In a recent interview, Nintendo president Tatsumi Kimishima confirmed plans to produce feature films based on their beloved characters. The company is currently negotiating with various movie production companies to find a film-savvy partner. Kimishima claimed that Nintendo will retain all creative control: “We want to do as much as we can by ourselves.”
Nintendo wants to steer clear of live-action. Kimishima admitted to the disastrous 1993 live action Super Mario Bros. as a cautionary tale. The film had a notoriously terrible production, and bombed with critics and the box office. It was so bad it soured Nintendo’s relations on ever licensing their characters for future films.
Now their goal will be to produce anime-type content. These films would help bolster Nintendo’s video game franchises.
Ever since the huge popularity of the Wii, Nintendo has been in a downward trend. Annual revenue has declined for seven straight years. This is far from doom and gloom (the Wii sold REALLY well), but Nintendo looking at other money-making avenues isn’t a shock.
Notably this year sees the release of several big-budget films based on video games – Angry Birds, Warcraft, and Assassin’s Creed. The success of some or all of these films could have a marked effect on what kind of content we see coming from Nintendo’s upcoming film partnership.
No firm details yet as to which characters will make the initial leap to the big screen. The interview does state that the first animated feature is only a few years away. Start the wild speculations now!
