• David Derrick Jr. (Moana 2) and John Aoshima (Ultraman: Rising) will co-direct the Hello Kitty movie
• The film is set for a July 21, 2028 theatrical release from Warner Bros. Pictures Animation and New Line Cinema
• It marks Hello Kitty’s first-ever Hollywood big-screen debut, nearly a decade after rights discussions began
• Moana and Red Notice producer Beau Flynn and former Paramount Animation president Ramsey Naito will produce
• Jeff Chan is writing the current script, following drafts from multiple writers over the years

Hello Kitty is finally getting her Hollywood close-up — and she’s bringing some serious directorial talent along for the ride.

Warner Bros. Pictures Animation and New Line Cinema have announced that David Derrick Jr., who helmed Disney’s Moana 2, and John Aoshima, the filmmaker behind Netflix’s Ultraman: Rising, will co-direct the first-ever Hello Kitty feature film. The movie is set to hit theaters on July 21, 2028, marking the beloved Sanrio character’s Hollywood theatrical debut after more than a decade in development.

Producing the film are Beau Flynn — who spent nearly a decade working directly with Sanrio founder Shintaro Tsuji to secure the character rights — alongside Ramsey Naito, the former president of Paramount Animation best known for The Boss Baby. Shelby Thomas is overseeing the project for FlynnPictureCo. Both directors previously signed overall deals with Warner Bros. Pictures Animation under Bill Damaschke, making this a natural home for the project.

A Long Road to the Big Screen

This movie has been a long time coming. Sanrio first started eyeing a film adaptation as far back as 2015, and in 2019, New Line Cinema and FlynnPictureCo. officially announced they were developing an English-language feature — the first time Sanrio had ever licensed Hello Kitty’s film rights to a major American studio. That announcement also included fan-favorite characters like Gudetama, My Melody, and Little Twin Stars in the mix.

“I am extremely pleased that Hello Kitty and other popular Sanrio characters will be making their Hollywood debut,” Tsuji said at the time. “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.”

Flynn echoed the excitement: “We’re incredibly honoured that President Tsuji has entrusted us with the responsibility of bringing her story to the big screen globally for the first time ever. 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.”

The path from that 2019 announcement to today has been anything but linear. Zootopia animator Leo Matsuda was previously attached to direct. The script has cycled through multiple writers — Dana Fox (Wicked, Cruella), Katie Dippold, Adam Sztykiel, Jenny Jaffe, Lindsey Beer, and Tamara Becher-Wilkinson all contributed drafts, while Robert Ben Garant and Thomas Lennon wrote the original treatment. The current version of the screenplay is being written by Jeff Chan, though writing credits have not yet been officially determined.

Why This Movie Matters Beyond the Merchandise

Hello Kitty isn’t just a character — she’s a 52-year-old cultural institution. Created by Yuko Shimizu for Sanrio in 1974 as a British anthropomorphized white cat named Kitty White (yes, she has a full name), the franchise now spans approximately 50,000 types of merchandise sold annually in over 130 countries. There’s a Hello Kitty theme park in Japan, Hello Kitty cafés, dozens of video games, high-end fashion collaborations, and beloved supporting characters like Dear Daniel and superhero alter ego Ichigoman.

The film’s arrival also fits neatly into a bigger cultural moment. Japanese pop culture has never had more mainstream traction in the West — the theatrical run of Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle shattered records, and animated films as a whole are having a serious theatrical resurgence. Warner Bros. Animation is leaning into that momentum hard, with The Cat in the Hat starring Bill Hader as Dr. Seuss’s iconic character set to kick things off in November 2026.

Plot details for the Hello Kitty film are being kept tightly under wraps for now, and the studio hasn’t confirmed whether the movie will take an anime-influenced visual approach or go a different direction entirely. Given how adaptable the character is — she’s appeared in everything from Persona crossovers to The Powerpuff Girls collabs — the creative team has real latitude to make something unexpected.

“The film marks Hello Kitty’s Hollywood theatrical debut as Hello Kitty and her friends embark on a cinematic adventure sure to delight audiences of all ages,” the studios said in their announcement.

With Derrick Jr. and Aoshima’s combined experience spanning Disney’s biggest animated sequel and one of Netflix’s most visually inventive animated features, Hello Kitty’s first trip to the multiplex is in capable hands. July 2028 can’t come soon enough.

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• David Derrick Jr. (Moana 2) and John Aoshima (Ultraman: Rising) are set to co-direct the Hello Kitty animated feature.
• The film will mark Hello Kitty’s Hollywood theatrical debut, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line Cinema.
• It’s scheduled for release on July 21, 2028 — a date theaters will want to circle in glitter pen.
• Ramsey Naito, former president of Paramount Animation, joins as producer alongside Beau Flynn, who spent nearly a decade securing the rights from Sanrio.
• The project was first announced in 2019 and represents the first time Sanrio has ever licensed Hello Kitty’s film rights to a major Hollywood studio.

Hello Kitty is finally getting her Hollywood close-up — and now she has the directors to make it happen. Warner Bros. Pictures Animation and New Line Cinema have tapped David Derrick Jr. and John Aoshima to helm the long-awaited Hello Kitty animated feature, with the film set to hit theaters on July 21, 2028.

Derrick Jr. comes fresh off co-directing Moana 2, which became one of the biggest animated hits of 2024. Aoshima co-directed Netflix’s Ultraman: Rising, the acclaimed superhero film that earned strong reviews for its emotional depth and gorgeous animation. Both directors already have overall deals with Warner Bros. Pictures Animation under executive Bill Damaschke, making this a natural next step for both of them inside the studio.

Ramsey Naito — the former president of Paramount Animation, who has credits including The Boss Baby — is joining as producer alongside Beau Flynn of FlynnPictureCo. Flynn’s road to this moment has been a long one: he spent nearly a decade working directly with Sanrio founder Shintaro Tsuji to secure the rights to the character. Shelby Thomas is overseeing the project for FlynnPictureCo.

A Long Time Coming for Kitty White

Sanrio first introduced Hello Kitty — created by designer Yuko Shimizu as a British anthropomorphized white cat named Kitty White, always sporting her signature red bow — back in 1974. What followed was one of the most remarkable merchandising empires in pop culture history: roughly 50,000 types of products sold annually across more than 130 countries, a theme park in Japan, Hello Kitty cafés, dozens of video games, and high-end fashion collaborations that have kept the character relevant across generations.

Rumors of a film adaptation surfaced as far back as 2015, but it wasn’t until 2019 that New Line and FlynnPictureCo. officially announced the English-language feature — the first time Sanrio had ever licensed Hello Kitty’s film rights to a major studio, along with beloved characters like Gudetama, My Melody, and Little Twin Stars. At the time, Tsuji said in a statement: “I am extremely pleased that Hello Kitty and other popular Sanrio characters will be making their Hollywood debut. 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.”

The film will follow Hello Kitty and her friends on a cinematic adventure designed for audiences of all ages — though beyond that, plot details are being kept close to the chest for now.

A Script Years in the Making

The screenplay has had quite the journey of its own. The current draft is being written by Jeff Chan, who previously co-wrote the charming rom-com Plus One. He’s building on earlier drafts from an impressive roster of writers that includes Dana Fox, Katie Dippold, Adam Sztykiel, Jenny Jaffe, Lindsey Beer, and Tamara Becher-Wilkinson. The whole thing started from a treatment by Robert Ben Garant and Thomas Lennon — the Reno 911! and Night at the Museum duo — so the comedic DNA has been baked in from the beginning.

Writing credits have not yet been officially determined, but with Chan currently at the keyboard and two directors now locked in, the project has real momentum behind it for the first time.

July 21, 2028 is still two years away, but for the millions of Hello Kitty fans who’ve been waiting on this since the Obama administration, the pieces are finally falling into place. The only question left: which friends are making the trip to the big screen with her.

The post Hello Kitty Movie Has Its Directors — and a 2028 Date appeared first on Cream.