Hello Kitty Feature Film Gets New Directors and 2028 Release

The first feature-length Hollywood film starring Hello Kitty and her Sanrio friends is moving forward with a new creative team and a confirmed theatrical release in the summer of 2028. Warner Bros. Pictures Animation and New Line Cinema announced that directors David Derrick Jr. and John Aoshima will helm the animated project, which is scheduled for global release.

The film represents the biggest cinematic expansion for the 52-year-old franchise and marks the first time Sanrio has licensed Hello Kitty and other characters, including Gudetama, My Melody, and Little Twin Stars, to a major American film studio. The project has been in development for nearly a decade, with plans for an English-language feature first formalized in a 2019 partnership between Sanrio and the studios.

Directors Derrick and Aoshima bring significant animation experience to the production. Derrick recently made his directorial debut with Disney's "Moana 2" and has worked on films like "Encanto" and "Raya and the Last Dragon." Aoshima co-directed Netflix's "Ultraman Rising." They replace Leo Matsuda, who was previously attached to direct. Producers on the film include Beau Flynn and Ramsey Naito.