Nintendo's Film Strategy Explained: Miyamoto's Rationale, Upcoming Movies, and Why There's No Cinematic Universe

Nintendo has shifted from a company that jealously guarded its characters on consoles to one that is actively building a film and television production pipeline. President Shuntaro Furukawa has stated the company aims for a "consistent cadence" of movie releases, treating film as a permanent pillar alongside its game business . This strategic transformation, its origins explained by Shigeru Miyamoto, and the concrete slate of projects are reshaping how one of gaming's most valuable IP libraries reaches a global audience.

Why Miyamoto Says Films "Remain Forever"

Shigeru Miyamoto, the creator of Mario and Zelda, has offered a straightforward rationale for Nintendo's pivot to cinema. In an interview with Kyodo News, he stated: "Games eventually stop running when newer versions come out, but films remain forever" . (Some outlets have noted that this quote may have been condensed from an older, longer interview .)

Miyamoto has also elaborated that "ultimately what people remember are the IPs" and that Nintendo can reach "only so many people" through games alone . Film, in his view, is the mechanism to expand the fanbase and keep Nintendo's characters culturally alive across generations, even as specific hardware and game formats become obsolete . This marks a fundamental philosophical shift for a company that was famously risk-averse toward film adaptations following the poorly received 1993 live-action Super Mario Bros. movie .

Nintendo's Film and TV Slate: Released and In Development

Nintendo has confirmed a clear short-term roadmap, with additional projects already in development.

Project	Status	Details
The Super Mario Bros. Movie	Released (2023)	Animated film in partnership with Illumination; a massive global box office success .
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie	In development; release April 2026	Animated sequel to the 2023 film, again with Illumination. An official trailer was launched by Nintendo .
The Legend of Zelda (live-action)	In development; targeted for 2027	Live-action adaptation in partnership with Sony Pictures, directed by Wes Ball. Casting images of Bo Bragason (Zelda) and Benjamin Evan Ainsworth (Link) have been released .
Other unannounced film/TV projects	In development (unannounced)	Nintendo has confirmed it is actively working on "various other projects" for film and TV beyond the Mario and Zelda films . A financial results presentation teased at least two additional projects marked only with question marks .

To support this expansion, Nintendo has established internal studios—Nintendo Pictures and Nintendo Stars—to produce video and movie content . The company has also indicated it does not simply license out its IP but remains "deeply involved in production" and "takes part in financing" .

Miyamoto on a Nintendo Cinematic Universe: A Clear "No"

Despite the buzz from fans, Shigeru Miyamoto has explicitly stated that Nintendo is not building a unified cinematic universe similar to Marvel's. In a March 2026 joint interview with Illumination CEO Chris Meledandri published by Polygon, Miyamoto was asked about a Nintendo cinematic universe. He replied: "I don't think that's something we're really thinking about right now" .

He elaborated further, saying, "Right off the bat, I'll say that unlike something like Super Smash Bros., I don't think you'll have a situation [where] all Nintendo characters would be joining together" . He shut down the idea of a crossover film "for the time being" .

Miyamoto's focus is on making each film adaptation strong on its own terms, with Nintendo remaining "deeply involved" in every project from planning through release, rather than forcing interconnected continuity . While he did not rule out the possibility of future cameos—noting that the team focuses on adding "secret cameos here and there" —the strategy is clearly not to build toward a single shared universe event.

What This Means for Nintendo Fans

Nintendo's film strategy represents a long-term bet on the durability of its IP. By establishing a consistent pipeline of movies—starting with two major franchises, Mario and Zelda—the company is treating cinema as a permanent part of its business. Unannounced projects are already in development, and the corporate infrastructure (Nintendo Pictures) is in place to support them. However, the approach is deliberately decentralized: each film is intended to stand on its own, with no expectation that characters will eventually converge in a single blockbuster crossover.