Here’s a bit of news that walks that delicate line of WTF and completely unsurprising: a Hello Kitty movie is currently in the works.
Deadline reports that the monumentally successful, now 40-year-old Japanese brand – famous for its feline image with red bow and whiskers – is being turned into a movie. Japanese lifestyle company Sanrio are going to both finance and produce a movie but rather than just releasing it in its native Japan where it’s guaranteed to make a mint, they’re aiming for a global release in 2019 to hopefully capitalize on their brand awareness.
This follows a string of successful video games featuring the character, as well as an animated series and even a music album.
The global release of the film will be facilitated by the U.S.-based Sanrio Media & Pictures Entertainment, which was set up last month to help exploit the brand’s library worldwide. They’ve already made in-roads with the likes of Mr. Men and Little Miss, the rights to which they sold to Fox Entertainment at the start of the year. They’re also lkely to turn other popular characters like My Melody and Little Twin Sisters into movies of their own. Are we looking at a Hello Kitty Cinematic Universe (HKCU)?!
Things are still at an early stage so there’s no word on any cast, director, writer or even a plot – just that aimed release date 4 years away. My question is: even with the brand recognition and popularity of the iconic Hello Kitty brand, will people outside of its native country be that interested in seeing a movie of it? I’m not so sure…
Having said that, it’s far from the most ridiculous brand-to-movie adaptation on the way, as life has recently been breathed back into the long-gestating Monopoly movie which once had Sir Ridley Scott attached but now has Andrew Niccol – of Gattaca and The Truman Show fame – writing the script (yes, seriously). And just look at The LEGO Movie; a popular and worldwide known brand turned into one of the most fun movies this side of the century.
It would be nice to think a Hello Kitty movie could achieve that same sort of level but they certainly have their work cut out for them.
Source: Deadline