MGA Entertainment is moving its L.O.L. Surprise unboxing brand onto more screens in a new film that will land on Netflix in October.

L.O.L. Surprise: The Movie (working title) is a 45-minute mixed-media adventure that stars a young girl who finds herself in the popular dolls’ CG-animated world, where she must help them create a movie. Aimed at four- to 14-year-olds, the pic will premiere on Netflix in English-speaking territories on October 15, before rolling out internationally on November 1.

MGA is filming the live-action footage, while Australia’s Pixel Zoo (which handled CG animation for the company’s L.O.L. Surprise music videos) produces the animated sequences. The movie will include two new original songs to be distributed by Sony’s kids music division, Magic Star.

L.O.L. Surprise: The Movie marks the first long-form content extension for the brand, which had previously dabbled in live-action shorts and animated videos for AVOD and OTT platforms. The film will also give the L.O.L. dolls voices for the first time, which should help audiences better connect with the brand, says Anne Parducci, MGA Entertainment’s chief content officer. 

L.O.L. Surprise has been in the market for five years and has plenty of touchpoints in toys, video games and shorts. But Parducci says there has been a consistent demand from fans for longer-form video content.

L.O.L. Surprise: The Movie will also feed a new consumer products push; MGA is producing a range of toys (with unique costumes and accessories, of course) based on the characters and locations introduced in the film. This new line, which will include a miniaturized movie set so kids can recreate the film, will launch in the fall. MGA is also looking to sign licensing deals for apparel and toys that will tie into the L.O.L. Surprise: The Movie.

Looking ahead, Parducci says the film could mark a new chapter in MGA’s business. “We have such high brand awareness for L.O.L. Surprise, but we haven’t been able to deliver something like this before,” she explains. “The hope is that Netflix can help us reach a broader audience for L.O.L. than we might reach through YouTube, or our own marketing.”