Labubu’s toothy grin will soon be magnified for all to see on the big screens.
Chinese toymaker Pop Mart, the company behind the viral “The Monsters” IP, announced on Thursday that it was creating a Labubu movie with Sony Pictures Entertainment.
“The film, still in early development, will be a live‑action and CGI hybrid bringing LABUBU’s whimsical world to the big screen,” the companies said in a joint press release.
The film brings together big names in Hollywood. It will be produced and directed by Paul King, the filmmaker behind “Wonka” and “Paddington,” per the release.
The screenplay will be done by Kasing Lung, the creator of the Labubu character, and Steven Levenson, known for his work in “Dear Evan Hansen,” and “Tick, Tick… Boom!”
The movie was announced during the Paris stop of “The Monsters'” exhibition tour, celebrating the IP’s 10th anniversary.
The release did not specify when the movie would be released.
Labubu has enjoyed more than a year of viral success, with its toys highly sought after. Per a Pop Mart earnings report in September, “The Monsters” IP generated $700 million in half-year revenue, accounting for nearly half of the company’s IP sales.
The movie announcement comes as Pop Mart works hard to maintain Labubu’s staying power and extend its lifespan. Last week, the company launched a collection with Sanrio, the brand behind Hello Kitty, My Melody, and Cinnamoroll.
In September, Pop Mart’s operations chief, Si De, said to Reuters that Pop Mart had “learned from Disney for a long time,” and said Disney’s value was in its ability to keep its IP relevant over a long period of time.
He said that learning from Disney, Pop Mart is thinking about how to invest in “better products, finding better collaborations, developing content, theme parks, store displays” first for Labubu, followed by its other popular IP characters.
Pop Mart has a theme park in Beijing called Popland.
Read the full article here
