In a surprising announcement, POP MART and Sony Pictures Entertainment have confirmed that they are collaborating on a LABUBU movie.
While still in early development, the movie is set to be a hybrid between CGI and live-action that will attempt to bring the world of LABUBU to life. The project was unveiled in Paris by the creator of LABUBU, Kasing Lung, and the BAFTA-nominated filmmaker who was behind Wonka and Paddington, Paul King. King is set to produce and direct the movie while co-writing the script with Steven Levenson.
Kasing Lung will serve as an executive producer, with the producers themselves being King, Michael Schaefer, of “The Martian” fame, and Wenxin She, who is known for A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood and Wish Dragon. Brittany Morrissey is also on the list as the overseer for Sony Pictures
For those who don’t know about the LABUBU origin story, it started with Kasing Lung writing a series of books named “The Monsters Series,” which was the first glimpse we got into the world of THE MONSTERS. That was back in 2015, though; they now have a full line of products under POP MART and a global identity made even more iconic during the LABUBU craze in months past.
The production cast for this movie is actually pretty star-studded in terms of awards and recognition. Paul King has had numerous BAFTA nominations throughout his career, perhaps most notably for his work on Paddington 1 and 2 and his role in the $600 million revenue generated by Wonka. Steven Levenson is also a good addition as he has been nominated for his work on Dear Evan Hansen, tick tick… BOOM! AndFosse/Verdon.
We can only wait and see what the people at Sony and POP MART have in store for the big screen. Right now, it looks reminiscent of the old CGI Smurfs movies.
