{"rewrite":{"id":"r_875f0a376152424a9010ed44","clusterId":"c_8908ff753612408fbcdc22b6","slug":"david-derrick-jr-and-john-aoshima-to-direct-live-action-hello-kitty-film","model":"deepseek-v4-flash","headline":"David Derrick Jr. and John Aoshima to Direct Live-Action Hello Kitty Film","summary":"Deadline reports David Derrick Jr. (Moana 2) and John Aoshima (Ultraman: Rising) are co-directing Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema's live-action/animation hybrid Hello Kitty film. Ramsey Naito joins as producer. The film opens worldwide July 21, 2028, and will include other Sanrio characters.","whyItMatters":"After years of development with no director attached, the Hello Kitty film now has a creative team with recent blockbuster experience and a firm release date.","webCardHtml":"\u003cp\u003eThe Hello Kitty film project dates to 2019, when Sanrio and New Line Cinema first struck a deal. A 2021 report named Jennifer Coyle and Leo Matsuda as directors and Lindsey Beer as writer, but the project went quiet after that. The new director team, announced Monday by Deadline, brings in David Derrick Jr., who co-directed \u003ci\u003eMoana 2\u003c/i\u003e, and John Aoshima, who directed Netflix's \u003ci\u003eUltraman: Rising\u003c/i\u003e. Ramsey Naito, former president of Paramount Animation, joins as a producer alongside Beau Flynn. The film is set for a July 21, 2028 global release.\u003c/p\u003e","blueskyPost":"David Derrick Jr. (Moana 2) and John Aoshima (Ultraman: Rising) will co-direct Warner Bros.' live-action/animation hybrid Hello Kitty film. It opens July 21, 2028.","twitterPost":"David Derrick Jr. (Moana 2) and John Aoshima (Ultraman: Rising) are co-directing Warner Bros.' live-action/animation hybrid Hello Kitty film. It opens July 21, 2028.","threadsPost":null,"newsletterBlurb":"The Hello Kitty film has new directors. David Derrick Jr. and John Aoshima will co-direct the live-action/animation hybrid for Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema. The film opens July 21, 2028.","attributionJson":"[{\"source\":\"Anime News Network\",\"url\":\"https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2026-05-18/deadline-david-derrick-jr-john-aoshima-to-direct-live-action-animated-hybrid-hello-kitty-film/.237505\",\"title\":\"Deadline: David Derrick Jr., John Aoshima to Direct Live-Action/Animated Hybrid Hello Kitty Film\"}]","lintFlagsJson":"[]","lintHits":0,"costUsd":0,"inputTokens":4008,"outputTokens":566,"status":"published","repairAttempts":0,"nextRepairAt":null,"factsAttemptedAt":1779827034,"createdAt":"2026-05-18T22:31:25.000Z","publishedAt":"2026-05-18T22:45:50.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-05-18T22:45:50.000Z"},"cluster":{"id":"c_8908ff753612408fbcdc22b6","canonicalTitle":"Deadline: David Derrick Jr., John Aoshima to Direct Live-Action/Animated Hybrid Hello Kitty Film","representativeArticleId":"a_098bf0ff9f09a3e2f47935f7","sourceCount":1,"writtenSourceCount":1,"writeAttempts":0,"isSolo":false,"entitiesJson":"{\"anime_titles\":[\"Hello Kitty\"],\"manga_titles\":[],\"studios\":[],\"people\":[\"David Derrick Jr.\",\"John Aoshima\"],\"type\":\"announcement\",\"domain\":\"anime\",\"is_roundup\":false}","contentType":"news","status":"published","firstSeenAt":"2026-05-18T20:30:00.000Z","lastSeenAt":"2026-05-18T20:30:00.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-05-20T00:32:29.000Z"},"attribution":[{"source":"Anime News Network","url":"https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2026-05-18/deadline-david-derrick-jr-john-aoshima-to-direct-live-action-animated-hybrid-hello-kitty-film/.237505","title":"Deadline: David Derrick Jr., John Aoshima to Direct Live-Action/Animated Hybrid Hello Kitty Film"}],"entities":{"anime_titles":["Hello Kitty"],"manga_titles":[],"studios":[],"people":["David Derrick Jr.","John Aoshima"],"type":"announcement","domain":"anime","is_roundup":false},"keyFacts":["David Derrick Jr., co-director of Moana 2, and John Aoshima, director of Ultraman: Rising, are co-directing Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema's live-action/animation hybrid Hello Kitty film.","Ramsey Naito, former president of Paramount Animation, joins as a producer alongside Beau Flynn.","The film is set for a worldwide release on July 21, 2028.","The Hello Kitty film project began in 2019 when Sanrio and New Line Cinema first made a deal.","The film will include other Sanrio characters."]}