Goku and Pikachu might rule the roost when it comes to the biggest anime characters in the world, but they are far from the only recognizable figures in the medium. When it comes to the highest-selling anime characters the world over, one feline mascot certainly is in the running for most profitable. In the past, Warner Bros. Discovery hasn’t kept its investment in the anime business a secret, and an upcoming 2028 release once again proves it. Thanks to a recent release, it seems that the WB is getting into the Sanrio business.
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On July 21st, 2028, Warner Bros Pictures Animation and New Line Cinema are releasing a brand new Hello Kitty feature-length film. In an official statement, here’s how the studios revealed the big announcement: “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.” As of the writing of this article, the story of the film remains a mystery, and it’s still anyone’s guess if this will be fully animated or if the movie will combine animation with live-action elements. While this is far from the first time that Hello Kitty has had her own movie, or animated series for that matter, it once again proves how big anime is becoming in North America. The upcoming Warner Bros iteration will be directed by Leo Matsuda (Wreck-It Ralph, Big Hero 6), with the screenplay written by Dana Fox (Wicked, Cruella, and How To Be Single)
The Long History of Hello Kitty
Since Hello Kitty first hit the scene in 1974, she has helped to bring some serious cash to her parent company, Sanrio. To date, the feline mascot has garnered close to $85 billion USD worldwide, thanks to the animated stories and the wide variety of merchandise focusing on the albino cat. While the franchise has existed for decades, the Sanrio character only has three movies to its name so far, all of which were released in Japan. With this being the first North American film focusing on Hello Kitty, it will be interesting to see how the character changes as a result if at all.
In recent days, Hello Kitty has garnered plenty of headlines thanks to another wild reason, aka the mascot’s bizarre crossovers. In the past, the Sanrio mascot has teamed up with Mobile Suit Gundam, Bleach, One Piece, Jujutsu Kaisen, Sailor Moon, and Naruto. To this day, one of the most mind-bending crossovers was with Junji Ito’s Tomie, the horror figure that has long sent shivers down the spine of anime enthusiasts. While this meeting of the worlds didn’t give us a horror anime that fused the characters, it just proved how the Sanrio character can appear anywhere with any other anime figure.
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