Sony Pictures is turning the wildly popular Labubu toy line into a feature film, pushing the viral collectible brand toward the big screen in what could become the studio’s next franchise bet.
The deal, confirmed by multiple outlets including Reuters and The Guardian, places Sony among the growing list of studios mining toy culture for cinematic universes. And Labubu, with its oversized eyes, eerie-cute expressions and near-cult following, has become one of the most recognizable characters in the global designer-toy scene.
The project is still in its earliest stages. No director, cast, or screenwriter has been announced, and Sony hasn’t said whether the film will be animated, live-action, or somewhere in between. Even so, the studio’s decision signals confidence in a brand that has exploded far beyond its original niche.
Labubu began as part of the “Monster” line created by Hong Kong artist Kasing Lung and distributed by toy giant Pop Mart. What started as a quirky designer figure sold in blind boxes is now a high-demand collectible, with some editions reselling for thousands of dollars. The toys’ odd charm, somewhere between fairy-tale mischief and dark fantasy, is a big reason fans line up for releases the way sneakerheads chase limited drops.
A senior figure familiar with the project described Labubu as “an IP with global potential,” hinting that Sony sees space for more than a one-off film. People involved in the early conversations have also suggested the company might build a broader universe around the toy’s many characters: Zimomo, Tycoco, and others that dedicated fans already recognize.
Collectors won’t be surprised. Labubu isn’t just a toy; it’s a cultural moment. Celebrity sightings helped push it mainstream last year, especially when K-pop star Lisa was photographed with one at an airport. Overnight, demand surged.
The trick for Sony will be translating a character with limited established lore into a full narrative movie. There’s no standard storyline, no previous TV adaptation, no defining canon. That gives the studio creative freedom. It also raises stakes. Building a world from scratch is harder than adapting an existing one, but the payoff can be huge if audiences connect with it.
Sony hasn’t offered a timeline for release, and insiders say the film is still “in development, not production,” meaning the earliest viewers might see anything is several years from now.
Still, the move fits a broader Hollywood trend. After the success of Barbie and the continued demand for branded IP, toy-to-screen adaptations have become some of the most aggressively pursued projects in the industry. Labubu is the latest—and one of the most unusual—to join that list.
For now, fans only know one thing: Labubu is heading to the movies. Everything else, from style to story to cast, will be revealed piece by piece. Much like the toys themselves.
