UPDATE
It would appear the Zelda movie rumors aren’t true, according to Illumination! But what about the other 3? Stay tuned for more updates!
ORIGINAL STORY
We are in a unique place in the video game movie/TV adaptation space. Why? Because there have been multiple good, great, and even serviceable adaptations over the last several years that have surprised many people. Having one good adaptation was rare previously, but to now have several in a row? That’s pretty much unheard of, and it’s getting fans excited for what could happen next now that these benchmarks are known. For Nintendo, their team-up with Illumination proved most bountiful as The Super Mario Bros Movie has grossed over $1.3 billion at the global box office, and that total is growing through digital and home sales.
But the question remains, “What will they do next?” Well, as noted on Joblo.com, an insider’s source states that Nintendo and Illumination are currently planning not one, not two, not three, but four movie titles to be in the works. What are the titles they have in mind? The Super Mario Bros Movie 2, Luigi’s Mansion, Donkey Kong, and a Legend of Zelda film.
The latter is interesting because there was a big report about a deal “almost being done” with Universal about said project and the teams behind it making a “pretty penny” off the money Universal would pay to get that film under their banner.
While this is only a rumor, it’s almost expected that things will start growing in this animated universe. Chris Pratt, the voice of Mario, has noted that big news is coming “soon,” and ever since Mario’s animated movie started making hundreds of millions, many felt that Nintendo wouldn’t pass up a chance to make another film.
Now that they’re over a billion? It’s basically a lock, as the company isn’t afraid to make things that could get them lots of money.
Another thing that backs up this “branching approach” is that each film would have a unique style to separate it from the others. Mario’s film would be more of an action-adventure feel, while Luigi’s journey to fight ghosts would have a spooky feel mixed with comedy. DK’s adventure could mix in the family drama that was shown in Mario’s movie, and if they were to do Link’s movie, that’d be high-fantasy on a grand scale.
The real question isn’t just about whether this slate is the “right one,” but whether Illumination can do all of these films on its own. Only time will tell, so don’t take this rumor at face value until something is confirmed from the teams.
