Sony Adopts Viral Sensation Labubu For A Big Screen Monster Makeover
It seems Sony Pictures has decided to bottle a little bit of 2025’s strangest magic. The studio has officially acquired the screen rights to Pop Mart’s viral toy sensation Labubu, the bug eyed, sharp toothed elf that has somehow managed to melt hearts and empty wallets across the world.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Sony plans to turn Labubu into a feature film, with hopes of building a full blown franchise around the mischievous creature. No producer or director has yet been named, and the studio is still deciding whether the project will take the form of an animated adventure or a live action spectacle. Either way, the Labubu invasion is coming, and you can bet those teeth will look great in 4K.
For the uninitiated, Labubu began life as part of a designer toy line created by Hong Kong artist Kasing Lung. Lung’s work was already well known in the Asian art toy scene for its dreamlike weirdness and darker undertones, but when Pop Mart released the Labubu blind box collection, the world lost its collective mind. What started as a quirky collectible became a viral phenomenon, with fans treating the tiny vinyl creature like the lovechild of Gizmo from Gremlins and Stitch from Lilo and Stitch—if both had been raised in a haunted toy shop.
Each Labubu figure features a slightly different look, from forest sprite to mischievous demon, but all share the same scruffy fur, enormous ears, and toothy grin that falls somewhere between cute and chaos. Pop Mart’s marketing strategy only amplified the obsession. The dolls are sold in “blind boxes,” meaning you never know which one you are getting, which has led collectors into a frenzy of trades, resales, and unboxing videos that dominate TikTok and YouTube.
When the toys landed in American stores earlier this year, the Labubu craze went nuclear. Suddenly, A list celebrities were posing with their own dolls. Rihanna, Kim Kardashian, BLACKPINK’s Lisa, and WWE’s Rhea Ripley all joined the growing list of fans proudly showing off their fanged friends. Limited runs sold out instantly, and Pop Mart’s official stores became battlegrounds for eager collectors.
The toy’s aesthetic—equal parts adorable, grotesque, and oddly comforting—has made it a dream for fan artists too. Custom Labubu dolls inspired by horror icons like Freddy Krueger, Chucky, and Art the Clown have popped up on Etsy and Instagram, often fetching prices that would make your average Funko Pop collector weep. There is even an entire subculture of Labubu photography, where fans stage the dolls in cinematic horror tableaus, turning kitchen counters into miniature scenes of chaos.
As for what kind of story Sony might craft, that remains a mystery. The company could go down the animated route, turning Labubu into a misfit hero in a fantastical world full of oddball creatures. Or perhaps they will lean into the darker, Tim Burton style potential of the brand—after all, Labubu’s wide eyes and manic grin would fit right in among the stop motion nightmares of Coraline or Frankenweenie.
Whatever form it takes, the decision to adapt Labubu is a clever one. Hollywood has been mining the public domain and toy aisles for new icons lately, with mixed results. We have already seen horror reimaginings of Winnie the Pooh, Peter Pan, and Bambi, while other studios continue to explore nostalgic figures from Mickey Mouse to Cinderella. But Labubu stands apart. It is a creation born in the internet age—an original character that managed to become a genuine global phenomenon without needing a legacy brand to prop it up.
Pop Mart’s success with Labubu has already transformed the company into one of China’s most powerful forces in designer collectibles. A movie adaptation was almost inevitable. Sony now has the task of turning a two inch vinyl figure into a full length feature that captures the same mischievous charm that made Labubu irresistible in the first place.
If it works, we could be looking at the next big pop culture monster—a franchise that appeals to kids, collectors, and anyone who secretly likes their cuteness with a touch of menace. And if it fails, well, Labubu will probably grin through it anyway.
Either way, the little monster that conquered social media is heading for the silver screen.
Stay tuned for more updates on Sony’s Labubu movie as they emerge.
