Pop Mart Teams With Sony Pictures To Develop Labubu Feature Film

Pop Mart struck a deal with Sony Pictures Entertainment to produce a movie starring Labubu, the snaggle-toothed plush that exploded in popularity during 2024. Live-action scenes will mix with CGI, the Beijing toy maker.

Paul King will helm the project. He made Paddington, its sequel, and Wonka. Kasing Lung invented Labubu back in 2015 for his picture book series The Monsters Trilogy. He'll work as executive producer. Tony Award-winner Steven Levenson joins King to write the script.

Lung and King revealed the movie in Paris on Thursday. Work has just started, so no premiere date exists yet.

The fanged plush toys triggered a frenzy nine years after Lung first drew them. Rihanna clips them to her bags. So does Dua Lipa. Each collectible costs about $40. They ship in "blind boxes," so buyers can't see which version they're getting until they open it. Rare ones? Those can cost in the thousands.

Last year, the company moved over 100 million Labubu dolls across the globe. This craze drove shares up 64% in twelve months. Pop Mart's worth now tops Hasbro, Mattel, and Sanrio combined.

"I think they're so cute, especially the ones with the eyes that move… my friends' kids all like (Labubus) too," said Vivian Jia to AFP, per Channels. She visited Shanghai's flagship location while vacationing from Canada. She dropped more than 400 yuan ($58) on one to put in her Vancouver living room.

The partnership mirrors how Disney built franchises across movies, toys, and parks. Pop Mart runs over 600 shops in more than 30 countries and territories. London serves as its European base.

Some buyers question whether a film makes sense. "The whole (Labubu) fever, it was kind of intense… by the time they finish the movie, it will be so saturated," said Camilla Pinheiro, a Brazilian fan who bought several dolls at the Shanghai store.