On 20 June, a day after the “collapse” of the inflated resale prices of LABUBU, POP MART, the Chinese company behind the global sensation, has reportedly formed its own film studio.
In the same report, an animated series titled LABUBU & Friends (LABUBU与朋友们) is confirmed to be in the works, while film productions are also being planned. Public data shows that in mid-March, POP MART registered version 1 of the script for the first season of LABUBU & Friends, completed in January.
- #泡泡玛特成立影视部门 POP MART establishes department: 8.14 million views on Weibo, ranking number 19 on the Hot Search list
- #Labubu将出动画 A LABUBU animation is in the works: 6.77 million views on Weibo, ranking number 1 on the ACG list
Ever since POP MART started its strategic shift from a blind box maker to an IP (intellectual property)-centric company, pundits have been questioning its viability as they see the POP MART IPs, MOLLY, LABUBU, HIRONO and co., as lacking background stories. With the recent animated shorts about Nyota and the series about LABUBU, POP MART is set to correct this. Netizens and commentators are now saying that with its film studio, POP MART is benchmarking against Disney.