More than 20 years on from the last time Nintendo attempted to have a studio produce a film based on its most beloved of characters, it's looking to do so again. This time it's looking to partner with Universal, though the end product isn't slated to be a live action movie devoid of relevance to the games. The plan is to have the Minions and Shrek Studio produce a fully animated Mario movie.
Although the deal isn't yet done, the WSJ (via Eurogamer) claims that it is close and there's little reason to think it won't be finalized.
The timing of this move makes a lot of sense for Nintendo, which has been taking bold leaps with its franchises and IPs as of late. On top of diving head first into mobile development with popular games like Super Mario Run and the licensed Pokémon Go, it's also inked deals to see several of its major characters become part of theme parks at various locations.
With a movie though, Nintendo is entering somewhat familiar territory. Its 1993 Super Mario Brothers movie was universally panned and although it maintains a minor cult following, partly thanks to the legacy of Bob Hoskins as an actor, it didn't hold up at the time and certainly doesn't today. Nintendo has a much broader audience today than it did in the early 90s, but it may still need to hurdle some trepidation considering the last Mario movie's results.
Are you excited by the idea of Mario returning to the big screen?
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