In the wake of the success of both “Detective Pikachu” and rival SEGA’s “Sonic the Hedgehog” films, Nintendo is reportedly looking to expand its efforts on taking its properties to both movies and other formats.
As part of their recent Corporate Management Policy Briefing (unearthed by Games Radar), the company confirmed their upcoming “Super Mario Bros.” movie, in development with Illumination Entertainment, is set to be released theatrically in 2022 and despite the COVID-19 pandemic production is “moving ahead smoothly.”
There are no story or casting details at present but Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto and Illumination founder Chris Meledandri are both heavily involved in the film which Universal Pictures will distribute worldwide.
That’s not all though as they also say they are seriously considering multiple ways in which it can capitalise on its video game IP. In a section referring to 2023 and beyond it says:
“We have also already embarked on multiple other visual content expansion projects, and are pursuing further opportunities. Going forward, visual content expansion initiatives may not be limited to film. The scale of our investments will vary based on the type of project, but we will continue to invest in these entertainment expansion initiatives to increase the number of people who have access to our IP.”
The previous live-action “Super Mario Bros.” movie bombed back in 1993 and famous led to Nintendo effectively freezing any plans for further adaptations until recently. The company’s popular Switch console released the compilation title “Super Mario 3D All Stars” this past Friday.