Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa reiterated in an interview with the Kyoto Shimbun that the company will continue expanding into films and animated content based on its IP. He referred to progress on the new Mario film (described in the VGC piece as the “Super Mario Galaxy Movie”), scheduled for release in April 2026, and the live-action The Legend of Zelda movie planned for 2027.
He said Nintendo intends to be deeply involved from the planning and development stages of these productions, applying the same meticulous craftsmanship it emphasizes in games to films and merchandise as well. The idea is that consistent quality builds customer trust and turns simple character recognition into genuine fandom.
Rather than prioritizing only short-term profits, Nintendo’s main goal is to increase character exposure beyond games. Furukawa suggested films can reach people even in regions where consoles are not widely adopted, and he indicated Nintendo would like to establish a structure that allows it to keep making movies beyond these first two projects.
As part of that strategy, Nintendo acquired Dynamo Pictures in 2022 and renamed it Nintendo Pictures, positioning it to focus on visual content using Nintendo IP. Furukawa pointed to Nintendo Pictures’ recent Pikmin-related animated shorts (“Close to You”) as an effort to raise character awareness, saying the reaction showed potential for future video content. He also argued that while games can become constrained by hardware generations, strong video content can be enjoyed for a long time across platforms.
Asked whether Nintendo might eventually turn one of its IP into an anime series, Furukawa said reaching that point would be challenging, but added that if Nintendo could create distinctive works that feel uniquely Nintendo, it could be a worthwhile long-term aim. The article also notes that before the acquisition, Dynamo Pictures worked on CG for several films and series, including Yuri on Ice, Aya and the Witch, and season two of Netflix’s Ghost in the Shell SAC_2045.
Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa has reiterated the company’s future plans for film and animated content featuring its IP.
https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/nintendo-president-reiterates-plans-for-future-movies-and-animated-videos-doesnt-rule-out-anime-in-the-future/
