We round-up here some geek showbiz news from the last week or so on the eve of San Diego Comic-Con, including news of a Hello Kitty feature, a peak at the new Ghostbusters costumers, and the Fall premiere dates for a number of geek series. 

Hello Kitty owner Sanrio will produce and finance (to the tune of $160 to $240 million!) a feature film based on the character through a new U.S. subsidiary formed for this and similar purposes, according to Deadline.  The film is planned for release in 2019.  Sanrio’s new U.S. unit is also looking at films based on other character priorities. 

Director Paul Feig tweeted a picture of the new costumes for Ghostbusters, with the hashtag “#whatyougonnawear.”  Chris Hemsworth joins core cast members Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, and Leslie Jones (see “Chris Hemsworth in ‘Ghostbusters’”).

Click any image for larger view.

The Guardians of the Galaxy sequel has a title, but it’s not exactly earthshattering:  the film will unspool under the title Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2.  The film will be released May 5, 2017 (see “Best in Shows—Q2 2017”).

The premiere dates for the Fall seasons of Fox’s Gotham and the comic-based CW series have been announced:

Arrow:  October 7
The Flash:  October 6
Gotham:  September 21
iZombie:  October 6