Nintendo and Illumination Will Team Up To Develop an Animated SUPER MARIO BROS. Movie!
Wow! Nintendo is actually getting back into the movie business! The last movie they were involved with a film was the awesomely bad 1993 live-action Super Mario Bros. film with Bob Hoskins and John Leguizamo. After that experience, Nintendo didn't allow for any more of their other properties to be adapted into films.
Well, they are actually going to attempt to make a new Super Mario Bros. movie and this time they are looking to team up with Illumination Entertainment to do it. This time around, the movie will be animated and it's being done by the animation team that brought us films such as Despicable Me and The Secret Life of Pets.
According to The Wall Street Journal, “people with knowledge of the discussions,” say that Nintendo and Illumination are close to signing an agreement that will bring Mario back to the big screen. Nintendo is obviously being very cautious with their properties, but if this new Super Mario Bros. film does well, it could entice Nintendo to develop films based on some of their other properties like The Legend of Zelda!
The report also says that Nintendo will have a hand in the creation of the new Mario movie, with Shigeru Miyamoto, the creator of Mario and The Legend of Zelda, possibly taking on a producer role. They explain:
The most complicated issue in the negotiations between Illumination and Nintendo has been making the Japanese videogame company feel confident it will be involved enough in the creative process, said one person close to the talks. Nintendo’s creative guru, Shigeru Miyamoto, who created Mario Bros., has been part of the talks and likely will be a producer on the movie, along with [Illumination chief executive Chris] Meledandri…
It's good to hear that Nintendo will be a creative force in the development of the movie. It makes sense and it will allow for them to guide the film in the direction that is appropriate for the characters and brand.
If this ends up being a bad experience for Nintendo, we may never see them another attempt at making a movie ever again. So, Illumination better not screw this up!
The film is currently in early development and it's going to be awhile before we see anything from it. But, are you excited to hear that Nintendo is actually going to attempt to get back into the movie business with a new Super Mario Bros. movie?