The Super Mario Bros. Movie just keeps on getting bigger. After a huge initial five-day opening weekend, the film’s second weekend was nearly just as big as it put the movie on track for a potential billion-dollar haul when it’s all said and done. It’s not unlike the other blockbusters earlier this year as The Super Mario Bros. Movie continues to pull in good numbers by the day, likely due to the word of mouth spreading that a genuinely fun and good video game adaptation is available to watch in movie theaters, critics be damned. As a result of its success, fans are wondering if a spin-off is in the works, and recent reports suggest that one is coming.
According to a since-deleted Tweet, there’s evidence that an untitled Luigi film is already in the pipeline, specifically, a post on LinkedIn from an actor who worked on one of this year’s biggest films.
If true, then Nintendo and Illumination definitely aren’t wasting their time. Previously, it was reported that a The Legend of Zelda film was also being considered.
With multiple spin-off possibilities, a Nintendo Cinematic Universe might indeed come to fruition sooner rather than later.
As for what the Luigi film could be about, the obvious sign is an adaptation of Luigi’s Mansion.
Much like, let’s say, The Last of Us, A Luigi’s Mansion movie could be a direct translation of the video game onto another media. The more skeptical Mario fans might worry the spooky theme might turn off casual audiences, especially kids. But, it’s not like Luigi’s Mansion ever sold itself as a horror game. Ever since the first trailer, Luigi’s Mansion has had a silly if a whimsical element to it, not unlike Hotel Transylvania, Addams Family, Scooby-Doo, and Casper, as well as a slew of kid-friendly “spooky” movies that have found success over the years.
Besides, who else could make a “scary” film so light-hearted that kids and adults will fall in line to watch it than Illumination, the brains behind Despicable Me?
