Donkey Kong Movie in the Works, Nintendo Expands Its Cinematic Universe
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Info in Movie News | Following the tremendous hit of The Super Mario Bros. Movie in 2023, it is evident that Nintendo is still planning to continue introducing its classic game characters on the big screen. Donkey Kong, the one and only, undoubtedly Nintendo's oldest and most famous character, seems to be the next that is going to receive the movie treatment.
According to Collider, Nintendo and Universal Pictures officially filed a copyright registration in May 2025 for an “Untitled Donkey Kong Project.” The filing at the U.S. Copyright Office lists the project as a “motion picture,” signaling that early development has begun. It is evident that c...opyright action is a significant development on the way to a complete DK solo movie, although there has not been any official announcement so far.
Donkey Kong has definitely left his mark in The Super Mario Bros. Movie, where Seth Rogen was the voice actor. In the movie, he was not only able to team up with Mario (Chris Pratt), Toad (Keegan-Michael Key), and Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy), but also to thwart Bowser’s evil plan of conquering the Mushroom Kingdom. Along with that, he also had a very funny fight with his father, Cranky Kong (Fred Armisen), before he finally came to the rescue as a key ally. DK’s mixture of strength and comic making him a fan favorite, thus leaving a lot of fans still wanting more of him in future movies.
Also, Seth Rogen has told that he would be up for a movie only featuring Donkey Kong. In 2023, he told ScreenRant that he would be happy to see a take on Donkey Kong Country, the famous side-scrolling game from the Super Nintendo times. Rogen called the game fast and catchy in terms of the adventure part and stated that it would easily become a fun and energizing movie. His re-voicing of DK has not been made public, but fans would most likely greet his comeback with open arms.
So far, the Donkey Kong movie is still lacking any official cast, synopsis, or date of release. But considering its momentum, it could arrive within a few years, possibly following the release of Nintendo's other major projects.
At the moment, Nintendo is also involved in two major movie tie-ins. One of them is The Super Mario Bros. Movie 2 that has the release date set in 2026. This follow-up to the original movie is a dream collaboration between Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto and Illumination CEO Chris Meledandri. The two have not only decided to continue their pact through this new venture, but they also strive to satisfy the existing fanbase and lure new people into the Mario universe.
Besides that, there is a live-motion The Legend of Zelda movie on the way, and its release was anticipated to be earlier on May 7, 2027. No information about the cast has been made public so far, but there are a few speculations about Euphoria star Hunter Schafer. If the conjecture is true, then the actress will be given the role of Princess Zelda. It is highly possible that the project's tone will be more epic and realistic compared to Mario's cartoonish world.
The main man also mentioned the potential of a Pikmin movie as well as the fact that a small but very loyal fanbase of the game, especially in Japan, might be the seed of the games going worldwide.
With Donkey Kong possibly making an appearance in cinemas soon, Nintendo seems totally hooked on the idea of creating a cinematic universe packed with nostalgia, adventure, and favorite characters. Whether you have been a fan or you are just coming in, the next few years are surely going to be fantastic for Nintendo on the big screen.
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