Hello Kitty to make her Hollywood debut; movie in the works at Warner Bros′ New Line Cinema

Hello Kitty might not have a mouth but she’s got a movie deal. Warner Bros.′ New Line Cinema announced on 5 March that it has acquired film rights to Hello Kitty from the Japanese corporation Sanrio. The 45-year-old iconic feline has never been turned into a movie despite its merchandising ubiquity. [caption id=“attachment_6208791” align=“alignnone” width=“825”] Hello Kitty. Image from Twitter @Holy-key1[/caption] New Line said it will quickly begin work on a script to put a film into production. Sanrio also granted film rights to other characters including Gudetama, My Melody and Little Twin Stars. According to  BBC , Sanrio in a statement said that a search for writers and creative talent will commence immediately. It was not announced whether the feature will be animated, live-action or a hybrid. The film will be made by Flynn Picture Company, which has also created Journey to the Center of the Earth, San Andreas, Rampage and  Skyscraper . New line said that it took nearly five years to obtain the film rights, reports  Variety . The production house in a press release said, “Hello Kitty has been one of the most beloved characters around the world for the last forty-plus years. We’re incredibly honored that President Tsuji has entrusted us with the responsibility of bringing her story to the big screen globally for the first time ever, and it’s a dream that we get to do this with our long-term partners at New Line and Warner Bros. With the positive and family-oriented values that Hello Kitty and Sanrio embody, there has never been a better time than now to share her message with the world!” Warner Bros has had success with toy adaptations before, including The Lego Movie. That film’s sequel  The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part , starring Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks and Will Arnett, however, has underperformed at the box office since opening last month. (With inputs from The Associated Press)