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.
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.