You really can make a film about anything these days – and we’re certainly not complaining! While book to film adaptations are a match made in heaven, video game movies feel like a fairly new and exciting innovation in Hollywood. We’ve even had films about meatballs and hotdogs… So why not a film about Labubus?
Joining the ranks of films about toys like Toy Story, which we can all agree set the precedent, and – in more recent years – Greta Gerwig’s Barbie, Deadline revealed that Sony is in early development for a film about the viral keyring plushie, Labubus.
Yep, you read that right. Those blind box reveal videos you’ve seen across TikTok, manufactured by Chinese retailer Pop Mart, are being turned into a feature length film. Not gonna lie, we’re kind of obsessed by the idea!
What is a Labubu?
Labubu was designed by Kasing Lung in 2015, but it’s only in the last year that they’ve become a global obsession, with the monetary value of one of the dolls skyrocketing. In the UK, retail price was around £17. However, you’d now be hard-pressed to get your hands on one for sub-£50.
Based on Nordic folklore, Kasing Lung’s Labubu dolls are a part of a series called The Monsters – and they’re just that. Creepy yet cute looking gremlins with sharp teeth and big, glinting anime eyes.
Part of their charm is there are different versions, but you won’t know what colour you get until you’ve bought and opened the box. They come as a part of a rising popularity in “blind boxes”, encouraging consumers to buy multiple in order to get the specific variant they’re after.
In the first six months of 2025, Labubus made more than $670 million for Pop Mart, according to Deadline, making up 35% of the retailer’s total revenue. So yeah, they’re a big deal.
Why are Labubu so popular?
Aside from being adorably weird, plenty of big profile names have been seen sporting a Labubu hanging off of their handbag. Lisa from Korean girlband Blackpink (and star of season 3 of The White Lotus) is cited as an early fan of Labubu and credited with being one of the celebrities to influence the surge in popularity.
Wicked: For Good star, Michelle Yeoh had a Labubu birthday cake and has been a part of the designer's latest Moynat campaign.
Rihanna has also been spotted with a Labubu hanging off her handbag, as well as members of BTS, Lizzo, and Ben Stiller at a JW Anderson event.
What do we know about the Sony Labubu movie?
Don’t get too excited, it’s very early days with little known about the Labubu movie other than Sony acquiring the rights. Nobody else is yet attached to the film, nor do we know if it will be an animated or live-action film. The Labubu range is so cute, though, that we hope they animate the real-life dolls!
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