JAKARTA - The funny doll, Labubu, is getting ready to hit the big screen. Pop Mart announced a partnership with Sony Pictures Entertainment to develop a feature film featuring the character with sharp teeth, marking the Chinese company's new step to bring its business beyond collectibles.
Citing Xinhua, Wednesday, April 1, the Labubu film will be made in a combined live-action and CGI format. The project is still in the early stages, but already has an initial script. Chairman and CEO of Pop Mart International Group, Wang Ning, said the film would tell a "warm and touching" story about Labubu's entry into the human world.
Wang emphasized that this project is not just making films for the sake of films. In a written statement to Xinhua, he said Pop Mart is building a broader business ecosystem, ranging from amusement parks, products, to entertainment. According to Wang, the complete story of the Labubu family is indeed suitable for being brought to the cinema.
The film will be produced and directed by Paul King, the figure behind Paddington, Paddington 2, and Wonka. Meanwhile, Kasing Lung, the creator of Labubu, will be the executive producer. Kasing Lung, a Hong Kong-born artist who grew up in the Netherlands, first introduced Labubu and other characters in The Monsters IP through the picture book series The Monsters Trilogy in 2015.
Labubu is known as a furry doll with pointed ears, a mischievous smile, and sharp teeth. This character is part of The Monsters and then exploded as a premium collection product of Pop Mart. Its popularity was also driven after it went viral after being uploaded by Lisa Blackpink. In Indonesia, Labubu is also popular. In the market, Labubu is also widely known as a collection keychain with a price that can penetrate millions of rupiah.
At the company's performance presentation on Wednesday, Pop Mart reiterated that the film's preparations were underway. The company also said it would present richer content to support Labubu in the next 10 years.
The move comes as Pop Mart's business is soaring. In 2025, the company's revenue rose 184.7 percent to 37.12 billion yuan or about 5.37 billion US dollars. The Monsters series, which includes Labubu, for the first time generated more than 10 billion yuan.
Consumer sector analyst Yang Huaiyu, quoted from Xin Hua, said that film and television content can encourage the introduction of IP and user engagement, as well as spur merchandise sales. Chinese screenwriter and director Xiang Kai assessed that Pop Mart's move also opens up opportunities for Chinese IP to appear stronger on the global stage.
Pop Mart's ambition is clear. Wang once said, his company no longer wants to be China's Disney, but the world's Pop Mart.
The English, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, and French versions are automatically generated by the AI. So there may still be inaccuracies in translating, please always see Indonesian as our main language. (system supported by DigitalSiber.id)
