The Old Man and the Sea, the Hemingway book that depicts Santiago’s gruelling battle with a giant marlin, is coming as a LEGO set.
The Old Man and the Sea has officially been announced as an upcoming LEGO set. The fan model that will inspire the final design depcits the marlin leaping out of the sea on the sunrise of the third day, challenging Santiago a final time before the old man is defeated by the power of nature.
Following the trials of ageing fisherman Santiago as he battles a giant marlin for three days, The Old Man and the Sea is renowned for its themes surrounding resilience and the honour that can come from defeat. While Santiago ultimately loses the fish to sharks, he wins the battle of endurance. Although it was never confirmed by author Ernest Hemingway, the novella is assumed to be a reflection on his own beliefs about courage during the hardships of life.
Fan designer lyan ha submitted The Old Man and the Sea, based on the literary classic, to the LEGO Ideas platform where it swam to the 10,000 votes required to be considered for review. It was placed in the Parking Lot for further consideration during the last review period, but now it has been cleared and is set to become an official product.
What makes this set particularly striking is that there is no visual reference for the model. Apart from the book’s changing cover designs over the years, there are no screen adaptations to inspire the build. “I made a scene from the novel and divided into three parts: the old man’s boat, the marlin and the sea,” explains lyan Ha. “And when these are combined, the diorama is completed. It’s this specific scene in the novel that depicts the old man trying not to lose to the marlin when the sun rises and the fish jumps to the surface on the third day of the old man’s fight with it.”
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The model also cleverly uses proportions to capture this struggle, with the marlin being far bigger than both the boat and Santiago himself. All of which is grounded in a frame that is actually a book, as if the fish were leaping from the pages. Speaking of books, the colour choices, a striking mix of orange and blue, make the set appear very similar to the current cover available on shelves and the Spanish translation (El Viejo y El Mar).
This has been announced alongside the upcoming LEGO Ideas Amsterdam Canal Houses, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation and Edward Scissorhands. One more LEGO Ideas set is possibly coming in the future, as Lunch Atop A Skyscraper has been placed in the Parking Lot.
The theme has a stacked slate, with lots of models coming later this year and throughout 2027, including The X-Files, Wallace & Gromit, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, Downton Abbey, La Catrina, Ramen, Smurf Village and Go Go Power Rangers! Megazord.
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