Donkey Kong could be getting his own movie

It looks like Nintendo could be working on a Donkey Kong film following his appearance in The Super Mario Bros. Movie.

• READ MORE: ‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie’ review: plucky plumbers’ new adventure should have stayed a pipe dream

It’s a good time to be a Donkey Kong fan. New 3D platformer Bananza is out this week as one of Nintendo’s first Switch 2 exclusive titles while Japan’s Universal Studios theme park recently added an area dedicated to Donkey Kong. Now it seems that Nintendo are also working on a standalone Donkey Kong movie.

According to a new copyright filing (via Nintendo Everything), Nintendo and Universal Studios are teaming up on a “untitled Donkey Kong project” which is described as a “motion picture”.

Donkey Kong appeared in the Super Mario Bros. Movie, voiced by Seth Rogen. “He was described as a bit of a showboat [and] it seemed like they were going to make a version that was exciting for fans,” he said in a 2022 interview with Collider about the project.

Responding to rumours about a spinoff, he added: “There’s a lot of opportunity there, with the family unit of the Kongs. And if the Fast & Furious films have taught us anything, it’s all about family.”

Currently, Nintendo has two movie projects in the works. The sequel to The Super Mario Bros. Movie is due to launch April 2026 while the live action Legend Of Zelda film will launch in May 2027 after being pushed back from March. It’s been reported that Euphoria star Hunter Schafer is being considered for a major role in the adaptation.

Last week, Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa confirmed that the company wanted to turn more of their gaming franchises into TV shows and films. “Although we cannot discuss our plans beyond The Legend Of Zelda movie at this time, we are working on various other projects,” he confirmed.

“Rather than simply licensing our IP to film production companies, we are taking a proactive approach where Nintendo itself is deeply involved in production and makes investments as needed. This approach allows us to maintain a strong commitment to the quality of the final product,” Furukawa added.

In other news, Tony Hawk has responded to the backlash over Pro Skater 3+4’s new soundtrack, which only features a handful of the classic anthems.

The post Donkey Kong could be getting his own movie appeared first on NME.