The Labubu plush toys are heading to Hollywood as Sony is in early development to make a film on them. The Culver City studios has picked up rights to the Chinese doll brand. If successfully made and released, there are plans to make it into a franchise.
At this stage, there is no filmmaker attached to bring a film on the viral collectibles to the screen as a deal was signed just a week ago. No details on whether the film would be in live-action or animated format.
A massive trend that has captivated Gen-Z and Alpha, Labubus have taken over toy stores and social media for being a part of celebrities' wardrobe and as bag charms. Their toothy grin, rabbit-like ears and 'demonic'-looking faces were created by Hong Kong native and European-based designer Kasing Lung in 2015. Initially manufactured by How2 Work, they were later taken over by Chinese retailer Pop Mart who made and sold them since 2019. They were a part of the creator's story series The Monsters, which was inspired by Nordic folklore after moving to the Netherlands from Hong Kong as a child.
The Labubu market boomed after it went to the US were it was being sold in black markets for skyrocketing prices through blind boxes --- where buyers would not know which kind of labubu they were buying until they open them. This made its value rise to over triple and quadruple prices in retail markets and auctions.
Celebrities such as K-pop group Blackpink member Lisa, Rihanna and Emma Roberts, among others using as a bag charm have increased their value tremendously so much that new editions of the toy are being sold out within a few minutes of its launch.
Pop Mart’s 2024 annual report states that The Monsters line brought in $430 million, accounting for 23.3% of the company’s annual revenue. In the first six months of 2025, the same line earned $670 million.
Characters who could make it as part of the new movie are Labubu as the central monster doll, along with key figures like fellow leader Zimomo, companion Mokoko, boyfriend Tycoco, and several other characters from the lineup.
The Labubu movie is the latest in the line of films being inspired from dolls. With the massive success of Greta Gerwig's Barbie movie, a massive market for toy-based films has opened up at Hollywood. At one stage, Barbie manufacturer Mattel was said to be developing movie pitches for more than 45 of its brands, from Hot Wheels and He-Man to Polly Pocket.
Most recently, Sony and Mattel revealed a new collaboration to develop a movie centered on the classic View-Master game.