Hello Kitty to make Hollywood debut in 2028 Warner Bros. film

Warner Bros. officially announced on October 29, 2025, that a Hello Kitty movie will be released on July 21, 2028, marking the beloved Sanrio character’s first Hollywood theatrical debuthypebeast.
The film will be directed by Leo Matsuda, a veteran animator who worked on Disney’s “Big Hero 6” and “Wreck-It-Ralph,” with a screenplay by Dana Fox, known for writing “Cruella” and “Wicked”comicbookmovie.
Producer Beau Flynn spent a decade negotiating with Sanrio founder and CEO Shintaro Tsuji to secure the film rights, making this the first time Sanrio has licensed Hello Kitty to a Hollywood studiocomicbookmovie.
The announcement came via Instagram with a video showing a person dressed as Hello Kitty at the Warner Bros. lot, with the studio’s water tower adorned with the character’s signature pink bowhypebeast.
Created in 1974, Hello Kitty has generated close to $85 billion worldwide through merchandise and licensing, with industry observers comparing the film’s potential to “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” which grossed $1.3 billion globally in 2023comicbookmovie.

Hello Kitty Gets Hollywood Treatment with 2028 Warner Bros. Film

Warner Bros. officially announced Tuesday that the beloved Sanrio character Hello Kitty will make her Hollywood theatrical debut on July 21, 2028, marking a decade-long journey to bring the iconic feline to the big screen.hypebeast

The announcement came via an Instagram post showing a person in a Hello Kitty costume pointing excitedly at the Warner Bros. water tower, now adorned with the character’s signature pink bow. The caption read: “Hello, Hollywood! #HelloKittyMovie coming to theaters July 21, 2028!”comicbookmovie

A Decade in Development

The project represents the culmination of extensive negotiations between producer Beau Flynn and Sanrio founder and CEO Shintaro Tsuji. According to Variety, Flynn worked for a decade to secure the Hello Kitty film rights, making this the first time Sanrio has licensed the character to a Hollywood studio.comicbookmovie

Leo Matsuda, a veteran animator who worked on Disney’s “Big Hero 6” and “Wreck-It-Ralph,” will direct the film in his first major feature directorial role. Dana Fox, known for writing “Wicked” and “Cruella,” has penned the most recent draft of the screenplay.variety

Strategic Brand Play for Warner Bros.

The Hello Kitty film comes as Warner Bros. continues its strategy of adapting major brands following the massive success of “Barbie,” which became a cultural phenomenon, and the upcoming “A Minecraft Movie”. Industry observers suggest the Hello Kitty movie could potentially achieve similar box office success, with some comparing its potential impact to “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” which grossed $1.3 billion globally in 2023.comicbookmovie

“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,” Warner Bros. Pictures Animation and New Line Cinema said in a statement.hypebeast

The 50-year-old character, created by Sanrio in 1974, has generated close to $85 billion worldwide through merchandise and licensing, making her one of the most profitable characters in entertainment history. Hello Kitty products are sold in over 130 countries and regions annually, with approximately 50,000 different products featuring the character.comicbook