According to GameSpot, Nintendo is planning an “ongoing release” schedule for movies following the enormous success of 2023’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which grossed a staggering $1.36 billion globally and ranked as the No. 2 highest-grossing film of 2023 behind Barbie. The company revealed during its earnings briefing that it’s building a “framework for a consistent release cadence” with The Super Mario Galaxy Movie scheduled for 2026 and a live-action Legend of Zelda movie coming in 2027. Nintendo is deeply involved in production and financing rather than simply licensing properties, with Shigeru Miyamoto producing all three films. The Zelda movie reportedly begins filming in New Zealand this week with Bo Bragason as Zelda and Benjamin Evan Ainsworth as Link, while the first Mario Galaxy trailer will be attached to Wicked: For Good later this month. Nintendo’s gaming business is also booming with the Switch 2 selling over 10 million units and becoming Nintendo’s fastest-selling platform ever.
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Nintendo’s Hollywood Gamble
Here’s the thing: Nintendo isn’t just dabbling in movies anymore. They’re building a proper cinematic universe, and honestly, it’s about time. After watching Marvel and DC rake in billions for over a decade, Nintendo finally realized they’ve been sitting on a goldmine of beloved characters. The Mario movie proved there’s massive appetite for their IP beyond gaming circles – it attracted people who’d never touched a controller alongside lifelong fans.
But what’s really interesting is how they’re approaching this. They’re not just handing off their precious characters to Hollywood studios and hoping for the best. Nintendo is co-financing and staying “deeply involved” in production, which basically means they’re making sure these movies actually feel like Nintendo products. After the disaster that was the 1993 live-action Mario movie, can you blame them for being protective?
business-behind-the-movies”>The Business Behind The Movies
So why now? Well, Nintendo’s gaming division is absolutely crushing it with the Switch 2 moving 10 million units faster than any platform in their history. But even the most successful hardware eventually reaches market saturation. Movies represent a brilliant diversification strategy – they introduce Nintendo’s characters to new audiences who might then become gamers, and they create additional revenue streams that aren’t tied to console cycles.
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What’s Next For Nintendo Cinema?
The confirmed pipeline gives us Mario Galaxy in 2026 and Zelda in 2027, but what comes after? Nintendo has an embarrassment of riches when it comes to potential film adaptations. Donkey Kong seems like the obvious next choice given his appearance in the Mario movie. But what about Metroid? Kirby? Star Fox? Or even more obscure properties that could work as animated features?
And here’s the billion-dollar question: will they eventually try television? There were those Netflix-Zelda series rumors that never materialized, but the success of video game adaptations like The Last of Us on HBO proves there’s appetite for longer-form storytelling. A Metroid series could be incredible if done right. Basically, Nintendo is just getting started, and if they maintain this quality control while expanding their release schedule, we could be looking at the next major entertainment empire.
