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Nintendo is planning to release a "consistent cadence" of movies following Super Mario Galaxy in 2026 and The Legend of Zelda in 2027, president Shuntaro Furukawa has announced.
The declaration was made during the company's most recent financial results briefing on November 4. "We are continuing to prepare for the ongoing release of movies in the future," Furukawa shared, as he highlighted that Nintendo doesn't just license out its IP, it is "deeply involved in production" and "takes part in financing." He also noted that Shigeru Miyamoto, creator of both Mario and Zelda, is co-producing both movies.
What could be next? Animal Crossing? A live-action Splatoon? The world's Nintendo's Cloyster...
He added: "Thanks to the support of people around the world, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, released in 2023, was a success. It was enjoyed by a vast audience, including those who had experienced Mario games, those less familiar with gaming, and people of all ages, from children to seniors."
"What has pleased us most about this film, even more than the measurable results, are the warm comments we received from so many people. One comment we received was, 'I was able to cheer for the same Mario I played with in games as a child, but this time in a movie theater as a parent with my own kids.' We are truly grateful that Mario has a role in so many aspects of people's lives and the precious time families spend together. Through this movie, we reaffirmed that our unique brand of entertainment has the power to expand our fanbase across generations and to build long-term relationships with our consumers."
Released in 2023, The Super Mario Bros. Movie saw the titular Brooklyn-based plumber (Chris Pratt) stumble across the mysterious Mushroom Kingdom. There, he must team up with Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy) to save his brother Luigi (Charlie Day) and stop Bowser (Jack Black) from using an all-mighty power-up to take over the realm. Bowser, it turns out, though, isn't just interested in world domination; his main goal is to convince Princess Peach to marry him.
Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic are back to direct the sequel, working from a script by returning writer Matthew Fogel. Hardly surprisingly, really, that Universal and Illumination assembled the same team for the follow-up, given that the first movie made a whopping $1.361 billion.
Elsewhere, the live-action Legend of Zelda movie will be helmed by Wes Ball (The Maze Runner, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes). Details are scant, as it stands, but we do know that Bo Bragason (Renegade Nell) is on board to play the eponymous princess while The Haunting of Bly Manor's Benjamin Evan Ainsworth will bring Link to life.
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is heading to cinemas on April 3, 2026, while The Legend of Zelda will release on May 7, 2027. For more, check out our picks of the best video game movies of all time or our guide to all the upcoming video game movies heading our way.
