Everyone's favorite Japanese fictional cat will get its first feature film which will be released in 2019.
- Jul 4, 2015
AceShowbiz - After celebrating its 40th anniversary last year, iconic Japanese brand Hello Kitty will finally get a feature film. Sanrio recently established a U.S. subsidiary to globally expand the beloved brand, including to make its own movie adaptation.
Japanese lifestyle company Sanrio is planning to finance and produce a feature film based on the red-bowed feminine cat and will release it globally in 2019. According to Sanrio execs, "Hello Kitty" will have a big budget around $160 million-$240 million, including prints and advertisement cost.
Sanrio has recently established a U.S-based company, Sanrio Media and Pictures Entertainment, to help develop the Japanese company's intellectual property worldwide. Sanrio managing director Rehito Hatoyama was appointed as chief exec of the new U.S. unit and will oversee the Hello Kitty project.
Fox Animation recently acquired the rights to Sanrio characters Mr. Men and Little Miss. Sanrio is also considering the idea of making feature films based on some of their other characters such as Badtz-Maru, My Melody, Little Twin Stars and Keroppi.
Hello Kitty was created by Yuko Shimizu and is currently designed by Yuko Yamaguchi. The white Japanese bobtail cat was first introduced in Japan in 1975, and brought to the United States in 1976.
