Latest news with #Lisa
Economic Times
5 hours ago
- Business
- Economic Times
Can a toy make you a billionaire overnight? Meet the Chinese CEO who made $1.6 billion in a day thanks to a viral doll
Chinese CEO Wang Ning earned $1.6 billion in a single day as Pop Mart's viral Labubu dolls took the world by storm. Spotted with global celebrities, the mischievous toys sparked shopping frenzies, especially in the U.S. and U.K., where stores saw near-riots. (Facebook/ Agencies) What do a gremlin-faced doll, Blackpink's Lisa, and a near-riot in a London toy store have in common? The answer lies in one mischievous word: Labubu. This quirky, wide-eyed collectible from Chinese toy giant Pop Mart has not only taken over celebrity handbags and social media timelines—it's also added a staggering $1.6 billion to CEO Wang Ning's fortune in just one day. Yes, you read that right. In the era of high-tech IPOs and AI booms, it's a 10-dollar designer toy, sealed in a blind box, that's redefining wealth creation and retail hysteria. With its eccentric, impish smile and collector appeal, the Labubu doll has become the must-have accessory of the year. Spotted dangling from the designer purses of Rihanna, Jamie Chua, and India's very own Ananya Panday, Labubu is more than a toy—it's a statement. But the craze isn't just cosmetic. A BBC report recently highlighted how demand in the UK spiraled so wildly out of control that Pop Mart had to halt in-store sales after physical altercations broke out among eager buyers. The tipping point? Pop Mart's mobile app shot to the top of the U.S. app store, sending the company's shares soaring and instantly swelling Wang Ning's net worth to a jaw-dropping $18.7 billion, according to Forbes . At 38, Wang Ning has transformed from a Zhengzhou University advertising graduate to the architect of a global toy empire. Founded in 2010, Pop Mart didn't start with billion-dollar ambitions—but with blind boxes. These sealed packages conceal which toy you're getting, encouraging fans to keep buying for a full set. What sounds like a gimmick has turned into genius—thanks to psychological appeal and market-savvy execution. Today, Pop Mart collaborates with renowned artists to create collectible series like Molly, Skullpanda, and Dimoo. With half its sales still happening at physical outlets, and the rest through a robust digital and social media ecosystem, the brand has become a powerhouse of pop-cultural obsession, reaching across Asia, Europe, and the United States. Once confined to dusty toy shelves, collectibles have found their renaissance in what The Financial Times calls 'trendy connoisseurship.' Pop Mart has elevated figurine buying into a lifestyle pursuit for China's young, affluent consumers—and the world is catching on. Blind boxes now command second-hand resale values that attract not just fans but investors, with some venture capital firms reportedly dabbling in this curious market. And amid trade tensions and global economic uncertainty, Pop Mart's irresistible charm has proved its resilience, crossing borders with ease and capturing hearts—and wallets—everywhere it goes.
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Documentary About Blackpink's Lisa in Production
A new documentary on pop superstar Lisa is in the works, Sony Music Vision revealed during the company's inaugural content showcase in Los Angeles on Thursday evening. Produced in partnership with LLOUD CO/RCA Records and Tremolo Productions, the documentary — directed by Sue Kim — follows Lisa for a year in her life as she pursues her solo career away from K-pop supergroup Blackpink. That journey has included the release of her debut album, Alter Ego, which notably landed in the Top 10 of the Billboard 200 and debuted at No. 1 on the top album sales chart. She also performed her first solo set at Coachella as well, and starred in season three of The White Lotus. More from The Hollywood Reporter SM Entertainment Artists Celebrate 30 Years With SMTown Live L.A. Bono Weighs in on Trump-Bruce Springsteen Drama: "There's Only One Boss in America" Sean "Diddy" Combs' Assistant of 8 Years Accuses Him of Multiple Sexual Assaults During Testimony Aside from her solo endeavors, Lisa will be heading on tour with Blackpink this summer. However, the documentary promises to 'give fans exclusive access to Lisa with an in-depth look at the artist's groundbreaking career and creative vision outside of the world-renowned group, Blackpink.' 'I really tried to impress upon Lisa how much not just me — but I think the world — wants to see off-stage Lisa,' Kim said during the showcase Thursday after showing select footage of the project to those in the audience. 'She loves to refer to herself as, 'I'm just a normal girl from Thailand.' And when you meet her, she actually is. She's so down to earth. It's quite shocking, and so real and so sincere. But she's very incredibly found herself in this crazy position of being one of the biggest superstars in the world, and even within that world, she's trying to expand out of it.' Kim hails most recently from A24's The Last of the Sea Women, for which she won a New York Women in Film and TV award after it premiered at the 2024 Toronto Film Festival. She additionally executive produced the Apple TV+ docuseries K-Pop Idols. Morgan Neville and Caitrin Rogers for Tremolo Productions, and Sue Kim and Courtney Crockett for Salt Water Productions will serve as producers; Alice Kang and Joojong Joe serve as executive producers for LLOUD CO.; and Peter Edge, John Fleckenstein and Camille Yorrick serve as executive producers for RCA Records. Tom Mackay, Krista Wegener and Abby Davis serve as executive producers for Sony Music Vision. The doc is presented and distributed by Sony Music Vision in partnership with RCA Records. Sony Music Vision's first official showcase, an upfront for the company's upcoming slate, comes as the company has ramped up its content in recent years, as evidenced by recent films like Sly Lives and Luther: Never Too Much. The company showed a teaser for their recently announced Oasis reunion tour concert film Thursday, while Frank Marshall showed footage for his upcoming Barbra Streisand documentary. Baz Luhrmann finished up the showcase talking about his upcoming Elvis concert film, sharing a few minutes of music and footage he's compiled so far. 'I would've thought Elvis would've left my building by now, I've only been on it for seven years,' Luhrmann said, calling back to the 2022 biopic he directed. But his team had uncovered nearly 60 hours of previously lost footage, which helped set the concert film in motion. With the help of technology, Luhrmann said he and his team are looking to 'claw back' some of the sound that was unavailable on the footage they found. 'Elvis Presley in concert, and he will sing and tell his story like never before. He will tell it because what was remarkable is that we found audio of Elvis talking about his life,' Lurhmann said. 'In my mind, it's kind of like you have a dream. Elvis comes, he does a concert, and he sings and tells you his life story.' Best of The Hollywood Reporter 13 of Tom Cruise's Most Jaw-Dropping Stunts Hollywood Stars Who Are One Award Away From an EGOT 'The Goonies' Cast, Then and Now
Canada Standard
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Canada Standard
Documentary on K-pop superstar Lisa in works
ANI 31 May 2025, 00:54 GMT+10 Los Angeles [US], May 30 (ANI): There's great news for K-pop superstar Lisa's fans. As per Variety, a documentary film is being made on the life of Lisa, who rose to fame with Blackpink. Sony Music Vision and director Sue Kim have collaborated to create this project. Kim said she spent a year working with Lisa on the forthcoming film, for which no release date was given. The filmmaker's previous acclaimed directorial work has been with less famous subjects, like A24's 'The Last of the Sea Women,' which premiered last fall at the Toronto Film Festival. But Kim did not come to the Lisa project as a K-pop novice; she was an executive producer on Apple TV+'s docuseries 'K-Pop Idols.' Excited to showcase the moments of her life via a documentary film, Lisa in a statement said, 'This has been such an incredible year and I'm so lucky to have the opportunity to capture these special moments on film and share the experience with my fans. Working with Sue Kim has been such a joy. We've been all around the world together and I know this is just the beginning of many more exciting things to come.' The Lisa film is a production of Tremolo Productions in association with Salt Water Productions and LLOUD CO. The producers for the doc include Morgan Neville and Caitrin Rogers for Tremolo, and Sue Kim and Courtney Crockett for Salt Water Productions. (ANI)
Express Tribune
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
BLACKPINK's Lisa to star in upcoming documentary
K-pop star Lisa, popularly recognised as a member of BLACKPINK, is exploring a new venture after her music career and acting credit in The White Lotus. As per Variety, it was announced on Thursday that the Money singer will be the subject of a documentary film from Sony Music Vision and director Sue Kim. Kim discussed her document at the Sony event, along with Baz Luhrmann and Frank Marshall, who also shared updates on their features. Kim, who was an executive producer on Apple TV+'s docuseries K-Pop Idols, said that she's been working with Lisa for a year, though no release date has been finalised. A trailer for the film was unveiled during the presentation, showing concert footage of the star performing solo and personal moments with her loved ones. Kim mentioned that after the two met up for the first time, Lisa reached out to her non-celebrity friends, asking them to appear in the documentary. "This has been such an incredible year, and I'm so lucky to have the opportunity to capture these special moments on film and share the experience with my fans," Lisa said in a statement. "Working with Sue Kim has been such a joy. We've been all around the world together and I know this is just the beginning of many more exciting things to come." The director also expressed enthusiasm in her own statement. "Following Lisa on this transformative and thrilling year has been a true honor and a cinematic gift," Kim said. "There have been so many moments on her journey that I think will surprise people and give a glimpse into her world that no one's ever seen before. I'm excited for viewers to watch the film and witness this extraordinary moment in her life." The news of the documentary comes after the release of Lisa's debut solo album, Alter Ego. Following BLACKPINK's hiatus, all four members branched out in pursuit of solo careers. The group is all set to reunite this year for a world tour. The Asia leg of their World Tour: Deadline kicks off in October, beginning with two nights at the Kaohsiung National Stadium. This will be followed by shows in Bangkok, Jakarta, Manila, and Singapore. After a two-month break, the quartet will fly to Hong Kong to close out the tour in January. Deadline will mark BLACKPINK's return to the stage as a unit after the tour for their album Born Pink in 2023. It made history as the highest-grossing tour by a girl group, recording 1.8 million fans worldwide.
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Sony Music Vision Producing Documentary On Lisa, Blackpink Singer, Solo Artist & ‘White Lotus' Star
From Blackpink to White Lotus, the career of Thai singer, rapper, dancer, and actress Lisa is exploding. Now a documentary is in the works about Lisa's past year when she took a break from the K-Pop group to go solo for the first time, while dazzling with her acting debut in the hit HBO drama (she also found time to perform at the Oscars and appear solo at Coachella). Award-winning filmmaker Sue Kim (The Speed Cubers, The Last of the Sea Women) is directing the film titled simply LISA. She tells Deadline she just completed the documentary's final shoot with Lisa in South Korea, where the singer was reunited with Blackpink. Fresh from Seoul, Kim took part in Sony Music Vision's first ever content showcase in Hollywood Thursday night, explaining her vision for the project. More from Deadline 'White Lotus' Season 3 Mystery Solved By Mike White's Pal Sarah Silverman Live-Action 'Lilo & Stitch' Soundtrack: All The Songs You'll Hear How Alex Gibney And Billionaire Wendy Schmidt Forged A Plan To Keep "Impact Storytelling" Alive 'We've all seen Blackpink, we've all seen Lisa on stage. But I really wanted to get to know Lisa in her resting state and who Lisa is with her family and with her parents who she's super close to,' Kim said in conversation with moderator Taylor Rooks. She added that Lisa proved open to allowing access to her inner circle. 'She was actually texting her friend group from Bangkok, her childhood friends, and immediately just told them, 'Hey, we're coming to Bangkok. We're making a film about my life. I want you to be part of it, and we just have to be how we are with each other,'' Kim recalled. 'As soon as I found out that that's the message she was sending them, I had a great feeling. I knew immediately that Lisa was a very willing participant in this story, which isn't always the case with celebrity docs. And I knew that she would give us the access and the intimacy that not just I was hoping to get, but that I know that the world wants to see.' Lisa, 28, was born Lalisa Manobal in Buriram, Thailand. She made her first appearance with Blackpink in August 2016; in the years since, BP has become the most successful female K-Pop group of all time. 'When Sony Music Vision first approached me about telling this story, I was immediately interested, not just because I have such an admiration for her, but I also knew the very specific place she was in life which was she was taking a hiatus from Blackpink for a year,' the filmmaker commented. 'So many people in her position I think could have just taken a break, caught up on sleep, caught up with friends, or simply just stayed in their swim lane… I knew she was going to be premiering in her acting debut in The White Lotus, which she'd never acted before, and that's an insanely visible, beloved TV series, and that takes a lot of guts, a lot of courage to make that your acting debut. I also knew she was going to be recording a solo album, and I knew that musically she was going to be stepping away from K-Pop and exploring her musical identity.' Sony Music Vision is producing LISA in partnership with LLOUD CO./RCA Records and Tremolo Productions (the latter Oscar winner Morgan Neville's company). At the showcase at Neue House, SMV also unveiled footage from Frank Marshall's upcoming Barbra Streisand documentary, Baz Luhrmann's film EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert, as well as details on a documentary in production that's following Oasis musicians Liam and Noel Gallagher as they embark on a world tour. The Marshall Plan Marshall, a five-time Oscar nominee and Irving G. Thalberg Award winner known for Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Sixth Sense, Jurassic World, The Color Purple and much more, first encountered Streisand on a film set more than 50 years ago. 'I was Peter Bogdanovich's assistant and location manager on What's Up, Doc? in 1972, and that's where I first met Barbara,' he said at the content showcase. 'It was sort of a film school for me.' Alex Gibney is producing the Streisand project, with Marshall directing. The two previously collaborated on Sinatra: All or Nothing at All, with Gibney directing that and Marshall producing. 'Barbra had watched a documentary about Frank Sinatra that Alex and I did, and she was considering directors and producers for a documentary that she was doing. She was in the middle of writing her book [My Name Is Barbra],' Marshall recounted. '[Streisand's manager] said, 'Would you be interested, Alex?' And Alex called me and said, 'Hey, let's go out and meet.' And we did and we went out to Malibu, and we met Barbra and it went great. And so we decided to jump on the project and it's been fabulous ever since.' They've been immersed in Streisandiana maintained in a climate-controlled facility in Hollywood. 'We've got to dive into this incredible archive that's over here in Iron Mountain,' Marshall said. 'Unbelievable. So, we're very excited about putting this all together.' Breaking Baz News Baz Luhrmann could barely contain his excitement as he talked about EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert. The project continues his exploration of the King, which began with his 2022 narrative Elvis featuring starring Tom Hanks as Colonel Tom Parker and Austin Butler as Presley. 'I would've thought that Elvis had left my building by now,' he cracked. The Australian filmmaker said EPiC defies easy categorization. It's 'not specifically a documentary, nor a concert film: Elvis takes the audience through the journey of his life, weaving never-before-seen footage with iconic performances that have never been presented in this way, from the 1970 Vegas show, on tour in 1972 and even precious moments of the 1957 'gold jacket' performance in Hawaii,' he said. 'Most importantly, Elvis will sing and tell you about his life in first person, through both classic and contemporary musical prisms.' The footage he shared Thursday night shows the extraordinary power of Elvis's charisma, his musicianship, and – how would one put it? – his interesting taste in performance attire. Some of his rhinestone-studded mini-capes, when flared, make him look like a flying squirrel. The EPiC project grew out of his research on the Elvis narrative feature. 'When I was making the film, I had heard of this probably apocryphal footage that existed of Elvis in the Vegas [International Hotel] show, maybe on tour. And I thought that maybe we could find it and reconstitute, actually use it in the movie,' he said. 'I had the funds to get them to go and look for it in the salt mines and rather astonishingly… it not only existed, but we [also] found 59 hours of footage, including anamorphic 35, never before seen; 8mm [film], never before seen, from the '50s.' Only problem? 'There was no sound,' on it, Luhrmann said. 'But what we were able to do, I've been with the wonderful Peter Jackson down in New Zealand, and he's been so kind on this because he's so brilliant at it, is we found [a way] to claw back the sound of some footage that you've seen. And we now know what he was saying in a lot of this footage.' Sony Music Vision is coming off a highly successful run of documentaries leveraging its artist roster and music library. Luther: Never Too Much, directed by Dawn Porter, explored the late Luther Vandross; Usher: Rendezvous in Paris, directed Anthony Mandler, took viewers to the City of Lights with the R&B superstar; Cyndi Lauper: Let the Canary Sing, directed by Alison Ellwood, documented the She's So Unusual singer; and I Am: Celine Dion, from director Irene Taylor, revealed the triumphs and struggles of the chanteuse from Québec who has battled Stiff Person Syndrome and yet continues to perform at the highest level (you know what we mean if you saw her sing at the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics last summer). The Celine film turned into a huge success. Tom Mackay, president of premium content for Sony Music Entertainment, told the showcase audience, I Am: Celine Dion 'went on to become Prime Video's most popular documentary ever.' Best of Deadline 2025-26 Awards Season Calendar: Dates For Tonys, Emmys, Oscars & More Everything We Know About Netflix's 'The Thursday Murder Club' So Far 2025 TV Series Renewals: Photo Gallery
