Following the immense success of The Super Mario Bros. Movie from Universal Pictures and Illumination, speculation about further film adaptations of Nintendo`s beloved characters circulated. It now appears that a movie centered on Donkey Kong is officially in development.
Confirmation comes via a joint copyright filing by Universal and Nintendo for an `untitled Donkey Kong motion picture.` This development carries historical irony, given the past legal dispute between the companies decades ago. Universal sued Nintendo, alleging Donkey Kong infringed upon King Kong, but Nintendo prevailed by presenting evidence that Universal had previously argued King Kong was in the public domain during a separate case.
Having resolved their past differences, the two companies now collaborate closely, achieving a global box office total of $1.361 billion with the initial Mario film. The anticipated sequel, reportedly titled The Super Mario World Movie, is scheduled for release on April 3, 2026. Meanwhile, Nintendo`s live-action Legend of Zelda film project has seen its release date pushed back to May 7, 2027.
Seth Rogen lent his voice to Donkey Kong in the 2023 film, where the character featured prominently as a secondary protagonist alongside Mario (voiced by Chris Pratt). It is widely assumed that Rogen will reprise his role for either the upcoming Mario Bros. sequel or the dedicated Donkey Kong film, or possibly both, although this has not been officially confirmed.
In related news, Donkey Kong has received a visual refresh in anticipation of his first new game in 11 years, “Donkey Kong Bananza,” slated for release on the Nintendo Switch 2 console on July 17. Additionally, the classic title, Donkey Kong 64, is rumored to be among several games potentially joining the Nintendo Switch Online service in the near future.