With a box office gross north of $1.3 billion, The Super Mario Bros. Movie is one of the year’s biggest and most successful movies. Given its success, many people have wondered whether Nintendo, despite its reticence to adapt its video game IPs for the big screen, will sanction the development of a sequel and the adaptation of other IPs to build on The Super Mario Bros Movie’s success at the box office.
According to Hollywood insider Daniel Richtman, Illumination has plans for a shared universe of Nintendo IPs ending in a crossover film and intends to pitch Nintendo on its vision soon. The universe will feature several spinoff movies based on different Nintendo IPs and culminate in a Super Smash Bros. film, a la Marvel Cinematic Universe.
NINTENDO+ILLUMINATION Newshttps://t.co/FOk0q6tZtX
— Daniel Richtman (@DanielRPK) December 20, 2023
The Super Smash Bros. video game is a Nintendo title that features characters from across several Nintendo games, as well as a few from franchises that belong to other studios. The series has five titles, with the first arriving in 1999. That title featured 12 playable characters, which has since risen to 89 with the latest installment.
Richtman’s report has sparked excitement among fans, especially among people who grew up playing Super Mario games and other Nintendo titles. Unfortunately, despite his reputation for authentic industry leaks, Richtman isn’t always correct. Because of this, his scoop on Illumination’s plans for the Super Mario franchise is best taken with a pinch of salt – at least until there is confirmation from official quarters.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie’s success led to renewed interest in the Super Mario IP. For instance, it led to plans to re-release the first-ever Super Mario film adaptation. It also inspired a change in visual style for Nintendo’s latest Super Mario game titled Super Mario Bros. Wonder and contributed to its success as the fastest-selling Super Mario title ever.
With this track record, Illumination is uniquely positioned, at least better than any other studio, to convince Nintendo to expand its cinematic horizons. Besides, the studio has done it once before with The Super Mario Bros. Movie and it can rely on that experience in convincing Nintendo.
Following the success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the most successful cinematic universe in history, many studios, including Warner Bros. with its ill-fated DC Extended Universe, have tried to replicate its playbook but with little success. Not even Disney, Marvel’s parent company, was able to recapture Marvel’s success with the Star Wars universe.
If Illumination pulls off this vision, it wouldn’t just be a cinematic triumph, it would be a legacy-defining feat. Not only would it rock Hollywood to its core, but it would also generate immense financial rewards, solidifying Illumination’s position as a powerhouse in the film industry.
While we anxiously await official confirmation from Nintendo, one thing is certain: the prospect of a Super Smash Bros. movie and a sprawling Nintendo Cinematic Universe has ignited the imaginations of gamers and moviegoers alike.
