Labubu creators hope for monster film hit in Sony co-production

Created in 2015, Labubus sparked a craze years later, with charms adorning the handbags of celebrities from Rihanna to Dua Lipa – Copyright AFP Hector RETAMAL

China’s snaggle-toothed Labubu dolls will soon come alive on the big screen after flying off the toy shelves, with maker Pop Mart announcing a collaboration with Sony Pictures.

The movie, which is still in early development, will feature the fanged plushie monsters in a “live-action and CGI hybrid”, Beijing-based Pop Mart said on Thursday.

Created in 2015 by Hong Kong artist Kasing Lung, Labubus sparked a craze nine years later, with the “ugly-cute” charms adorning the handbags of celebrities such as Rihanna and Dua Lipa and sparking massive queues at Pop Mart stores around the world.

Vivian Jia, a Canadian tourist visiting Pop Mart’s flagship Shanghai flagship store, said she was looking forward to watching the Labubu movie with her children.

“I think they’re so cute, especially the ones with the eyes that move… my friends’ kids all like (Labubus) too,” she told AFP.

Jia said she spent more than 400 yuan ($58) on a Labubu figure, which she said she planned to display in her living room in Vancouver.

The new film project, unveiled by Lung and director Paul King (“Wonka” and “Paddington”) in Paris on Thursday, will seek to capitalise on the dolls’ viral fame by bringing “Labubu’s whimsical world to the big screen”, Pop Mart said.

– ‘Cool’ China –

The collectable dolls, which typically sell for around $40, are released in limited quantities and sold in “blind boxes”, meaning buyers do not know the exact model they will receive.

Some of the less common Labubu figures can fetch thousands of dollars.

Pop Mart sold more than 100 million Labubu dolls worldwide last year, with Chinese officials hailing the toothy characters’ popularity as evidence of China’s growing cultural and soft power.

They have become furry ambassadors for a “cool” China, even in places such as Europe and North America, where public opinion towards Beijing has not always been positive.

Camilla Pinheiro, a Brazilian Pop Mart fan who bought several dolls at the Shanghai store, said she would prefer a movie franchise about some of Pop Mart’s less well-known toy lines, such as the punk-inspired Peach Riot figures.

“The whole (Labubu) fever, it was kind of intense… by the time they finish the movie, it will be so saturated,” Pinheiro said.

King will share scriptwriting duties with Tony Award-winner Steven Levenson.

“The collaboration between Pop Mart and Sony Pictures marks a significant milestone,” Pop Mart said, which promises “a unique cinematic experience with creative storytelling, artistic vision and enduring global appeal”.

The company now has more than 600 stores in over 30 countries and regions.

A release date for the film has not yet been announced.