An animated movie starring Nintendo’s famous video game plumber Mario may be in the works.
Nintendo is nearing a deal with production studio Illumination Entertainment on an animated film set in the world of Super Mario Brothers, according to a Wall Street Journal report on Tuesday that cited anonymous sources.
It would be a big move for Nintendo, which hasn’t attempted to bring its major gaming properties like Mario to the big screen in nearly 25 years. Nintendo, along with several other film studios like the now-defunct Hollywood Pictures, released a live-action Mario movie in 1993, but the film was a dud at the box office as well as with critics.
Part of the deal includes the potential that Nintendo’s celebrated creative designer Shigeru Miyamoto will be one of the film’s producers along with Illumination CEO Chris Meledandri. Meledandri founded Illumination, now owned by Universal Pictures, in 2007, and has produced some of the most popular animated movies in recent years, including Despicable Me and Minions.
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The two companies have been talking about a potential movie for over a year, the report said, and it builds on a previous deal between Nintendo and Universal to build Nintendo-related rides and attractions at various Universal theme parks. Miyamoto was also involved in the theme park deal, and helped Universal create park designs, according to a USA Today report from Dec. 2016.
It’s unclear what the an upcoming Mario movie would be about, but it’s likely to be a blend of the surreal and comical—something the Mario franchise is known for, with its portly plumber battling turtle-like creatures in a so-called Mushroom Kingdom.
The Wall Street Journal report said that while the agreement includes the potential for multiple Mario-themed movies, only one film is planned, and it won’t debut for several years.
A spokesperson for Nintendo of America told Coins2Day the company has “nothing to announce on this topic.”
Coins2Day contacted Illumination Entertainment and will update this story if it responds.
