Sony Pictures and Chinese regime-linked corporation Pop Mart on Thursday announced that they are in the early states of co-developing a film based on the based Labubu blind-box plush toy, which China has used to improve its global image.
Labubus are a series of collectible dolls sold by Beijing-based Pop Mart, a company that has actively assisted the Chinese regime in spreading its propaganda and whose chairman, Wang Ning, is reportedly a member of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) — specifically, under the People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), a CCP political advisory body.
Like other products sold by the company, Pop Mart sells Labubus in a “blind-box” format, a practice that involves the use of packaging that keeps the contents sold hidden until a customer purchases it and opens it, enticing customers to make additional purchases until they find their desired plush models or a “rare” variant. Certain models of Labubus are produced in limited “special edition” quantities — which, in conjunction with the blind-box format, exploits emotional drivers among consumers, leading to widespread instances of a phenomena widely known as “Fear of Missing Out” (FOMO). People reported in 2025 that some consumers have spent thousands of dollars on their Labubu doll collections.
China’s state-run Global Times newspaper reported that the film, currently in production planning, will be directed and produced by British director Paul King, widely known for the family comedy film series Paddington, while Hong Kong-born illustrator and Labubu designer Kasing Lung, will be “deeply involved in the project as a producer.”
Per Forbes, the film is planned as a live-action and CGI hybrid and “will bring ‘The Monsters’ universe to life.” The Monsters is a 2015 franchise published by Lung in which the Labubu character first debuted. Forbes detailed that Michael Schaefer (The Martian) and Wenxin She (A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, Wish Dragon) will serve as producers alongside King, while film producer Brittany Morrissey will be overseeing for Sony Pictures, who acquired the screen rights to the Labubu intellectual property (IP) in 2025.
The movie was reportedly announced during an ongoing exhibition in Paris, France, as part of the tenth anniversary of The Monsters franchise. At press time, no release date has been announced by either Sony Pictures or Pop Mart.
“From collectible figurines on desks to globally popular vinyl plush toys, and to interactive star characters engaging visitors at Pop Mart City Park, The Monsters franchise continues to expand its presence,” Global Times wrote. “Represented by such IP assets, China’s trendy toy industry has in recent years been making increasingly strong inroads into international markets.”
Zhang Yi, CEO of the iiMedia Research Institute, told the Global Times that cross-media expansion helps Pop Mart IP assets extend its product life cycles and reduce reliance on “single-category sales, while broadening appeal beyond niche toy collectors to mainstream and family audience.”
Zhang noted that the integration is “essential” to building long term brand appeal and recognition for Chinese IP assets.
“Anchored in universally relatable emotional appeal and supported by efficient industrial capabilities, they are increasingly integrating into the global content ecosystem and leveraging resource synergies to build a scalable and sustainable international reach,” Zhang said.
Si De, Executive Director and COO of Pop Mart, told Reuters in September that the company aims to borrow a page from Disney’s playbook and turn the Labubu franchise into a lasting success. Si explained that Pop Mart “learned” from Disney for a long time and pointed at Disney’s ability to operate its intellectual property over the long term, using Mickey Mouse’s over 100-year-old existence as an example.
At the time, the Pop Mart COO detailed that the company was focusing on investing in “better products,” theme parks, store displays, and developing content for Labubus — eventually reaching a goal of having ten different properties with similar potential as the plush series.
Christian K. Caruzo is a Venezuelan writer and documents life under socialism. You can follow him on Twitter here.
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