Hello Kitty to get movie treatment after New Line Cinema, Sanrio ink deal
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Hello Kitty, the extremely popular character from the Japanese corporation Sanrio, has gotten her own movie deal. (AP)
Hello Kitty, the popular feline character created by Japanese corporation Sanrio, has just landed a movie deal.
Warner Bros.’ New Line Cinema announced Tuesday that it has acquired film rights to Hello Kitty from Sanrio. The 45-year-old cartoon icon has never had her own major motion picture despite a cartoon series and her image plastered on T-shirts, bags and on other merchandise.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}New Line said it will immediately begin penning a script to put a film into production. Sanrio also granted film rights to other characters including Gudetama, My Melody and Little Twin Stars.
Products adorning Hello Kitty’s trademark bow and mouthless face have generated billions of dollars. Hello Kitty merchandise is sold in 130 countries, the BBC reported.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Warner Bros. has had success with toy adaptions before, including “The Lego Movie.” However, the sequel, "The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part" has underperformed at the box office since opening last month.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.