The Labubu movie that is actually happening over at Sony has just received a big update, tapping the director of two of the most acclaimed family films of all time (one of which was the best-reviewed film ever, for a while).
The Hollywood Reporter states that Paul King, the director of the first two Paddington films and Wonka, has come on board to direct and produce.
There's no writer yet, but the publication states that Sony is collaborating with Pop Mart, the Chinese retail giant behind the success of the toys.
Labubus have exploded in popularity over the last few years, partly due to influencers and celebrities wearing them as accessories, and due to the marketing aspects of mystery boxes and pop-up events creating huge demand through scarcity.
King's last film, Paddington in Peru, wasn't actually directed by him, although he did produce and write the story.
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Looking ahead, he was also announced to be directing a Disney film focusing on Prince Charming, with Chris Hemsworth reportedly set to play the titular role.
Movies based on toys have been hit-or-miss at the box office, with The Lego Movie becoming a huge hit in 2014, but later entries in the franchise underperforming.
Barbie also did huge numbers in 2023, making over $1.4 billion at the box office.
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Sony has also just had a massive hit with KPop Demon Hunters, which became Netflix's most-watched original film. A sequel is already in the works, and recently got its own major update, although it's quite disappointing for fans hoping to see it anytime soon.
Between the popularity of Labubus, and such a successful director attached, could Sony have another major hit on its hands?
The Labubu movie does not currently have a release date, but is very early on in development.
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Joe Anderton is a freelance news writer at Digital Spy, having worked there since 2016. In his time, he's covered a host of live events and interviewed celebrities big and small. A big fan of TV and movies both mainstream and obscure, Joe also enjoys video games and in particular PlayStation. Joe currently does not use Twitter, but he only ever used it to tell people to watch the film Help! I'm a Fish.
