Japanese character creation company, Sanrio has sold film rights to its popular Hello Kitty property to Warner Bros.’ New Line Cinema and Flynn Picture Company, who will develop the first English-language feature.
“I am extremely pleased that Hello Kitty and other popular Sanrio characters will be making their Hollywood debut,” Sanrio’s founder and chief executive Shintaro Tsuji said in a statement.
Beau Flynn (Rampage, Journey to the Center of the Earth, Journey 2) and Wendy Jacobson (Skyscraper) will be serving as producer and executive producer respectively.
Flynn added, “With the positive and family-oriented values that Hello Kitty and Sanrio embody, there has never been a better time than now to share her message with the world!”
Hello Kitty was created by Tokyo-based Sanrio in 1974. Initially introduced as a coin purse, Hello Kitty became a global sensation and can be now found in more than 130 countries. It has appeared in comics, video games and animation (most recently a CG-animated vlog series on YouTube), as well as in a live-action kids’ series and has her own music album. There is also a restaurant and Hello Kitty-themed bullet train in Japan. According to Sanrio, the character can be found on more than 50,000 products a year.