Hello Kitty to make her big screen debut

Warner Bros.'s New Line Cinema has acquired film rights to Hello Kitty from the Japanese corporation Sanrio. Photo / AP

Hello Kitty might not have a mouth but she's got a movie deal.

Warner Bros.' New Line Cinema announced Tuesday that it has acquired film rights to Hello Kitty from the Japanese corporation Sanrio. The 45-year-old iconic feline has never been turned into a movie despite its merchandising ubiquity.

New Line said it will quickly begin work on a script to put a film into production. Sanrio also granted film rights to other characters including Gudetama, My Melody and Little Twin Stars.

Warner Bros. has had success with toy adaptations before, including "The Lego Movie." That film's sequel, however, has underperformed at the box office since opening last month.

Hello Kitty presents potentially steeper challengers, though. She doesn't talk or, for the most part, change facial expressions.

Hello Kitty was initially designed in 1974 and introduced on a coin purse a year later. She can be found in 130 countries on more than 50,000 different branded products each year.

It is currently unclear if the project is being developed as an animated or live-action feature, but the search for writers has already begun. Beau Flynn will produce and Wendy Jacobson will executive produce for Flynn Picture, Variety reports.

- AP