Warner Bros. upcoming Hello Kitty movie, which is set to bring one of the most beloved Sanrio icons to the big screen, has now found its directorial duo.
As reported by Variety, the film will be helmed by David Derrick Jr. (Moana 2) and John Aoshima (Ultraman: Rising), with Beau Flynn (Black Adam) and former president of Paramount Animation Ramsey Naito (Transformers One) attached as producers.
While story details remain under wraps for now, the Hello Kitty movie has been in development for quite a number of years, first being announced back in 2019. Over the years, the film has seen a change of hands, initially reported to be directed by Big Hero 6’s Leo Matsuda and Bob’s Burgers‘ Jennifer Coyle, before the latest change. The film will also mark Hello Kitty’s Hollywood theatrical debut, and while unconfirmed, previous reports also stated that it will feature both animated and live-action elements, similar to 1996’s Space Jam.
The Hello Kitty movie’s script will be penned by Jeff Chan (Code 8), with previous drafts done by various other writers, including Dana Fox, Katie Dippold, Adam Sztykiel, Jenny Jaffe, Lindsey Beer and Tamara Becher-Wilkinson.
The now iconic feline character first made her debut in 1974 under Japan’s Sanrio line of characters, and quickly became a merchandising giant and household name. Interestingly, despite obviously looking like one, the senior vice president of marketing and brand management at Sanrio, Jill Koch, had previously revealed that Hello Kitty is not a cat, but “she’s actually a little girl.” Despite being created by a Japanese company, Koch further added that Hello Kitty’s real name is Kitty White, and she grew up in the London suburbs, leading to many fans refusing to accept the revelation, and for good reason.
Regardless of what you might think of Hello Kitty’s origins, it doesn’t change the fact that the character will be embarking on her first silver screen, and hopefully, we’ll see her appear onscreen with her Sanrio pals My Melody, Cinnamoroll, Kuromi, and Pompompurin when the Hello Kitty movie arrives on 21 July 2028.
Kevin is a reformed PC Master Race gamer with a penchant for franchise “duds” like Darksiders III and Dead Space 3. He has made it his life-long mission to play every single major game release – lest his wallet dies trying.
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