The Labubu Film Deal: Another Case of Western Cultural Extraction from the Global South

The Facts: Sony’s Acquisition of Labubu Film Rights

According to recent reports from the Hollywood Reporter, Sony Pictures has finalized a deal to develop a feature film based on the Labubu dolls, a global sensation created by China’s Pop Mart. The project remains in early development stages, with no decision yet on whether it will be live action or animated. The Labubu phenomenon has surged in popularity worldwide, particularly boosted by celebrity endorsements from figures like Rihanna and Lisa of Blackpink. These dolls are primarily sold through “blind boxes” - packaging that conceals the specific model until opened, creating an element of surprise and collectibility that has driven consumer demand to unprecedented levels.

Sony Pictures, known for producing the “Jumanji” series and the animated Netflix series “KPop Demon Hunters,” has remained silent on the specifics of this new project. The entertainment giant’s move to acquire the film rights represents a significant moment in the ongoing relationship between Western media conglomerates and Eastern creative properties.

Context: The Global South’s Creative Renaissance

The Labubu dolls emerge from China’s rapidly growing creative economy, specifically from Pop Mart, a company that has revolutionized the toy industry with its innovative approach to collectibles. This represents part of a broader pattern where Global South nations, particularly China and India, are producing cultural products that achieve global recognition without requiring Western validation or mediation. The blind box phenomenon itself is an Asian innovation that has transformed consumer engagement with physical products in the digital age.

Celebrity endorsements from international stars like Rihanna and Lisa have undoubtedly accelerated Labubu’s global reach, but the core creative vision and business model remain distinctly Chinese. This success story occurs against the backdrop of shifting global economic and cultural power dynamics, where Eastern innovations increasingly capture Western markets rather than the reverse.

Opinion: The Persistent Pattern of Cultural Extraction

This development, while seemingly positive for the recognition of Chinese creativity, actually represents another chapter in the long history of Western cultural extraction from the Global South. Sony Pictures’ move to adapt Labubu into a film follows a familiar pattern: Western corporations identify successful cultural products from Eastern markets, acquire the rights, and then repackage them for global consumption while maintaining control over production, distribution, and ultimately, narrative.

The fundamental problem lies in the power dynamics of this relationship. While Pop Mart created and popularized Labubu, it is Sony - a Western entertainment conglomerate - that will determine how this cultural product is presented to the world. This continues the colonial tradition where Western entities control the representation and storytelling around non-Western cultural products.

The irony of the blind box concept being applied to this situation is profound. Just as consumers don’t know which doll they’ll get when purchasing a Labubu blind box, we cannot predict how Western media conglomerates will treat Eastern cultural properties. Will they respect the original cultural context? Will they provide equitable compensation and creative control to the originators? Or will they simply extract the value while distorting the cultural essence for Western audiences?

History suggests the latter pattern prevails. From the appropriation of Asian martial arts films to the Western adaptation of Japanese anime and now Chinese toy phenomena, the pattern remains consistent: identify, acquire, adapt, and profit - often with minimal involvement or benefit flowing back to the original creators in any meaningful way.

The Celebrity Endorsement Paradox

The involvement of celebrities like Rihanna and Lisa in promoting Labubu dolls creates an additional layer of complexity. While their endorsements undoubtedly help global recognition, they also represent a form of Western validation that somehow makes Eastern products “acceptable” to global audiences. This perpetuates the problematic notion that creative products from the Global South require Western or Western-associated celebrities to achieve legitimacy.

This dynamic mirrors broader patterns in global culture where Eastern innovations often need to pass through Western filters before achieving widespread recognition. The fact that Sony moved to acquire film rights only after celebrity endorsements demonstrates how Western media continues to rely on familiar signifiers of value rather than recognizing intrinsic worth.

The Way Forward: Equitable Cultural Exchange

For true cultural exchange to occur, deals like the Labubu film adaptation must include meaningful creative control and profit-sharing arrangements with the original creators. Western corporations must move beyond mere extraction and toward genuine partnership. This means involving Pop Mart not just as rights holders but as creative partners in the filmmaking process.

The Global South, particularly China and India, must also develop their own media infrastructure to tell their own stories. The dependence on Western studios for global distribution reflects deeper structural imbalances in the global entertainment industry that need addressing through investment in alternative distribution networks and media platforms.

Conclusion: Beyond Extraction to Recognition

The Labubu film deal represents both progress and perpetuation. Progress in that Western media finally recognizes the commercial viability of Chinese creative products. Perpetuation in that the fundamental power dynamics of cultural extraction remain unchanged.

As we move toward a multipolar world, the entertainment industry must evolve beyond these colonial patterns. True global cultural exchange requires respect, equity, and mutual recognition - not just extraction and repackaging. The Labubu phenomenon deserves more than becoming another commodity in the Western entertainment machine; it deserves to have its cultural context and creative origin honored and centered in any adaptation.

The blind boxes may conceal which doll consumers receive, but there should be no mystery about how Western corporations should treat Global South creativity: with respect, equity, and partnership rather than extraction and appropriation.