LEGO launches first live-action musical with High School Musical legend

LEGO is attempting something it has never done before, turning its Friends world into a live-action musical with a little help from the man behind High School Musical.

LEGO Friends: Heartlake the Musical combines live actors with the familiar brick-built world for a 90-minute film led by filmmaker Kenny Ortega.

Heartlake City comes to life

Jada Langley stars as Daisy, a teenager unexpectedly transported into Heartlake City after discovering a mysterious LEGO set.

Once there, she meets a group of new friends and discovers that a beloved local landmark is under threat. Saving it requires the characters to work together while Daisy tries to find her way home.

Ortega serves as executive producer and helped create the story, making his involvement particularly interesting for anyone who grew up with Disney's High School Musical films. His other musical credits include Newsies and the Descendants franchise.

The film marks LEGO's first attempt at a full live-action musical, although animation and LEGO elements remain part of the finished world.

It also arrives at an interesting time for toy-based entertainment. Rather than simply adapting an existing LEGO story, Heartlake the Musical uses music, live performers and a fantasy journey to bring the Friends characters and locations into a different format.

There isn't long to wait either.

LEGO Friends: Heartlake the Musical arrives on 16 October, streaming on Netflix and through LEGO's official YouTube channel.

Images: LEGO.