3 Minutes
Paul King takes on the Labubu phenomenon
British director Paul King, celebrated for the warm wit of Paddington 2 and the whimsy of Wonka, has been tapped to direct a big-screen adaptation of Labubu — the collectible toy line that became a global craze after Pop Mart launched it in 2019. Sony Pictures is producing in close collaboration with Pop Mart, and the project is being positioned as the potential seed of a new family-friendly franchise centered on Labubu's scruffy, lovable monsters.
What is Labubu and why does it matter?
Labubu began as an art-toy series designed by Kasing Lung and initially produced by How2 Work, but it exploded in popularity when Chinese retailer Pop Mart started selling the figures in blind-box format. Fans love the surprise element: buyers don't know which figure they will get until they open the box. That blind-box economy has created feverish demand and a lucrative secondary market where rare models fetch high prices — a modern collector story perfectly suited to cinematic exploration.
Why Paul King?
King's track record with character-driven family films makes him an intriguing fit. Paddington 2 showed his talent for balancing comedy, heart, and visual invention; Wonka proved he can reimagine a beloved property for new audiences. Comparisons to other toy-to-film successes are inevitable — think The LEGO Movie's clever meta-humor and the franchise-building ambitions behind the Transformers and Toy Story series — but King tends to favor warmth and emotional stakes over spectacle alone.
Format, writers and next steps
Sony and producers Department M and Wenxin She are still casting the creative team; a screenwriter has not yet been announced. It is unclear whether the adaptation will be live-action, animation, or a hybrid; each route has pros and cons. Animated or fully CGI Labubu could lean into the surreal charm of the toys, while a live-action approach might blend practical creature design with digital effects to appeal to families and collectors alike.
Beyond the creative questions, the project reflects an industry trend: studios looking to convert collectible brands and global toy phenomena into cinematic universes. Sony's recent animation hit, KPop Demon Hunters on Netflix, shows the studio's willingness to invest in bold, internationally-minded animated content.
A fan-driven property with an enthusiastic global collector base gives this movie real commercial promise — and with Paul King on board, it could become a surprisingly tender and inventive addition to the toy-to-film canon. Keep an eye out for casting and the writer announcements in the coming months.
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