Hollywood-Style Hello Kitty Film to Be Directed by Moana’s Directors

The Hollywood feature film adaptation of Hello Kitty has taken a major step forward, with New Line Cinema and Warner Bros Pictures Animation officially appointing David Derrick Jr and John Aoshima as directors for the upcoming Hello Kitty film scheduled for release on 28 July 2028. The project was first announced in 2015 and has undergone a series of changes during its development, with Hello Kitty said to be prepared for a Hollywood-scale English-language adaptation. Previously, Leo Matsuda was named as the director of the project, but recent reports indicate the role has been taken by Derrick Jr, who previously directed Moana 2, and John Aoshima, known for his work on Ultraman. In addition to the director change, the film’s creative team has been strengthened by Ramsey Naito, who joins as producer alongside Beau Flynn. In terms of writing, the project was initially handled by Dana Fox, known for Wicked and How To Be Single; Jeff Chan is now reported to be collaborating on the latest version of the script. Hello Kitty itself is an iconic character created by Yuko Shimizu for Sanrio in the 1970s. The character is depicted as a young girl from England and has long been Sanrio’s flagship and one of the most famous pop culture icons in the world.