Once viewed as the greatest potential threat to Disney’s animation empire, the nascent Nintendo Cinematic Universe is looking to already be off-the-rails for reasons that are not all-too-surprising. It’s time for an exclusive look at why and how Universal’s big plans are falling apart in a big way.
An insider who has reached out in the past with exclusive and specific information that has proven to be true is back in touch with us this week regarding the “NCU”. As The Super Mario Bros. Movie was taking off even pre-release, we’re told that Universal was feeling very positive about an ongoing relationship with Nintendo that could create their own Marvel-style, animated empire guaranteed to be lucrative for a decade or more. Though Nintendo leadership had been difficult to work with in the past for Hollywood executives (and rightfully so after prior Nintendo movies had been so… odd), Universal and Illumination discovered that working with the Japanese gaming giant could be a breeze if American mega-corps played by the rules Nintendo wanted in place. Basically, character brand integrity came before anything else and wholesome, universal storytelling was required every step of the way.
(from left) Mario (Chris Pratt), Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy), and Toad (Keegan-Michael Key) in Nintendo and Illumination’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie, directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic.
For Nintendo, we’re told that the relationship with Illumination in bringing Mario to life on the silver screen was seen more as a side project. Whereas Hollywood might covet the Nintendo characters in a way that almost no other brand can compare, Nintendo was largely the same with or without a hit movie. The revenues for Nintendo video games dwarf anything they might see out of theatrical releases.
Despite the tremendous success of The Super Mario Bros. Movie, it now seems that Universal’s plans for the “NCU” have run into a immovable obstacle. Though Illumination could have offered Nintendo an opportunity for a new theatrical release every single year, our source claims that Nintendo leadership have stalled on greenlighting any projects other than a Super Mario Bros. Movie sequel and a Metroid movie that is tenuous and would need script-approval. A live action Zelda movie has been approved under a separate deal with Sony which may have further soured efforts by Universal to partner with Nintendo for a long-term movie relationship. Execs for Universal were reportedly very displeased that they were negotiating an animated Zelda film to little avail while Shigeru Miyamoto quietly sought after a script and deal with Japanese company Sony for a live action competitor.
Still, beyond missteps, the heart of all the delayed interest could be the worry by Nintendo that going forward with a Nintendo Cinematic Universe would entangle them in a business that they’re ultimately not fully controlling. Hollywood needs Nintendo far more than Nintendo needs Hollywood.
Nintendo released an image of their movie road map!
2026: Animated Super Mario Bros. film
202X: The Legend of Zelda live-action filmIt least we know the Zelda film will release in the next 6 years! pic.twitter.com/sMSD3PKKDj
— Genki✨ (@Genki_JPN) November 6, 2024
Thus, Universal is forced to take a much more cautious approach with the company that created Donkey Kong. But when you hold all the cards the way Nintendo does, they can do (or not do) whatever they want. For now, their focus appears to be more on theme park experiences they can better control with less effort. Unfortunately, that may mean an Avengers-style Super Smash Bros. Movie may never happen.
The winner in all of this is the beleaguered Paramount — while they have far less resources, the chance to partner with SEGA for a Sonic movie franchise is proving to be one of the few gems the company can count on. Even better, SEGA is keen to work with Paramount as sales for Sonic X Shadow Generations exploded off of the movie’s buzz (more than one-millions sales within 24-hours of launch). These sorts of collaborations work well for both companies and could be industry-defining as Nintendo shies away from the giant movie franchise model that Universal was hoping for. SEGA might not have the same roster of well-known brands, but that might not be a horrible problem if Sonic can help lift attention for potential future films like Shinobi, Panzer Dragoon and more.
3 Hedgehogs. 2 Epic Adventures. 1 Ultimate Collection.
SONIC X SHADOW GENERATIONS is available October 25th, pre-order today to receive the epic Sonic Adventure Legacy Skin! pic.twitter.com/NnoUWkK4LL
— Sonic the Hedgehog (@sonic_hedgehog) June 7, 2024
And how long it might be until Sonic gets into the theme park business again is probably not a question we’ll be asking for very long. The better question is who will be getting a Green Hill Zone theme park expansion one day.
