‘Labubu’ Movie Set at Sony With ‘Dear Evan Hansen’ Screenwriter Steven Levenson to Join ‘Paddington’ Director Paul King

What happened

Sony Pictures and Pop Mart have officially announced a live-action/CGI hybrid movie based on Labubu, the viral collectible toy figures. taylor-frankie-paul-video.html" class="story-link" title="Taylor Frankie Paul Speaks Out After ABC Pulls ‘The Bachelorette’ Amid Domestic ">Paul King, director of Paddington and Wonka, will direct and co-write the screenplay with Steven Levenson, writer of Dear Evan Hansen. The film is in early development as part of Pop Mart's broader "Monsters" universe expansion.

Why people care

Labubu dolls became a massive global phenomenon and collectible craze, particularly popular in Asia before spreading worldwide. The announcement represents Hollywood's ongoing effort to turn viral internet sensations and toy properties into major film franchises, following the success of movies ford-not-like-us-after-advil-stunt.html" class="story-link" title="Ryan Gosling Says Harrison Ford’s “Not Like Us” After Seeing Him “House Half a B">like The LEGO Movie and Detective Pikachu.

The takes

Optimists say

The creative team behind the project brings serious credibility to what could have been a cash-grab toy movie. Paul King's work on Paddington showed he can create heartfelt, visually stunning films from simple concepts, while the live-action/animation hybrid approach could bring the distinctive Labubu aesthetic to life effectively.

Skeptics say

This feels like another attempt to manufacture a movie franchise from a trending toy without any underlying story or emotional connection that audiences care about. The success of Paddington came from decades of beloved source material, while Labubu dolls are primarily known for being collectible items rather than characters with established narratives or personalities.

Sources

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