AceShowbiz - The upcoming Hello Kitty animated feature is moving forward with an exciting new creative team. New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. Pictures Animation revealed on Monday that David Derrick Jr., known for his work on Moana 2, and John Aoshima, co-director of Ultraman: Rising, will helm the project. The film is scheduled for theatrical release on July 28, 2028.

The production is led by producer Beau Flynn, who has credits including Moana and Red Notice. He is joined by Ramsey Naito, producer of The Boss Baby, who will co-produce the film alongside Flynn. This marks a significant step for the beloved character, as it will be Hello Kitty’s first Hollywood theatrical debut.

Previously, director Leo Matsuda was attached to the project when the release date was announced last year. The screenplay is currently being penned by Jeff Chan, who is working from earlier drafts by a team of writers including Dana Fox, Katie Dippold, Adam Sztykiel, Jenny Jaffe, Lindsey Beer, and Tamara Becher-Wilkinson. The screenplay’s treatment was written by Robert Ben Garant and Thomas Lennon.

FlynnPictureCo., which is also producing the live-action adaptation of Moana set to premiere on July 10, is overseeing the project with Shelby Thomas supervising the Hello Kitty movie.

The character Hello Kitty was first created by Japanese company Sanrio in 1974. The character, originally designed by Yuko Shimizu, is portrayed as a British anthropomorphized white cat named Kitty White, recognizable by her iconic red bow. Over the decades, Hello Kitty has become a cultural icon, inspiring numerous animated series and a vast range of merchandise worldwide.

Plans to bring Hello Kitty to the big screen have been underway for nearly ten years. News of a possible film adaptation first surfaced in 2015, and by 2019, The Hollywood Reporter confirmed that New Line and FlynnPictureCo. were developing an English-language feature. This deal marked the first time Hello Kitty, alongside other popular Sanrio characters such as Gudetama, My Melody, and Little Twin Stars, were licensed to a major film studio for a theatrical release.

Sanrio founder Shintaro Tsuji expressed enthusiasm about this milestone, stating in 2019 that he was “extremely pleased” that Hello Kitty and other Sanrio characters would make their Hollywood debut. He highlighted Hello Kitty’s longstanding symbolism of friendship and expressed hope that the film would expand that spirit of friendship globally.

David Derrick Jr. made his directorial debut with Moana 2 and contributed as a story artist on major animated hits such as Raya and the Last Dragon, Encanto, and the 2019 remake of The Lion King. Meanwhile, John Aoshima brings experience from both TV and film animation, having worked on projects like Gravity Falls and Kubo and the Two Strings, with his feature directorial debut as co-director of Netflix’s Ultraman: Rising.

The upcoming Hello Kitty movie represents a key moment for the character’s transition from a cultural icon and merchandising powerhouse to a major player on the big screen. Fans and observers alike will be watching closely as the film’s production progresses toward its 2028 release date, marking Hello Kitty’s first major Hollywood theatrical adventure.