Labubu movie in early development as Pop Mart expands franchise

What Pop Mart just put on the table

Labubu is heading to the screen, and the important part for collectors is not that a movie exists, it is how deliberately Pop Mart is framing it. On March 18, 2026, Pop Mart and Sony Pictures officially announced a feature film based on Labubu and The Monsters, and they described it as a live-action and CGI hybrid. The project is still in early development, with no release date, casting, or financial details disclosed, which tells you this is a long game rather than a quick promotional splash.

The creative lineup is the other big signal. Paul King, the filmmaker behind Paddington and Wonka, is attached to direct, produce, and co-write the film with Steven Levenson. Kasing Lung, the Hong Kong-born artist who created Labubu, is serving as executive producer, while Michael Schaefer and Wenxin She are among the producers. That combination matters because it suggests Pop Mart and Sony are not treating Labubu like a novelty property, but like a character with enough world-building gravity to justify a carefully managed adaptation.

Why the announcement matters to collectors, not just moviegoers

Labubu started in Kasing Lung’s The Monsters picture books in 2015, then became one of Pop Mart’s signature blind-box breakout characters. That path is exactly why this film announcement feels bigger than a standard licensing headline. A movie does not just extend the brand, it changes the center of gravity around the brand, from a figure you hunt in drops to a character you can follow through stories, rereleases, and new product cycles.

Pop Mart has been explicit about the strategy behind this move: it wants storytelling to deepen people’s connection to its IP. That is the key sentence behind the whole project. In collector terms, storytelling is what turns a hot item into a durable one. It can keep a character relevant between drops, support new audience entry points, and make older product lines feel newly meaningful when the character reappears on screen.

The timing is just as telling. The film was unveiled at the Paris stop of The Monsters’ global exhibition tour celebrating the franchise’s 10th anniversary. That means the movie was introduced as part of a milestone celebration, not as a random studio acquisition. Pop Mart is using an anniversary moment to say, loudly, that Labubu is no longer only a toy shelf phenomenon.

What this could do to demand for Labubu

When a collectible character gets a film, demand usually shifts in three directions at once. First, core character interest rises, because new viewers want the original figure everyone is talking about. Second, rereleases become more valuable, because older designs suddenly feel like the cleanest way into the story. Third, crossover merch expands the footprint, as brands look for a piece of the moment through apparel, accessories, display items, and character variants that can sit beside the film campaign.

That is where the Labubu movie could become a real market mover. Reuters reported that Labubu’s popularity peaked in the summer of 2025, with secondary-market sales surging. If the film lands well, it could help convert that peak-hype energy into something steadier, with movie-era product lines giving fans a new reason to buy beyond resale momentum. For a brand that has already proven it can move blind boxes and plushes, a film opens the door to a longer demand curve.

Paul King’s attachment also gives collectors a useful tone clue. His best-known projects lean whimsical, warm, and character-forward, which fits The Monsters universe better than a loud, toy-commercial approach would. That does not guarantee the final film will mirror the tone of the books perfectly, but it does suggest Pop Mart and Sony want charm and emotional attachment, not just a branded spectacle.

What is confirmed, and what is still fan math

Here is the clean line between fact and speculation.

Confirmed:

• Pop Mart and Sony Pictures Entertainment have officially announced the Labubu feature film.
• The film is being developed as a live-action and CGI hybrid.
• Paul King is attached to direct, produce, and co-write.
• Steven Levenson is co-writing.
• Kasing Lung is executive producer.
• The project was unveiled during the Paris stop of The Monsters’ 10th-anniversary exhibition tour.
• No release date, casting, or financial details have been announced.

Speculation:

• A wave of movie-themed blind boxes.
• Rereleases of older Labubu variants timed to the film.
• Plush drops, crossover accessories, and exhibition exclusives tied to the movie’s visual design.
• Special packaging or limited-run items built around the film marketing cycle.

That speculation is not wild, it is how character IP usually behaves once a studio and a consumer brand start building around a screen version. The movie becomes a calendar anchor. From there, every product decision can be timed to keep the character in motion, from teaser merch to premiere-week exclusives to post-release reruns that catch the people who missed the first wave.

The collector watchlist from here

• Watch Pop Mart’s own product announcements for any sign that The Monsters is entering a film-linked release cycle.
• Keep an eye on Sony’s rollout, because the first creative images often tell you whether the brand is aiming for premium collector appeal or broad family merchandising.
• Pay attention to any anniversary tour activations, since Pop Mart has already shown it likes to use exhibition moments as launch pads.
• Track whether older Labubu figures get renewed attention, because rereleases are usually the first place film buzz turns into buying behavior.
• Look for licensing partners outside the toy aisle, since crossover merch is often where a character proves it can live beyond the original format.

For Labubu, the movie announcement is not just a screen project. It is a franchise test, one that could decide whether the character stays a collectible frenzy or becomes a full-scale cultural property with its own merchandising rhythm, exhibition calendar, and long-tail audience.