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Sharp teeth, big screen: Sony is making a Labubu movie

Entertainment | Movies and TV

Sharp teeth, big screen: Sony is making a Labubu movie

By Robert Requintina

Sony Pictures is bringing Labubu to the big screen.

The studio has partnered with Pop Mart, the Chinese retailer behind the wildly popular toy line, with Wonka director Paul King attached to helm the feature.

Labubu (Facebook)

Labubu (Facebook)

According to a report by The Hollywood Reporter, the news broke at a Paris event marking the 10th anniversary of the Monsters universe. King will co-write the screenplay alongside Tony Award-winning playwright Steven Levenson.

Story details remain under wraps, though the film will blend live-action and CGI to bring Labubu's whimsical world to life. King produces alongside Michael Schaefer (The Martian) and Wenxin She (A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood), with Lung executive producing. Brittany Morrissey is overseeing the project for Sony, the THR also reported.

Labubu dolls have won fans worldwide with their irresistibly odd look — sharp teeth, furry bodies, and pointy ears that somehow manage to be both menacing and adorable. Beyond Labubu, the toy line also features characters like Zimomo, Mokoko, and Tycoco.

King wrote and directed both Paddington and its 2017 sequel, and most recently brought Wonka to life for Warner Bros.

Levenson won a Tony for the book of the Broadway hit Dear Evan Hansen and adapted Tick, Tick … Boom! for the screen. His television credits include Masters of Sex and Fosse/Verdon.

Labubu was born from the imagination of Kasing Lung, a Hong Kong-born, Netherlands-raised artist who introduced the character through a series of picture books in 2015.

How2Work produced the original figurines before Pop Mart acquired the line in 2019 — a turning point that sent the toys viral and attracted a wave of celebrity devotees.

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