Warner Bros. Animation and New Line Cinema have announced that a Hello Kitty animated feature film will premiere in theaters on July 21, 2028. The Hello Kitty film project was first announced in 2019, which marked the first time Sanrio licensed film rights for the Sanrio mascot.
Leo Matsuda directs the new Hello Kitty project, while Dana Fox wrote the film’s latest script draft. Producer Beau Flynn (FlynnPictureCo.) worked nearly a decade with Sanrio founder Shintaro Tsuji to receive the rights to the character. Shelby Thomas oversees the film on behalf of FlynnPictureCo.
“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 studio said in a statement sent to Variety.
Sanrio previously worked with Netflix to release the My Melody & Kuromi stop-motion animation series on July 24, 2025, exclusively on the streaming service. The Netflix series celebrates the 50th anniversary of My Melody and 20th anniversary of Kuromi, as both characters enjoy an adventure in Mariland. LE SSERAFIM performs the series theme song “Kawaii (Prod. Gen Hoshino).” Tomoki Misato (Pui Pui Molcar) directs the My Melody & Kuromi series. Shuko Nemoto is the screenwriter of the series. Toruku from WIT Studio (SPY x FAMILY) is producing the series.
