In the week of the success of “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” a sequel was quickly greenlit and Nintendo also announced a live-action “The Legend of Zelda” movie which is gearing up for production in the near future.
However, this is just the beginning. In a recent Q&A, it was revealed that Nintendo already has more film and television projects currently in development.
In a translated AGM Q&A (via ComicBook.com) shared with the public, Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa was asked about the company’s plans for the future in terms of visual media and content.
More specifically he was asked whether more works based on Nintendo IP, works other than Mario and Zelda, would be coming. Furukawa says:
“We released The Super Mario Bros. Movie in theaters in April 2023, and are pleased to say that it has been received positively by many people around the world. Looking ahead, we plan to release a new animated film based on the world of Super Mario Bros. in April 2026, and a live-action movie of The Legend of Zelda in May 2027.
Under our strategy of ‘expanding the number of people who have access to Nintendo IP’ to continuously invigorate our core integrated hardware-software business, we have been working on initiatives beyond our dedicated video game platforms for several years. Visual content is one such area.
And rather than simply licensing our IP to film production companies, we are taking a proactive approach where Nintendo itself is deeply involved in production and makes investments as needed. This approach allows us to maintain a strong commitment to the quality of the final product. Although we cannot discuss our plans beyond The Legend of Zelda movie at this time, we are working on various other projects.”
Nintendo has multiple IP’s that could be used for future film and series projects including Kirby, Star Fox, Animal Crossing, Splatoon and Donkey Kong.
