Will this be the new BARBIE? Warner Bros. announces first-ever Hollywood film HELLO KITTY for 2028
Hello Kitty is almost 52 years old and a pop culture mainstay. Since its inception, it’s hard to go…well, anywhere, without seeing something Hello Kitty related somewhere around you. Whether it’s notepads, clothes, shoes, makeup, the cute cat with a bow on its head is literally everywhere. It has also been adapted into several small screen animated projects. Given its immense popularity, it’s strange that the franchise has yet to receive the big screen treatment. Fortunately, this is finally changing.
It’s time to buckle up, because a Hello Kitty movie has been officially announced. Produced by co-producers Warner Bros. Pictures Animation and New Line Cinema, the film will be directed by Leo Matsuda, who is making his first major feature film. Matsuda is a veteran of the animation industry, having worked on Disney properties. Great Hero 6 And Wreck-It Ralph. As for the writing team, Dana Fox (Cruel, Villain: for good) would have written the last draft of the project.
The film comes from producer Beau Flynn, who according to Varietyworked for a decade with Shintaro Tsuji, founder and CEO of Sanrio, to secure the rights to Hello Kitty. Variety also confirmed that the film would be an English release, not dubbed into English. In a statement (via Variety), Warner Bros. said the following about the project: “The film marks Hello Kitty’s Hollywood theatrical debut as Hello Kitty and her friends embark on a cinematic adventure that is sure to delight audiences of all ages.”
Warner Bros. made the announcement with a video on its official Instagram account, showing a person dressed as Hello Kitty in the Warner Bros. parking lot, excitedly pointing at the WB water tower, now adorned with an arch. The legend said, “Hello Hollywood! [The ‘Hello Kitty’ movie] arrives in theaters on July 21, 2028!”
As mentioned, it took a while for a Hello Kitty movie. The intentions of making the film were the first revealed in 2015with plans to release it internationally in 2019. This ultimately didn’t come to fruition, but things picked up again in 2019, when it was released. was announced that for the first time, Sanrio had handed over the Hello Kitty film rights to a Hollywood studio (the previous attempt was supposed to be financed by Sanrio, with a huge budget in the range of $160-240 million). At the time of the announcement, Shintaro Tsuji said:
“I am extremely excited that Hello Kitty and other popular Sanrio characters are making their Hollywood debut. Hello Kitty has long been a symbol of friendship and we hope this film will only serve to expand that circle of friendship around the world.”
Commenting on the announcement, Carolyn Blackwood and Richard Brener, New Line’s co-presidents and chief creative officers at the time, said:
“We are thrilled to partner with Sanrio and FlynnPictureCo. to develop a film based on this treasured icon. It is a rare privilege to have the opportunity to explore the possibilities of such a timeless intellectual property. Hello Kitty and her friends have been part of our shared culture for decades, and we can’t wait to explore where her new adventure will take her.”
As mentioned, Hello Kitty is a pop culture staple. Being the first time Hello Kitty has been adapted theatrically, the film has the potential to have a cultural impact similar to that of another animated feature film. The Super Mario Bros. movie. starting in 2023, which ended up grossing $1.3 billion globally.
THE Hello Kitty the film is scheduled to be released on July 21, 2028.
