I had not noticed that owls are popular now, but I have two thoughts aside from the movie (which is probably a big factor for the kid-related stuff). First, I have noticed that print fabrics with little birds on a branch/on a tree are very popular, first in baby prints and then elsewhere. Maybe owls are an off-shoot of that. Kind of like this
http://www.amazon.com/Little-Tree-Pi.../dp/B002RWMMKK
Second, maybe it's cyclical. Owls were very popular in the mid-1970's... I remember many dresses and embrodiery things with owls, macrame owl deorations (my mom had several), stained glass owls, etc. Seriously, my mom doesn't care a... dare I say it?... doesn't care a hoot about decor, but I remember many owl-themed items in my house as a young child.