Popular Japanese Brand Hello Kitty to Get A Movie
Fans of popular Japanese brand Hello Kitty will soon have another reason for excitement after Sanrio announced that a film adaptation is currently in the works.
The Japanese lifestyle giant will be financing and producing a big screen adaptation for its globally famous character Hello Kitty via its new U.S. subsidiary, Sanrio Media & Pictures Entertainment. They are working on a budget of between $160 million to $240 million, Sanrio executives said.
The U.S. subsidiary was launched last month to promote the Japanese company's brand and IP on a global scale. Rehito Hatoyama, Sanrio managing director, has been assigned as the U.S. unit's new chief executive, and will oversee its first project – the Hello Kitty movie.
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Audiences and fans of the iconic character can expect other Sanrio characters to be featured in the big screen adaptation, as well, including My Melody and Little Twin Stars, who are both celebrating their 40th anniversary this year, a year after Hello Kitty's 40th.
The movie is in its early stages, and Cinemablend writes it may possibly be a hybrid of animation and live-action that's scheduled to premiere in worldwide theaters by 2019.
The character, Kitty White, is featured as an anthropomorphized cat with her trademark red bow over her left ear, living in London with her family, going to school, baking, collecting things, and playing with Mimmy, her twin sister.
Hello Kitty has been adapted into a number of television shows since 1987, the longest-running of which, "Hello Kitty's Paradise" was on the air for 12 years.
The movie will be Hello Kitty's first film since Sanrio introduced her to Japanese consumers and a global audience 41 years ago.
Hello Kitty is currently seen all over the world in various products like stuffed toys, clothing, accessories, and other collectible items geared to an audience of children and adult fans.
