Washington [US], May 19 (ANI): The long-in-development 'Hello Kitty' feature film has secured its directors, with filmmakers behind 'Moana 2' and 'Ultraman: Rising' officially set to helm the project, marking a major step forward for the adaptation of the iconic global character.

David Derrick Jr. ('Moana 2') and John Aoshima ('Ultraman: Rising') will direct the upcoming film, which will be produced by Beau Flynn. Former Paramount Animation president Ramsey Naito ('The Boss Baby') is also on board as a producer, according to Variety.

The film will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures Animation and New Line Cinema and is scheduled for theatrical release on July 21, 2028. It will mark 'Hello Kitty's' Hollywood theatrical debut.

The project has been in development for several years, with Shelby Thomas overseeing for FlynnPictureCo. Beau Flynn has reportedly spent nearly a decade working with Sanrio founder Shintaro Tsuji to secure the rights to the character.

As per Variety, the screenplay is currently being written by Jeff Chan, with earlier drafts contributed by Dana Fox, Katie Dippold, Adam Sztykiel, Jenny Jaffe, Lindsey Beer and Tamara Becher-Wilkinson. The story is based on a treatment by Robert Ben Garant and Thomas Lennon.

Both directors previously entered overall deals with Warner Bros. Pictures Animation under Bill Damaschke.

First introduced in 1974 by Japan's Sanrio, 'Hello Kitty' quickly became a global merchandising phenomenon, spanning thousands of products, themed cafes, a theme park in Japan, dozens of video games, and collaborations in fashion and lifestyle markets.

The character's popularity has also extended to friends such as Dear Daniel and the superhero alter ego Ichigoman.

The English-language feature was first announced by New Line in 2019 and marked the first time Sanrio licensed film rights for the character. (ANI)