Hello Kitty has its directors.
Animation veterans Jennifer Coyle and Leo Matsuda will helm the New Line feature, which is planned as an animated/live-action hybrid film.
Lindsey Beer (Chaos Walking) of Known Universe penned the screenplay. Known Universe will also executive produce the film.
Beau Flynn and his FlynnPictureCo. will produce the film, which marks the only time Sanrio has granted film rights to Hello Kitty and its other popular characters — including Gudetama, My Melody and Little Twin Stars, among others — to a major film studio.
Chanel Bowling will oversee the project for FlynnPictureCo. Richard Brener, Celia Khong and Paulina Sussman will oversee for New Line.
Coyle, repped by UTA, has producing and directing credits on massively popular animated series like HBO Max’s Harley Quinn and Fox’s Bob’s Burgers.
Matsuda, repped by UTA, 3 Arts and Hirsch Wallerstein, has worked on Disney titles Big Hero 6, Zootopia, and Ralph Breaks the Internet, as well as Abominable for Dreamworks Animation. He made his directorial debut the short Inner Workings, which premiered before Disney’s Moana and was shortlisted for the 2017 Oscars.
