AFP Photo: Sanrio director Makoto Sato (C) smiles with the company's characters Cinnamon (L) and Hello Kitty
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Hello Kitty, that global icon of Sanrio, has announced that it is now going to branch into film again for the first time in over 20 years. They are looking at creating two animated features starring new characters.
Along with existing Sanrio characters Mocha and Espresso, there will be a new star white puppy named Cinnamoroll. The second story will tell the story of mice who grow up together and the experiences of conflict and friendship they go through.
They will be presented as a double feature, and will be seen first in Japan theaters in the winter of 2007, according to Sanrio. They are also thinking about introducing it into overseas markets.
The last film Sanrio produced was in 1983, the animation showing its star character "Hello Kitty."
Since the Sanrio designer Ikuko Shimizu launched Hello Kitty in 1974, it has become a global phenomenon with over 50,000 different products for sale in 60 nations.According to Makoto Sato, director of entertainment and media content at Sanrio "We aim for our business to synthesize these three areas. And I think our main job will be to create a world of characters that is more concrete and of better quality."
He added that they are now focusing on three specific areas of business - character merchandise, live shows and mixed media.
This should be a welcome addition to the millions of Hello Kitty fans out there.
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