Paul King is set to direct and produce after Sony acquired film rights for Chinese brand owner Pop Mart’s popular collectible toys.
Paddington and Wonka director Paul King will be helming a new Labubu film about the popular collectible plush toys that originated in Hong Kong.
King is set to direct and produce the film with Department M and Wenxin She, although the project is still in need of a writer as it is in early development.
Sony had acquired film rights for Labubu last month and is working with Chinese brand owner Pop Mart on the big-screen adaptation.
Labubu was originally designed by the Hong Kong-born artist Kasing Lung and initially made by the firm How2Work, but the collectibles truly took off when Pop Mart took over manufacturing and selling the toys in 2019.
The plush toys have soared in popularity in recent times for two main reasons. The first is Pop Mart’s use of selling them via “blind boxes” – meaning that consumers never know what they are getting until they have opened their package.
This ploy has created a secondary market where collectors pay extraordinary amounts to get the dolls they want, either online or at pop-up sales.
Some auctions have seen items fetch six-figure sums.
The second reason was the adoption of Labubu – such as Blackpink singer Lisa, who used the collectibles as accessories last year.
King has worked with Hugh Grant on the films Paddington 2 and Wonka and revealed that he would “cheerfully” collaborate with the Notting Hill star on more movies.
The 47-year-old director told Radio Times magazine ahead of Wonka’s release in 2023: “I loved working with Hugh on Paddington 2 and would cheerfully work with him every day for the rest of my life.
“He’s one of the funniest people I’ve ever met and he certainly has a naughty side, so I think he sits very comfortably in Dahl’s universe.
“The Oompa-Loompas don’t have much dialogue in the books but they do have these long songs where they take an almost gleeful pleasure in the demise of all the ghastly children who tour the factory.
“They’re so funny and biting and scornful, and as I was reading them, Hugh’s voice kept coming into my head.
“From there, it wasn’t a huge step to go, ‘Wouldn’t it be funny to see him 18 inches high with bright green hair and orange skin?’ It was perfect.”
