Following the phenomenal success of The Super Mario Bros. Movie, fans are eagerly anticipating what lies ahead of the fruitful collaboration between Nintendo and Illumination. The cinematic adaptation of the beloved Super Mario Bros. franchise has smashed records, amassing over $1.3 billion at the global box office, making it one of the highest-grossing animated films in history.
A few days ago, speculations have emerged regarding which Nintendo franchise will receive the silver screen treatment next from Universal’s co-owned studio, Illumination. As expected, rumors began to swirl around The Legend of Zelda, with film critic Jeff Sneider stating that Universal is closing a big deal with Nintendo for a Zelda movie franchise.
However, a recent report from TheWrap has shed light on the matter, with Chris Meledandri, the founder and CEO of Illumination and producer of all their films, denying any notion of an upcoming animated film based on The Legend of Zelda. Meledandri expressed surprise at the rumors, stating, “I don’t know where that came from. I mean I can understand how people would surmise all sorts of things because obviously, we’ve had a great experience working together. My relationship with Nintendo now includes being on their board of directors, so I understand how people can surmise these things. But in terms of the specifics, that was just something that I’ve been hearing lots of rumors. This is just about what’s next between Nintendo and Illumination.”
Interestingly, legendary game designer Shigeru Miyamoto himself revealed last month that more Nintendo movies are on the way, suggesting that a film adaptation of The Legend of Zelda is not far off from happening. However, no specific studio has been named as responsible for adapting these new movie projects.
Chris Pratt, the voice behind the iconic character Mario, hinted in an interview with ET that news about the sequel to The Super Mario Bros. Movie would be unveiled soon. If Pratt’s statement holds true, it suggests that Illumination is currently focused on the development of the new Mario film, leaving the possibility of a Zelda movie in the hands of another studio.
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