Labubu is heading to the big screen, and Sony has tapped Paddington and Wonka director Paul King to helm a movie based on the viral collectible plush toys. King, 47, is to helm a new film about the collectible plush toys that originated in Hong Kong.
King has signed on to direct and produce the movie with Department M and Wenxin She, although the project does not yet have a writer attached, as it is said to be in early development. Sony acquired movie rights for the Labubu IP last month and is working with Chinese brand owner Pop Mart on the big-screen adaptation.
Labubu was originally designed by the Hong Kong-born artist Kasing Lung and initially made by the firm How2Work, but the collectible toyline exploded in popularity when Pop Mart took over manufacturing and selling the plushes in 2019.
The plush toys have taken off in recent times for two main reasons: the first is Pop Mart's use of selling them via "blind boxes", meaning that consumers never know what they are getting until they have opened their package. This method has created a secondary market where collectors pay exorbitant amounts of money to get the models they want, either online or at pop-up sales, with some auctions having seen items fetch six-figure sums. The second reason was the mainstream adoption of Labubu, such as with BLACKPINK singer Lisa, who used the collectibles as accessories last year.
Meanwhile, King said he would "cheerfully" collaborate with Hugh Grant again after first working with the Love Actually star on Paddington 2 and Wonka. Speaking with Radio Times magazine ahead of Wonka's release in 2023, the filmmaker said: "I loved working with Hugh on Paddington 2 and would cheerfully work with him every day for the rest of my life. He’s one of the funniest people I’ve ever met, and he certainly has a naughty side, so I think he sits very comfortably in Dahl’s universe."
He added, "The Oompa-Loompas don’t have much dialogue in the books, but they do have these long songs where they take an almost gleeful pleasure in the demise of all the ghastly children who tour the factory. They’re so funny and biting and scornful, and as I was reading them, Hugh’s voice kept coming into my head. From there, it wasn’t a huge step to go, ‘Wouldn’t it be funny to see him 18 inches high with bright green hair and orange skin?’ It was perfect."
King revealed last year that he was developing a Wonka sequel and teased that it could follow Roald Dahl's iconic chocolatier, as portrayed by Timothee Chalamet in the movie, as he goes globetrotting. The director told HeyUGuys.com, "We're very early, I mean, we've got about half of a draft. So, we've got a story that we like, and we know where we want to take him. I'll try to get some international travel in it. So maybe that's the only tease I'll give. But hopefully, I'll get some air miles off this one."