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By Gavin Boyle
Warner Bros. Discovery announced a movie based on the HELLO KITTY franchise will be coming to theaters in the summer of 2028.
“Hello Hollywood 🎀🌴🎬 #HelloKittyMovie is coming to theaters July 21, 2028!” Warner Bros. announced on Instagram.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DQaZbs4EtbO/?hl=en
Related: Amazon Announces Its Next Video Game-to-Movie Adaptation
The franchise has been eyeing a movie adaptation of its characters since at least 2015, and the exclusive movie rights were sold to New Line Cinema in 2019. The movie was billed as a live-action, animation hybrid – potentially similar to THE SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE. While plot details have been kept under wraps, the script comes from WICKED screenwriter Dana Fox, while Shelby Thomas is set to produce.
“I am extremely pleased that Hello Kitty and other popular Sanrio characters will be making their Hollywood debut,” said Sanrio founder Shintaro Tsuji. “Hello Kitty has long been a symbol of friendship and we hope this film will only serve to grow that circle of friendship around the world.”
Hello Kitty comes to the big screen as studios look to draw interest to their projects by working with already established IPs. While superhero movies long served as the prime source for Hollywood adaptations, in recent years, it has transitioned to video games. However, now that most major franchises have been scooped up, other popular IPs are now getting their chance to shine. For example, Netflix recently announced plans to adapt the board game Catan for a TV show and movie.
“Anyone who has played Catan knows [that] the intense strategy and negotiation at the core of the game has endless opportunities for some serious drama,” said Jinny Howe, head of scripted series, US and Canada Netflix. “We knew landing this deal would be as game-changing as a well-placed settlement, so we decided to pool our resources across series, features, animation, and games and show Asmodee the full power of Netflix when we work together. Harcore ‘Settlers’ are going to lose their minds, and new fans will finally learn just how important a sheep trade can be.”
“Millions of people are enjoying ‘Catan’ since it was created and for many, it remains a gateway to modern board gaming,” added Thomas Koegler, the CEO of Asmodee. “I’m thrilled to see the game expanding to a larger audience who will discover the richness of its universe, I find it exciting for the future of the brand. It’s also a testament that board gaming is truly part of pop culture and a popular form of entertainment in everyone’s homes, and I’m delighted to continue Asmodee’s relationship with Netflix.”
With the current environment in the entertainment industry, fans of any popular IP will likely have a chance to see their favorite stories come to the big screen. It is an exciting time as even longstanding characters like Hello Kitty are now getting their chance to shine in a movie.
Read Next: Netflix to Bring Popular Catan Card Game to the Small Screen
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