ⅔ Inverted in Medium Nougat (6586093 | 32803)
  • 4x Technic Brick 1 x 2 with Axle Hole Type 1 in Medium Nougat (6611003 | 31493)
  • 6x Wedge Plate 2 x 2 Cut Corner in Medium Nougat (6560655 | 26601)

In two previous sets


  • 2x Plate Special 1 x 2 with Clip Vertical on End in Medium Nougat (6527815 | 78256)
  • 2x Plate Special 1 x 1 Rounded with Handle in Medium Nougat (6442898 | 26047)
  • 1x Plate 4 x 10 in Medium Nougat (6596437 | 3030)

The build

The build starts with E.T.'s feet which each have a 2x2 turntable hidden inside to allow positioning. The six 2x2 rounded bricks with curved front (7037) form the toes.


The central portion looks more like some bookshelves than an alien's innards. Spot the little movie references including a red telephone to "phone home" and the spaceship returning to collect E.T. at the end of the movie. Ironically, there is no actual red phone in the movie; rather, it's a Speak and Spell toy which did not have a red handset. But let's not let that get in the way of a fun Easter egg.

This is the layered panel that attaches to the 'shelving' to become E.T.'s lower back and butt, and a similar method is used to create the belly. You simply stick it on, which did remind me a bit of those fake belly and butt prosthetics.



The shaping uses a lot of layers of curves and rounded plates to give a wrinkly and saggy final result. It's not a bad representation – he's not the prettiest of aliens.



E.T. has long, skinny arms and this alien attribute certainly is highlighted in the LEGO model. The new macaroni mould with 90° elbow (8384) is used to create the shoulders, while its recoloured 45° sibling (5489) forms the elbow joint. This means that while the shoulder and elbow can rotate, they cannot flex or extend from the fixed 90° or 45° angles respectively.


The hand and fingers offer further joints at the alien equivalent of wrist, metacarpal and, for some of the digits, phalangeal joints. The 'colour-locked' light bluish grey Mixel joints jump out here, as they so often do in builds.


In the movie, E.T. uses his index finger to use his powers (e.g. to heal or use his psychic abilities). I had to go back and check the movie as I thought it was his right index finger that glowed but it seems to be either right or left, depending on the scene. Note that his LEGO finger doesn't glow; a trans-red Barraki eye (4278) is used to give the impression of a glowing tip.



My favourite part of the model is the head. I think the designers did a great job with the shaping as it is not the easiest head to represent in LEGO form. 

Many of the new recolours we highlighted are used in this area, as well as the boat-stud printed eyes, which are connected to the anti-stud on the base of the newly recoloured medium nougat headlight bricks (4070) – you can just see them peeking out under the medium nougat mudguards (49097) in the uppermost image above.


E.T.'s head and neck are actually quite robust thanks to the ball joint socket (7510) under the back, but nodding movement is possible with the ball joint with through axle (53585). His head can rotate 360°, it can nod, his mouth can open and close, but there's no side-to-side tilting.


Completed build

The final model measures 24.5 cm (9.5 in.) tall.



E.T. is not pretty by human standards but he is 'nostalgically cute', as the model evokes memories of his antics in the movie.  If you have never seen the movie, he is the alien equivalent of a Sphinx cat. 


E.T. holds a pot plant with (mainly) yellow flowers because, at the start of the movie, E.T. and his crew mates are actually collecting botanical samples and E.T. is left behind when he wanders off like a distracted child. At the end of the movie, the younger sister Gertie hands E.T. this potted plant to take back onto the spacecraft.


Play features

The main play features are the posability – E.T. has joints in his fingers and wrists, plus his shoulders, feet and neck can rotate – and the red brick light in his chest glows, just like the pivotal moment in the movie. 

His mouth can open but it should be noted that the final model does not have the ability to extend the neck, unlike the original submission.


A lever at the back is depressed to activate the light brick, until the lever is released.  


Final thoughts

There's no doubt that this is E.T.: he is as ugly and odd-looking in LEGO form as he was in the original movie. This set will carry peak 1980s nostalgia value for the many who loved the movie, and he has enough moveable joints to reenact some of his famous movie poses with head movements and finger pointing – but no neck extension.

I think the LEGO Ideas team have done well with this model: it is sturdy as a display model while also having a few play features in there. The shaping and the wrinkly skin is accurate, although his butt and belly do have that slight 'stuck-on prosthetic' vibe.  I read a comment somewhere saying his belly looked like a colostomy bag stuck on, and now I cannot unsee that...

The price of US$139.99/ £119.99/ 129.99€ for 1226 pieces gives a price per piece of 11.4¢/ 9.8p/ 10.6¢ which is, I imagine, a bit higher to pay the IP dues.  There are a lot of great medium nougat recolours: this is a flexible colour that can be useful for landscapes, buildable figures, architecture and vehicles in your MOCs.


Pre-order available now in advance of August release

Lego Ideas 21370 E.T. 


READ MORE: Review of the LEGO® Super Mario™ playable set 72051 Donkey Kong Arcade 

 

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