Is Sony turning the Labubu craze into its next big movie as the collectible toy phenomenon hits Hollywood?

Hollywood keeps turning its attention to stories based on toys, raising questions about whether Sony might capitalize on Labubu's rising fame. This collectible figure has gained huge popularity on social media worldwide.

According to Variety, a Labubu movie is currently in development. Variety's J. Kim Murphy wrote:

"Labubu cinema is real. Sony Pictures has acquired screen rights to the Chinese brand and has set its sights on developing a feature film, and potentially a franchise, based on the ubiquitous and very trendy dolls that became a pop culture fixation over the past year."

A 'Labubu' movie is now in the works at Sony

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Movies inspired by toys and games often become massive hits at the box office, leading studios to seek out more opportunities like this.

The roots of this movement can be traced back to several big releases. One example is “Barbie,” the 2023 live-action film made by Warner Bros. Entertainment and Mattel. It became a massive cultural and financial hit, making over $1.4 billion.

Following its success, Variety reported that Mattel began working on more than a dozen new movies inspired by its toy line. These include a Polly Pocket film directed by Lena Dunham, a live-action Hot Wheels movie from “Wicked” director Jon M. Chu, and a Matchbox car movie featuring John Cena. This path of success is similar to the one kicked off by “The Lego Movie” in 2014, which drew major attention to toy-based films.

Labubu’s rise from art toy to mainstream phenomenon

BLACKPINK’s Lisa kicked off the Labubu moment in 2024, followed by Kim Kardashian and Rihanna. David Beckham joined in as well. Following that string of celebrity sightings, the once-niche dolls suddenly gained mainstream popularity.

Games also play a big role in this change. Video game adaptations are gaining popularity, with films like “A Minecraft Movie” becoming the top-earning domestic release of 2025. In 2023, “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” ended the year as the second-highest-grossing film just behind “Barbie.” Studios now trust game-inspired movies more, with recent approvals for projects based on Catan, Call of Duty, and the nostalgic 3D-image toy View-Master.

Labubu joining this conversation demonstrates how it evolved from being a niche art toy to a popular trend. Hong Kong artist Kasing Lung introduced Labubu in picture books back in 2015. In 2019, Lung teamed up with the Chinese company Pop Mart to create a collectible toy series featuring the character.

The figures became well-known because of their unique "ugly-cute" style and playful expressions. They gained widespread fame on TikTok, where they became one of the most talked-about consumer trends of the year. A huge factor in their success was Pop Mart's "blind box" concept.

Every sealed box comes with a random Labubu design, and there's a slim chance of getting a rare "secret" character. This setup led to a surge of unboxing videos online and created massive excitement among collectors.

When new launches appeared in stores, fans often described long lines and quick sellouts. Some buyers even engaged in unusual behavior, such as engaging in store arguments or paying sky-high resale prices. A few of these collectible dolls have even been sold for thousands of dollars.

As Hollywood shifts more toward creating content inspired by toys, and with Labubu’s growing fame, many are curious to see if studios like Sony plan to bring the character to the big screen.