Labubu: Sony has officially greenlit a Labubu movie, details revealed

Sony Pictures has officially entered into an agreement to bring Labubu, the adorable and scruffy plush toy of Pop Mart, to theaters. The fans are already excited, thinking of all the cute mess the little creature might cause. Labubu has gained such vast popularity over the past years, transforming itself from a weird flea-market relic into a viral collectible.

It appeared everywhere, with its bunny ears, mischievous smile, and a bit of spookiness, sometimes in the mystery blind boxes, and sometimes you'd spot them on the bags of celebrities. Sony’s choice does not seem illogical: selecting an already existing popular character and transforming it into a fun, family-friendly film that could even become a franchise.

The Labubu movie is currently at an incredibly early phase. The rights have been secured, and the creative team is beginning to brainstorm. It will not be long before we hear news on who will be writing it, who will be directing it, and whether the movie is going to be an animated one or a blend of styles.

Why Labubu?

Labubu was not created with the idea of being a movie star one day. It was started as a designer toy by Pop Mart, based on prior art and storybook characters. As time progressed, Labubu gained popularity due to its limited availability, the surprise/blind box packaging, and the cute-but-weird appearance that many people enjoyed sharing online.

The design of the toy, as well as its marketing, made it famous. Blind boxes were interesting to collect since you did not know what version you were getting. The toys were made in limited quantities, which made them seem special and rare. It did not take long before collectors, fashion influencers, and social media all assisted in making Labubu a big trend out of a small character. It was at that point that entertainment companies came to the realization that Labubu was not just another fad but a good piece of IP with potential.

With Sony filming a movie now, they have at their disposal what fans have already been smitten with: the playful mischief and strange charm of Labubu and a comfortably unusual world. Meanwhile, they are capable of creating a fresh tale with heart, humor, and spectacle that families will enjoy. The fans will desire the movie to be authentic to the original toys, perhaps with harmless nods to the blind-box reveals and the distinctive aura of the character.

The new audience will, however, require a basic, humorous, and attractive plot to be able to comprehend why this small, smiling character is worth cheering on a movie screen.

What kind of movie could Labubu become?

There are numerous directions that the Labubu movie could have taken. A family-friendly animated movie is one of the simplest alternatives - something wholesome, implausible, and rich with fantasy, such as Toy Story or Monsters, Inc. In this adaptation, Labubu might be an outsider who is trying to blend in or a mischievous small hero who makes people see the magic in the ordinary world.

The other direction is live-action with heavy VFX, in which a CGI Labubu would work with real actors, like Jumanji or other recent Sony productions. This style would allow the character to feel real while preserving its cute, fantasy feel.

Due to the popularity of Labubu with its collectible variants, Sony can also establish a franchise or anthology. The sequels would feature a different Labubu design or introduce new friends of the monster, reminiscent of the blind-box collection fun.

Regardless of form, the formula will be the same: maintain the weird, cute appeal of Labubu, but provide the story with a warm emotional core like a journey of belonging, identity, or helping others, and then wrap it in humor that will amuse both children and adults.