A feature film based on Hello Kitty, a fictional character produced by the Japanese lifestyle company Sanrio, will hit theatres in 2019.
According to Sanrio executives, Hello Kitty will have a big budget of between $160 to $240 million (Dh587.7 to Dh881.6 million), including print and advertisement costs, reports aceshowbiz.com.
Sanrio has established a US-based company, Sanrio Media and Pictures Entertainment, to help develop the Japanese company’s intellectual property worldwide.
The company’s managing director Rehito Hatoyama was appointed the chief executive of the new US unit and will oversee the Hello Kitty project.
Hello Kitty was created by Yuko Shimizu and is currently designed by Yuko Yamaguchi.
The white Japanese bobtail cat was first introduced in Japan in 1975, and brought to the US in 1976.
