Paddington Visionary Paul King Takes the Helm of Sony’s Labubu Movie

Paul King, the guy who made the near-perfect Paddington movies (and the very successful Wonka), is lining up his next thing: a Labubu movie at Sony Pictures. On paper it sounds like a smaller swing, but King has earned the benefit of the doubt.

Wait, what exactly is a Labubu?

Labubu is a line of collectible little monster plushies from Hong Kong illustrator Kasing Lung. They’ve been around for about a decade, but really blew up once Chinese retailer Pop Mart started selling them in sealed 'blind box' packaging. You don’t know which figure you bought until you open it, which has turned the rare ones into hot commodities with wild resale prices. The craze got big enough that a recent episode of South Park spoofed it.

Sony is moving fast

• THR says Sony scooped up the Labubu film rights about a month ago and is already putting the movie together.
• Paul King will direct and also produce.
• Producers on board include Department M (The Hand that Rocks the Cradle) and Wenxin She (A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood).
• It’s early days — Sony is still looking for a writer.

Yes, that Department M parenthetical is a throwback of a credit line, but that’s how it’s being listed.

Where King is coming from

King went two-for-two with Paddington and Paddington 2, then pivoted to Wonka, a prequel about Willy Wonka’s early days as a chocolatier starring Timothee Chalamet. It didn’t match Paddington-level adoration, but it was still a big hit. That detour meant King didn’t return to direct Paddington in Peru — he does have a 'Story by' credit — and he’s talked about how tough it was to step away.

"It was really difficult, because I’d spent eight years with the bear and I felt such incredible love for him," King said. "He’s an animated character, and the design and the love that went into every single follicle was labor intensive and done with such heart. So it’s kind of like sending your kid off to school and going, 'I hope you’ll be okay!' But I also know it was the right thing to do."

The other thing on his plate

King is also attached to a Disney movie about Prince Charming — yes, the Cinderella guy. He’s developing the script with Simon Barnaby and Jon Croker. At one point, Chris Hemsworth was reportedly in talks to play the lead, but it’s been quiet on that front for a while.

Bottom line: a Labubu movie sounds like a weird fit until you remember King is extraordinarily good at turning oddball, toy-aisle-friendly characters into smart, heartfelt studio films. If he sees something there, I’m listening.