Nintendo announced a partnership with Illumination Entertainment back in 2018.
While also working on a reboot of Shrek; Illumination are working on an animated movie based on the iconic
Super Mario Bros. video game franchise.
Almost two years later, Nintendo has finally provided an update on the project. In a recent, official document (via
Gamefragger), Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa explains that production is
"moving along smoothly," and they're aiming for a theatrical release in 2022.
While both Nintendo and Universal Pictures are funding the animated film, Nintendo will own the rights — meaning that it can be
"leveraged for business opportunities." The president of Nintendo Japan continued, stating that the
Super Mario Bros. animated movie is
"one of the bigger examples" of how consumers will soon be able to interact with the IP more.
Additionally, it's said that Nintendo is
"proactively involved in" in the film's production, with both Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto and Illumination's Chris Meledandri producing —
more on that here.