Tag: Lighting Entertainment

Following the global success of *Super Mario Bros. the Movie*, which grossed over $13 billion worldwide in 2023, Nintendo and Universal Pictures continue to deepen their collaboration in the animated film field. According to foreign media reports, Nintendo and Universal Pictures jointly submitted a new film project titled *Untitled Donkey Kong Project* to the U.S. Copyright Office on June 6th of this year, indicating that the film will be an adaptation starring the classic Nintendo video game character Donkey Kong, and may have already entered the formal development stage. While Nintendo and Universal Pictures have not yet announced details such as the specific title, plot synopsis, or release date, the publicly available copyright registration information confirms that this Donkey Kong-centric film is actively in production. Some believe that this film will be the next step in the expansion of the *Super Mario Bros.* universe and may create a dedicated animated universe framework for Nintendo's classic characters. As one of Nintendo's earliest and most important characters, Dunkigan has established its place in gaming history since its arcade debut in 1981, and also spawned the later Mario character. The Dunkigan series continues to release new titles, including the upcoming *Dunkigan Unleashed* for the Nintendo Switch 2 on July 17th, bringing this wild yet endearing character back to the stage. The success of *Super Mario Bros. the Movie* not only forged a close partnership between Nintendo and Illumination, a subsidiary of Universal Pictures, but also fueled high expectations for the potential film adaptations of other classic Nintendo content assets. According to previously released information from Nintendo, a sequel to *Super Mario Bros.* is expected to be released in April 2026, and the newly revealed Dunkigan project is likely to follow closely behind. On the other hand, a live-action film adaptation of *The Legend of Zelda*, directed by Wes Ball (director of *The Maze Runner*) and produced by Sony Pictures, is also in production. It is expected to bring a visual language and narrative style completely different from the animation, demonstrating that Nintendo's film and television strategy extends beyond animation. This series of film and television adaptations is a concrete manifestation of Nintendo's "IP diversification" strategy. Through games, animation, movies, and theme parks, Nintendo hopes to reach a wider audience beyond gamers with its characters, further enhancing its global brand influence.