Is Nintendo Creating a Donkey Kong Movie?

Published: July 16, 2025

By Gavin Boyle

Nintendo and Universal have filed a copyright notice for an untitled Donkey Kong movie, leaving fans with no doubt that the famous character will soon head his own project.

“Although we cannot discuss our plans beyond THE LEGEND OF ZELDA movie at this time, we are working on various other projects,” Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa said during an investors call last month, per The Verge.

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A Donkey Kong movie appears to be at the forefront of these works as the character takes on a new significance at the company. While Donkey Kong has been present throughout Nintendo’s history, serving as Mario’s first villain to defeat, he has since become a hero in the franchise. Donkey Kong has also received multiple standalone games, though he most often appears as a sidekick or as a playable character in roster-based games, such as Mario Kart.

However, with the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2, Donkey Kong returned as a figurehead of the company, as his game “Donkey Kong Bonanza,” which releases on July 17, serves as the system’s first 3D platformer – an honor normally held by Mario.

While Donkey Kong receives more attention at Nintendo, he is not the only character who has a movie being developed at the company. Zelda and her franchise are also coming to the big screen.

“This is Miyamoto. I have been working on the live-action film of The Legend of Zelda for many years now with Avi Arad-san, who has produced many mega hit films,” Nintendo executive Shigeru Miyamoto said when the movie was first announced in 2023. “I have asked Avi-san to produce this film with me, and we have now officially started the development of this film with Nintendo itself heavily involved in the production. It will take time until its completion, but I hope you look forward to seeing it.”

Meanwhile, a follow up to the hit SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE is also in the works. Based on a scene at the end of the first movie, the sequel will likely feature Mario’s greatest sidekick, Yoshi.

“I can’t tell you much but I can say that there is another Mario movie coming,” Chris Pratt, who voiced Mario in the movie, said. “It gets me very excited thinking about the world of Mario and Nintendo in general. I think over the next decade we will be seeing lots of stories coming out of that world. I was thrilled, honored, and blessed to be part of the first one and moving forward I’m open to doing as much and as little as they want from me. I can’t say much but I am just as excited as everyone else.”

The SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE was a smash hit at the box office, finishing the year as the No. 2 movie thanks to its family-friendly story. It also received Movieguide®’s Teddy Bear Award® for Best Movie for Families. A portion of Movieguide®’s review reads:

THE SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE (2023) has a strong moral message about brotherhood, sacrifice, and working together to overcome evil. The movie has breathtaking animation that honors its iconic source material while breathing new life into the large cast of characters from both Mario video games and other Nintendo games of the same universe. For Mario and Luigi, love for one another helps them overcome their deepest fears and stand up against Bowser and his army of Koopas, Goombas, and Piranha Plants. Due to some intense animated action/violence, Movieguide® advises caution for younger children.

It is incredibly exciting that Nintendo continues to expand its universe through movies, and it will be interesting to see if Donkey Kong is portrayed as the hero he is known as today or if he will return to his roots and be a surprise villain in his own movie.

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