After several years in development, Warner Bros. Pictures Animation and New Line Cinema are finally moving ahead with the “Hello Kitty” feature film, dating it for July 21, 2028.
“Hello Hollywood 🎀🌴🎬 #HelloKittyMovie is coming to theaters July 21, 2028!,” said an Instagram post from the studio on Wednesday.
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“The film marks Hello Kitty’s Hollywood theatrical debut as Hello Kitty and her friends embark on a cinematic adventure sure to delight audiences of all ages,” the studio said in a statement.
Leo Matsuda is directing, while Dana Fox (“Wicked”) wrote the most recent draft of the script. Matsuda directed the short “Inner Workings” and worked as a story artist on films including “Zootopia” and “Wreck-It Ralph.”
Producer Beau Flynn of FlynnPictureCo., spent nearly a decade working with Sanrio founder Shintaro Tsuji to get rights to the character. Shelby Thomas will oversee for FlynnPictureCo.
Japan’s Sanrio first introduced the adorable big-headed feline in 1974 and quickly unleashed a merchandising juggernaut, with entire stores devoted to thousands of items branded with Hello Kitty and her friends, such as Dear Daniel and superhero alter ego Ichigoman. There’s a Hello Kitty theme park in Japan, Hello Kitty cafés, dozens of video games and numerous collaborations for high-end clothing and other adult-targeted products.
The English-language feature project was first announced by New Line in 2019, and was the first time Sanrio had licensed film rights to the classic cat. It’s not yet known whether Kitty White (yes, she has a last name) will speak in the film, but lacking a mouth, she has been completely silent to date in several animated series about her adventures. Sanrio also licensed rights to other characters, including the cracked egg character Gudetama, the rabbit character My Melody, and Little Twin Stars, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see them play in the same sandbox as Hello Kitty.
Matsuda is repped by Verve and manager Stacey Lubliner’s SEL media company.
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