Japanese video game maker Nintendo on Thursday announced it would team with US film studio Illumination Entertainment to produce an animation film using its Super Mario Bros characters.
The film would be distributed by Universal Pictures, President Tatsumi Kimishima said at a meeting with analysts on Thursday. The launch date, writer or director has not been decided.
Illumination is the same studio that created the “Despicable Me” franchise and the “Minions” spin-off, as well as “The Secret Life of Pets”.
The good news is that Nintendo has confirmed it: “Nintendo and Illumination are partnering on a movie starring Mario, co-produced by Shigeru Miyamoto and Chris Meledandri!” the company said in a tweet on Thursday morning.
It is part of Nintendo’s efforts to diversify revenue sources as the firm’s earnings are heavily reliant on the gaming console business. The company on Wednesday reported its biggest third-quarter operating profit in eight years, driven by smashing demand for its new Switch games console, and said it expected annual earnings to outstrip its previous estimate.
However, it will be a while before the film hits theaters. In November the Wall Street Journal had reported that Mac Guff studio in Paris would animate the Mario movie, but that the project was in the early stages of development.
Variety reported that it may be several years before the movie is finished and released. That means it’s too early for plot or cast details or a trailer.
Nintendo made several other announcements which are even more exciting than the news that Minions creators are making a Mario animated movie.
The gaming giant also confirmed that the Nintendo Switch Online platform will launch this September, while the first Mario Kart game for mobile devices will be available at some point in the current fiscal year, which ends in March 2019.
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