In 2019,Sanrioannounced one of the most anticipated announcements in the franchise’s history:a theatrical movie release involving one of their most prominent personalities,Hello Kitty.Hello Kitty has received everything from clothing lines to fast-food meal toys portraying her likeness, and as one ofSanrio’s most popular characters, it is no surprise that a movie is on the horizon for the famous feline.
Warner Bros. first made audiences aware of their plans for the film in March 2019, but years passed without any updates on the major Sanrio project. In 2021, the news thatthe movie would be a blend of live-action and animation elements was shared publicly,and three years later,the first draft of theHello Kittyscriptwas officially finished.Warner Bros., FlynnPictureCo, and Sanriohave all expended a tremendous amount of effort and financial resources on the ambitious project, but there is one crucial detail they must not forget to make the film as faithful an adaptation as possible.
Live-Action Adaptations of Animated Content Have Been Historically Difficult to Create
Sonic the Hedgehog’s First Live-Action Design Is Proof That These Adaptations Can Be Tricky For Studios
Live-action film adaptations of beloved franchises are growing increasingly popularlately, with studios like Disney and Warner Bros. attempting to transform animated classics into real-life formats that capture all the nostalgia and charm of the originals. These remakes often turn out in one of two ways: they succeed and garner fans' respect, like the recently released 2025A Minecraft Movie,or they perform poorly with regard to both audience reviews and box office numbers, like some of therecent Disney live-action remakes,many of which, unfortunately, did not reach the level of financial accomplishment the company was hoping for.
One characteristic that differentiates a successful remake from a failing one is the accuracy to the source material.If changes are made, they must still embody the themes of the original, while recreating the characters themselves as precisely as possible. It can obviously be tough to adapt an animated drawing to a live-action style, which is an issue that the team behind 2020’sSonic the Hedgehoganimated movie, produced by Paramount Pictures, knows all too well. The very public backlash directed towards the first animated rendition of the titular hedgehog main character has yet to be forgotten by the internet.
Sanrio Must Avoid Sonic the Hedgehog’s Grave Error
By Attempting to Make Sonic Look Like a Real Hedgehog, the First Design Lost All the Character’s Charm
Audiences could not have been more displeased with how the iconic character, Sonic, was first represented in the film’s 2019 trailer. The film also mixed live-action and animation, with human characters like Doctor Eggman, played by Jim Carrey, among animated figures like Sonic himself, voiced by Ben Schwartz. With a star-studded cast, a major studio like Paramount backing the project, a talented crew, and one of the biggest franchises in the video game industry,Sonic the Hedgehogshould have been a monumental success from the get-go, butthe animated appearance of the film’s main character was its fatal flaw.
After the trailer’s debut, the internet’s uproar was almost instantaneous, with devoted fans of the franchise expressingtheir displeasure with the way the animation studio chose to represent the video game’s protagonist.Sonic’s humanlike teeth and lips, elongated snout, and beady eyes were points of contention for many people, as the majority agreed erased all the appeal of the original character.Sonic the Hedgehog’steam went back to the drawing board andcompletely scrapped the old Sonic design, electing to shift to a more cartoonish look with larger, more expressive eyes and rounded, exaggerated features that closely aligned with Sonic’s look in the video games.
Keeping Sonic’s Design Cartoonish Was Central to the Franchise’s Success
After Doing Away With the Lifelike Design, the Franchise Produced Three Hit Films With Sonic’s New Look
Trying to make Sonic look like a real-life hedgehog backfired immenselybecause that was not how viewers wanted to see the character portrayed, and the design ultimately was deemed too different from the original to the point that fans felt a disconnect between the source material and the live-action version of the movie. When it comes to the Warner Bros. live-actionHello Kittymovie, it would be wise of the studio to take a page fromSonic the Hedgehog’sbook and not make the same mistake when transforming the main character from animation to a live-action look.
There are decidedly cat-like elements that are central to Hello Kitty’s character, like whiskers, fur, and pointed ears, butto make the anthropomorphic feline character into a real-life cat in the movie would be a pivotal error,whichSonic the Hedgehoglearned through trial and error. After changing Sonic’s original design,theSonic the Hedgehogfilm franchisewent on to be an absolute hit, with three successful movies already released as of 2025. Sonic’s new cartoon-inspired design perfectly balances live-action animation features, like realistic fur, with more exaggerated features common in cartoons, like eyes that are much bigger than a real-life animal’s.
Warner Bros and FlynnPictureCo Should Not Design Hello Kitty as a Realistic Cat
If This One Potential Problem is Avoided, the Film Can Become a Successful Piece of Sanrio’s History
For live-action films of this type,the emphasis should be on capturing what makes the particular animated character unique, not making them a flawless rendition of a real-life animal.Warner Bros. and FlynnPictureCo could go the route of making Hello Kitty a realistic cat, but the audience’s reception would most likely mirror the criticismSonic the Hedgehogreceived. On paper, theHello Kittymovie should be a smash hit. Sanrio is more prosperous as a brand right now than it ever has been before, evidenced by television shows, theme parks, andother recent Hello Kitty collaborationsthe brand is involved in.
Warner Bros. and FlynnPictureCo have an opportunity to create a movie that both delights Sanrio fans and shows respect to the world’s most popular cat, Hello Kitty. The only thing holding theSonic the Hedgehogfilm franchise back from stunning box office numbers and high fan review scores was Sonic’s initial, ill-conceived design. If the proper amount of effort and time is devoted toensuring that Hello Kitty’s image is rendered properly to an animation format, and the writing, music, acting, and other elements of the film are handled with care as well,Sanrio’sHello Kittyfilm will be remembered positively for years to come.
Sources: CBR (1), (2)
