Two years afterThe Super Mario Bros. Moviewas released and became one of thehighest-grossing animated films of all time, Universal may have subtly announced that another project in this beloved Nintendo universe is on the way. The original movie premiered in 2023 and introduced audiences to Mario (Chris Pratt), Luigi (Charlie Day), and countless supporting characters from the Mushroom Kingdom.
Withupdates onThe Super Mario Bros. Movie 2being unfortunately sparse, it seems like Universal Pictures may be focusing its attention elsewhere to expand this universe in a different direction.The studio recently acquired the film copyright for an untitledDonkey Kongmovie, which could be the first of several spinoffs in Nintendo’s budding movie franchise (viapublicrecords.copyright.gov).
What The Donkey Kong Copyright Means For The Super Mario Franchise
Donkey Kong May Be The Beginning Of A Large Franchise
While this isn’t an official confirmation that aDonkey Kongmovie is coming any time soon, the studio’s decision to purchase the copyright is a clear indicator of its intentions for theSuper Mariofranchise.This spinoff project has been highly speculated among fans ever since the character’s introduction inThe Super Mario Bros. Movie,where he is voiced by Seth Rogen.
WithDonkey Kong Bonanzareleasing on the Nintendo Switch 2 in just a few weeks, it definitely seems like Universal has found the perfect window to get this project underway.The Super Mario Bros. Movieclearly sets up multiple spinoffs, and Donkey Kong was always an obvious candidate thanks to his scene-stealing appearances in the 2023 movie and Rogen’s hilarious performance.
Thankfully,Donkey Kongprobably won’t be the only spinoff that sees the light of dayin this video game franchise. Given the immense success ofThe Super Mario Bros. Movie, it would make sense for Nintendo and Universal to make as many of these projects as possible; characters like Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy), Daisy, Yoshi, and Toad (Keegan-Michael Key) are all potential leads for further spinoffs.
Our Take On A Donkey Kong Movie
Donkey Kong Is A Great Start For Super Mario Spinoffs
By officially purchasing the rights to aDonkey Kongmovie, Universal Studios has proven that it has its priorities in the right place for theSuper Mariofranchise. While Mario and Luigi are brilliant protagonists who can easily draw in huge audiences,the real magic of this series is the supporting characters.
While the reveal of aDonkey Kongspinoff is exciting in and of itself, what’s most interesting about this news is the possibility of a universe stemming fromThe Super Mario Bros. Moviecoming to fruition. This was always very possible following thebox office success ofThe Super Mario Bros. Movie, but the confirmation of Universal’s acquisition proves the company is taking steps in the right direction.
