Tag: Donkey Kong

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.

Following the confirmation in 2021 that a "Dunkie Kingdom" area would be added to Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Japan in Osaka, Nintendo recently revealed the area's details via a live stream and confirmed its official opening date as December 11th. The "Dunkie Kingdom" area is themed around the Donkie series of games and uses the slogan "PLAY WILD! Playful Instinct, Total Loss of Control" as its design concept. It features jungle and golden temple scenes from the games, as well as the treehouse where Donkie lives. Attractions include "Crazy Mine Trains," and the area can be connected to a mobile app or interacted with using a special wristband. Additionally, the area will offer Donkie-themed restaurants and merchandise. Originally planned to open in spring 2024, the "Donkey Kong Kingdom" area was later postponed to the second half of 2024, but has now been confirmed to officially open on December 11th. With the addition of "Donkey Kong Kingdom," the usable area of ​​Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Japan will increase to 1.7 times its original size. Nintendo currently operates Super Nintendo World areas at Universal Studios Japan and Universal Studios Hollywood, and has also confirmed plans to open a Super Nintendo World area at Universal Studios Florida in 2025. A Super Nintendo World area will also be opened at Universal Studios Singapore, but the specific timeline is yet to be determined.

During its "Nintendo Direct 2023.9.14" livestream, Nintendo announced that a new game based on the 2004 Game Boy Advanced action game *Mario vs. Dunkigan*, to be released on the Nintendo Switch, will officially launch on February 16, 2024. Following the announcement, Nintendo opened pre-orders for the game through the Nintendo eShop. Continuing the gameplay of the 2004 title, players must take on the role of Mario to stop Dunkigan from infiltrating a factory and stealing all the Mini Mario toys. The game requires strategic thinking and various action-packed challenges. This Nintendo Switch remake also includes a two-player mode to attract a wider audience.

The Super Mario animated film, slated for release this April, has recently received a new trailer from Nintendo. The trailer shows Mario dressed in his cat costume from Super Mario 3D World + Rage World, facing off against the classic character Donkey Kong. Donkey Kong, voiced by Canadian comedian Seth Rogen, taunts and challenges Mario in his cat costume in the 30-second trailer. The Super Mario animated film is a collaboration between Nintendo and Illumination Entertainment, distributed by Universal Pictures, and is scheduled for release in April 2023, including a Taiwanese release. 🐱#SuperMarioMovie pic.twitter.com/GcgIPZyLV3 — The Super Mario Bros. Movie (@supermariomovie) January 29, 2023 Mario will be voiced by Chris Pratt, known for his roles in films such as *Jurassic Park* and *Valerian and the City of the Stars*. Luigi will be voiced by Charlie Day, who appeared in the TV series *Philadelphia Is Always Sunny* and the film *Pacific Rim*. Bowser will be voiced by American comedian and singer Jack Black. Princess Brigitte will be voiced by actress and model Anya Taylor-Joy, who holds triple citizenship in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Argentina. Other characters include Donkey Kong and Toad, voiced by Canadian actor Seth Rogen and comedian Keegan-Michael Key, known for his roles in *The Fake Cop*, *Tomorrowland*, and *The Voice 2*. With the announcement of Seth Rogen's voice acting for Donkey Kong, the main voice cast is now complete, and the film is set to release globally in April. Additionally, previous announcements confirmed that Mamoru Miyano will voice Mario in the Japanese dub, Aya Shida will voice Princess Peach, Tasuku Hatanaka will voice Luigi, Kenta Miyake will voice Bowser, and Tomokazu Seki will voice Toad.

This year, rumors circulated that Nintendo would add a large-scale Donkey Kong-themed park to Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Japan in Osaka. Nintendo recently confirmed these rumors with an official announcement, stating that construction has begun and the park is expected to open in 2024, increasing its size by 1.7 times. Previous reports had already noticed a closed gate in Super Nintendo World with a design heavily inspired by the Donkey Kong series, leading to speculation about a potential Donkey Kong-themed attraction. Shigeru Miyamoto, often referred to as the "father of Nintendo," stated that he is delighted to bring the Donkey Kong series to life once again at Super Nintendo World. Nintendo announced that the park will allow visitors to experience the Donkey Kong atmosphere and will include roller coasters, more interactive experiences, and a Donkey Kong-themed shopping and dining area. Nintendo has not yet revealed more details about the new park, but has indicated that it will open to the public in 2024.

According to sources within Nintendo, the company's Entertainment Planning & Development division has begun planning a new Donkey Kong game, along with plans for an animated series and a large-scale theme park expansion. In fact, besides the Super Mario and Zelda series, which are long-standing Nintendo franchises, the Donkey Kong series, since its debut in 1981, has also been a staple of Nintendo's content portfolio. Therefore, while continuing to expand its market through games like Super Mario, it's not surprising that Nintendo is using Donkey Kong to expand into even more markets. The report indicates that Nintendo is preparing a new Donkey Kong game, to be developed by the team behind Super Mario Odyssey, and also plans a new animated series. However, it's currently unclear whether this will be a TV series or a movie, or even whether it will involve collaborations with streaming services like Netflix, as previously rumored. Following the collaboration between the Super Mario series and Universal Studios Japan, which launched a new theme park at Universal Studios Japan in Osaka, Nintendo also plans to create a large-scale theme park based on the Donkey Kong series. Previously, VGC reported that within the Super Mario themed area of ​​Universal Studios Japan in Osaka, there was a closed gate designed with a strong Donkey Kong game style, and related photos also suggested that Universal Studios Japan in Osaka was expanding its area with a Donkey Kong game theme. However, Nintendo has not yet confirmed these rumors, nor has it announced any new games or theme park expansion plans.

Ubisoft has announced a new downloadable content update, "Donkey Kong Adventure," for last year's *Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle*, meaning the game will feature the iconic Nintendo character Donkey Kong. Previously, it was announced that Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, and other characters would be joining the Rabbids Kingdom world; this update confirms Donkey Kong's addition via a new content update. The update is scheduled for release on June 26th, while players who purchased the season pass will receive it earlier, on June 24th.