Labubu is headed to the big screen. Sony Pictures has secured the film rights to the Chinese brand and is now planning to develop a feature movie, with the possibility of launching an entire franchise, based on the wildly popular dolls that have dominated pop culture over the past year.
The project is still in its earliest stages, with no cast, creative team, or producers attached as of yet. Sony Pictures did not provide any comment on the developing plans.
Although Labubu originally debuted in 2015, the fanged collectible figurines only recently surged into popularity, starting with a dedicated niche audience and quickly expanding into a full-blown mainstream obsession.
Created by Chinese toy manufacturer Pop Mart, the toys are sold in a “blind-box” format, which means buyers have no idea which character they’re getting until the box is opened.
This surprise-based packaging has helped fuel a highly competitive and often expensive secondary market for the figurines.
Their popularity was further boosted by a wave of celebrity endorsements, especially from the K-pop community, turning Labubu into a household name almost overnight.
“Labubu is my baby,” Blackpink’s Lisa declared in a Teen Vogue interview earlier this year. NBA star Dillon Brooks also joined the craze, wearing a Labubu pendant on a chain when he arrived for a playoff game in May.
“I like the Labubus. I got like four of them,” Brooks said in an interview in October. “I like the trend. It’s cool and Um… It’s cute.”
Given the lengthy timeline involved in developing a feature film, securing the screen rights now signals Sony’s confidence that the Labubu brand will continue to hold cultural relevance long enough to attract moviegoing audiences in the future.