Summary
- Nintendo has confirmed it is actively working on “various other projects” for film and TV
- The company is expanding its intellectual property beyond the already announced Super Mario Bros. Movie sequel and The Legend of Zelda film
Building on the monumental success of The Super Mario Bros. Movie and the highly anticipated upcoming The Legend of Zelda film, Nintendo has officially confirmed that it is actively working on “various other projects” in the visual media space. This announcement, made by Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa, signals a significant expansion of the company’s strategy to leverage its vast intellectual property beyond traditional video game platforms
President Furukawa revealed at an AGM Q&A that Nintendo is taking a deeply “proactive approach” to these adaptations, rather than simply licensing its IPs to external film production companies. The company is “deeply involved in production and makes investments as needed,” a strategy designed to maintain a strong commitment to the quality and authenticity of the final product. This hands-on method mirrors the successful collaboration seen with Illumination for The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which grossed over $1.3 billion USD worldwide.
This push into more film and TV content aligns with Nintendo’s overarching strategy to “expand the number of people who have access to Nintendo IP” and continuously invigorate its core integrated hardware-software business. While specific titles beyond The Super Mario Bros. Movie 2 (set for April 2026) and the live-action The Legend of Zelda (May 2027) remain under wraps, speculation is rife regarding which beloved franchises, from Metroid to Kirby or Donkey Kong, might be next to receive the big-screen treatment. This aggressive expansion into visual media underscores Nintendo’s ambition to transform into a broader entertainment powerhouse. Take a look at President Furukawa’s full response below when asked about the future of the company,
“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.”
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