Screenshot by Destructoid
Nintendo wants those Mario bucks again.
Nintendo and Universal Pictures registered copyright for a motion picture under the name “Untitled Donkey Kong Project,” signalling that another Nintendo IP is getting a movie adaptation. Following the stellar success of The Super Mario Bros. Movie, this is no surprise. I just hope it’s equally good.
According to the public copyright registry, Nintendo and Universal Pictures jointly registered an untitled Donkey Kong movie on June 6, indicating that the two companies are working on an adaptation of the long-standing franchise.
Since The Mario Bros. Movie did so well in the box office, it’s unsurprising Nintendo would pursue further ventures in the motion picture scene. After all, they hold some of the biggest IPs in gaming, while video game movie adaptations have proven quite lucrative.

While we currently have no further information on this potential film, we can assume it’ll be animated like The Mario Bros. Movie. It has proven a winning formula for Nintendo and Universal Pictures, with the movie itself grossing over a billion USD, becoming the most-successful video game movie adaptation in history.
Though the above doesn’t guarantee a movie will come out, I hope this flick is the same level of goofy fun and quality animations that The Mario Bros. Movie had. It does not need to be serious whatsoever and can simply be a fun experience, which as we all know is a mortal sin in the eyes of film critics.
Donkey Kong himself is the perfect character for a comedic movie protagonist. He already featured in the Mario movie, so why not put him center stage? If Nintendo follows the path they paved with the Mario flick, they’ll likely cast some popular Hollywood figures to voice these characters, and I’d love to see an actually good Hollywood comedian assume the role of the banana-crazed monkey and give us all a great time (I pray it’s not Seth Rogen again).
Published: Jul 13, 2025 03:05 pm