Viral plush toy is heading to big screen after a deal was signed with details still unclear over whether it would be live-action or animated
Labubus could be headed to the big screen. Sony Pictures has acquired the screen rights to the plush toy sensation and is in early development of a feature film which, if successful, would anchor a new franchise.
The deal, first reported by the Hollywood Reporter, was signed this week between the Chinese toy makers and Sony Pictures, whose animation division is fresh off the global success of KPop Demon Hunters. No producer or film-maker is attached to the project yet, and it’s still unclear if the film would be live-action or animated.
The toys, designed by the European-based artist Kasing Lung and initially sold as part of a line of monster figurines by the company How2 Work, first took off in south-east Asia in 2019, after they were marketed by Chinese retailer Pop Mart. The popularity of the dolls, which Lung says were inspired by Nordic fairytales after moving to the Netherlands from Hong Kong as a child, has been fueled by social media posts of live unboxings that showcase rare collections, as well as their adoption by prominent celebrities.
