How Labubu’s Toy Craze Is Poised to Spark a Sony Franchise

14 November 2025

In a move that underlines Hollywood’s growing appetite for turning pop-culture phenomena into big-screen franchises, Labubu the quirky, monster-faced plush-figure brand that became a hit through blind-box surprise collectibles and celebrity endorsements is set to leap from toy shelves to movie screens under the banner of Sony Pictures. The deal, made with Chinese company Pop Mart, which markets the Labubu line, signals that Sony sees potential in the brand that could rival other toy-based entertainment universes.

Labubu’s journey began with the creative vision of designer Kasing Lung. The Hong Kong born artist drew inspiration from Nordic fairy-tale monsters while living in the Netherlands and later Belgium. The dolls emerged from his “Monsters” series and were first sold by How2Work, before Pop Mart partnered up to launch them across Southeast Asia in 2019. The figures quickly morphed into status symbols among collectors and style-conscious youth. Limited editions sold out in minutes while resale prices escalated into the six figures.

What sets Labubu apart is the way it reflects shifting consumer culture. The blind-box model where buyers don’t know which figure they’ll receive until they open it fueled a frenzy of social-media unboxings. It also flipped the script on how entertainment IP is created. Rather than movies spawning toys, here is a toy becoming a movie. Sony’s adaptation deal signals that they aim not just to ride the wave of Labubu’s current popularity but to build a franchise around it, with characters like Labubu, his love interest Tycoco, and sidekicks like Zimomo and Mokoko all in play.

As of now the film remains in early development. No cast, no writer or director, and no decision about whether it will be animated or live-action has been announced. Sony has opted for discretion so far, declining public comment beyond the deal. This is not unusual in the film industry, but the stakes feel higher given the success of recent toy-based cinema: one cannot help but recall the billion-dollar box office playbook of films like Barbie and The LEGO Movie, both of which turned simple branded figures into cultural touchstones.

For Pop Mart and Lung, the film presents an opportunity to expand Labubu’s reach far beyond the collector crowd and fast-selling drop culture. While the dolls already have grown-up appeal embraced by celebrities like Rihanna and Lisa of Blackpink, who clipped Labubus to their handbags the movie could propel the brand into global consciousness in a way that toy aisles alone cannot.

Yet the adaptation will require more than cute monsters and nostalgia. For Sony this is about narrative architecture. The company must build a story world that connects Labubu’s universe of whimsy and surprise with emotional stakes, character arcs, visual spectacle, and audience resonance. They will need to reconcile the doll’s global appeal with cultural sensitivities, marketing mechanics, and cinematic structure. The phenomenon that worked for limited editions in Asia must now anchor a film that appeals to kids, families, collectors and general moviegoers alike.

If successful, a Labubu film could become a template for how consumer-toy brands evolve into narrative IP. It underlines the shift in which storytelling is no longer only what leads products, but also what earns them enduring value. The industry is increasingly comfortable adapting brands originally created for commerce into cultural content. Sony’s move tells us that the lines between toy makers and film studios are blurring.

Critically, it will be interesting to observe how Sony positions the film: will it carry the edgy, subversive vibe of the original dolls that toy-collecting hobbyists love, or will it lean toward mainstream family entertainment with broad appeal? The noir-cute aesthetic of Labubu monster-cute, slightly strange, design-forward offers both risk and proposition. The success will hinge on how the studio navigates authenticity, audience nostalgia and novelty.

The timing of the deal is relevant. In 2025, Pop Mart reported profit surges of over 300 % as Labubu‘s limited-edition launches sold out instantly, and the secondary-market hype turned the toy into a luxury asset class. With such momentum, Sony appears keen to capture the cultural peak whilst it lasts. The question is whether a film developed at this speed can translate ephemeral hype into lasting cinematic legacy.

Ultimately, what we are seeing is a convergence of retail trends, internet culture, celebrity endorsement and franchise filmmaking. Labubu’s leap from collectible object to major motion picture candidate illustrates how storytelling and commerce operate today: one feeds the other, repeatedly. If the film takes off, it may open the door for other toy-brands to follow, transforming the way we conceive of IP development.

Whether you’re a toy collector, a movie fan or someone interested in how culture evolves across platforms, this deal is significant. What began as a Scandinavian-inspired cute monster now has a path to become a cinematic universe. The big screen may now welcome a toy whose grinning monster face symbolizes not just a fad but a full-blown franchise ambition.