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Hollywood Hello Kitty Film Project Hires Writer

Entertainment news website Deadline reported on Wednesday that Warner Bros. Entertainment's New Line Cinema has hired Lindsey Beer to write its film adaptation of Sanrio's Hello Kitty franchise. The company Known Universe, which Beer co-founded, will also serve as executive producer. The website noted that the film "will be designed for four quadrant global audience appeal."

Beer's previous credits include Transformers: The Last Knight, Godzilla vs. Kong, and Masters of the Universe. Nicole Perlman and Geneva Robertson-Dworet co-founded Known Universe with Beer. Perlman co-wrote the script for Pokémon Detective Pikachu with director Rob Letterman.

New Line Cinema and FlynnPictureCo are handling production and development of the Hello Kitty film, and Warner Bros. will handle the film's worldwide distribution. FlynnPictureCo's Beau Flynn is credited as producer, with Wendy Jacobson credited as executive producer. The film is the first time that the franchise will have a film produced outside Japan. Since the project is still in development, the team has not announced whether the film will be live-action, 2D animation, 3D CG, or another medium, nor has it announced the film's release window.

Sanrio had announced in 2015 that it is planning a new Hello Kitty film slated for release this year.

Sanrio and French animation studio Monello Productions revealed in February that they are developing the new The World of Hello Kitty animated series, scheduled for the first quarter of 2021 with 52 episodes.

Sentai Filmworks released the Hello Kitty & Friends – Let's Learn Together animated series as the first title in its new "Sentai Kids" imprint last year.

Source: Deadline (Mike Fleming Jr.)