Ever since the two Super Mario Bros. Movies turned Nintendo into a box office powerhouse, rumors about the company’s Hollywood roadmap have been spiraling out of control. But now, things might have escalated even further. According to insider DanielRPK (via @GlobalBoxOffice), Nintendo is reportedly ‘actively developing’ a standalone Star Fox movie with Illumination attached as producer. While details are practically nonexistent right now, the report alone is enough to put the internet on fire.
Fox McCloud and his trusty Arwing already cameo’d in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, voiced by Glen Powell. Recently, Nintendo also revealed a remake of the original N64 Star Fox will be launched on June 25th for the Switch 2 during the latest Star Fox Direct. With that in mind, it’s a no-brainer that the mercenary crew could be the next to get an animated adaptation.
However, that’s far from the only Nintendo movie rumor making the rounds online right now. We previously reported on several leaks on Nintendo’s plans after the Mario movies, including a job listing that may have accidentally hinted at a Princess Peach spin-off. A Senior Character Rig Designer from Illumination Paris listed that they were working on a project titled ‘Untitled P P Movie,’ which many believe is the internal codename for the rumored movie.
Next, a Donkey Kong movie could be slated for April 12, 2028, according to Universal Pictures Spain’s release schedule. There are also talks about the third Super Mario Bros. landing in 2029, with Jack Black joking that these movies will probably be out every three years.
That’s not all, as Nintendo is eyeing outside the animated realm. After it finished with the live-action Zelda, Metroid could be getting its turn for a silver screen adaptation. Reports said that Universal and Sony Pictures are currently in a heated bidding war to get the rights for the project.
Since the past few months, there have also been claims that Nintendo is exploring projects tied to Kirby, Yoshi’s Island, Luigi’s Mansion, Pikmin, and a Bowser-centric spin-off. There’s even chatter about a Super Smash Bros. movie secretly being planned internally despite Shigeru Miyamoto publicly downplaying the idea.
Of course, while a Star Fox standalone movie is practically guaranteed at this point, every single one of these projects remains firmly in rumour territory for now. But after the Mario movies pulled in nearly $2 billion combined, it’s pretty obvious Nintendo no longer sees film adaptations as just a side experiment anymore.
