• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechNintendo

Nintendo Could Bring Super Mario to the Silver Screen

By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
Down Arrow Button Icon
May 16, 2016, 11:11 AM ET
JAPAN-EARNINGS-GAME-COMPANY-NINTENDO
Kazuhiro Nogi—AFP/Getty Images

There’s a good change you might just see your favorite Nintendo characters on the big screen.

Nintendo (NTDOY) is eyeing ways to get into the film business at some point within the next five years, said Nintendo president Tatsumi Kimishima during an interview with Japanese publication Asahi on Monday. The comments were followed by an Associated Press report saying that Nintendo won’t become its own film studio and instead would rely upon film companies to take its characters to the silver screen, echoing the earlier report from Asahi.

Nintendo has tried the medium in the past, but the gaming giant has suffered several missteps by using humans to depict its characters. Nintendo is trying to learn from those mistakes by pushing for 3D-animated film, which would be more in the vein of Pixar films.

The concept is part of a broader push by Nintendo to expand its ailing business outside of just video games. The Japanese company, which saw its profit plummet by 61% year-over-year to $148 million in the fiscal year ended March 31, has been suffering from weakening demand for its hardware. In response, Nintendo has ventured into smartphones, though it hasn’t committed its biggest characters, like Mario, to mobile devices. Nintendo also has plans to launch new hardware, currently codenamed NX, next year in the hopes of bolstering its core business.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

Last year, famed game developer and creator of most of the company’s top franchises, Shigeru Miyamoto, hinted that Nintendo wants to become more than a gaming company. Indeed, he told Fortune in an interview last year that movies seemed like the ideal path forward for his company.

“As we look more broadly at what is Nintendo’s role as an entertainment company, we’re starting to think more and more about how movies can fit in with that—and we’ll potentially be looking at things like movies in the future,” Miyamoto said at the time.

Now, Nintendo seems convinced that getting into games could be a smart move. While the company has in the past licensed its own content, like Pokemon, Nintendo reportedly wants to take on a more active role if it were to move to the silver screen. Whether that means a 3D Mario film or another based on The Legend of Zelda franchise is coming, however, is unclear.

For more about Nintendo, watch:

What is clear, though, is that games might play well in film. On Monday, Rovio, the company behind the wildly popular mobile-gaming franchise Angry Birds, announced that its first full-length feature film The Angry Birds Movie grossed $43 million in its opening weekend in Europe. The film premiered in 74 markets and, according to the company, was able to knock Captain America from the top spot in 37 of those markets. The film will premiere in key markets the U.S. and China, among others, this weekend, which should bolster its earnings.

Nintendo did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

About the Author
By Don Reisinger
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

Photo of vegan cheese products
AITech
A Mark Cuban–backed vegan cheese company trained AI to scrutinize cardboard boxes. It’s saved $400,000
By Jake AngeloMay 1, 2026
4 hours ago
Young trade worker learning on job
SuccessHiring
Forget Big Tech: Small businesses will hire nearly 1 million grads in 2026—and some of the hottest roles are gloriously AI-proof
By Emma BurleighMay 1, 2026
6 hours ago
Andrew McAfee
SuccessCareers
MIT AI expert warns automating Gen Z entry-level jobs could backfire—and cost companies their future workforce
By Preston ForeMay 1, 2026
6 hours ago
duke
Big TechAmazon
Amazon Prime Video reaches deal with Duke Blue Devils to air 3 games per season
By The Associated PressMay 1, 2026
8 hours ago
valerie
CommentaryLayoffs
Tesla’s former HR chief: the AI layoff panic Is built on a false premise—here’s what most workers need to know
By Valerie Capers WorkmanMay 1, 2026
8 hours ago
AI
AIdisruption
Meet the Americans dismissing AI hype and using it with ingenuity: ‘The efficiencies gained out of it have been tremendous’
By Cathy Bussewitz and The Associated PressMay 1, 2026
8 hours ago

Most Popular

Scott Bessent on financial literacy: 'it drives me crazy' to see young men in blue-collar construction jobs playing the lottery
Personal Finance
Scott Bessent on financial literacy: 'it drives me crazy' to see young men in blue-collar construction jobs playing the lottery
By Fatima Hussein and The Associated PressMay 1, 2026
9 hours ago
China dominates the world's lithium supply. The U.S. just found 328 years' worth in its own backyard
North America
China dominates the world's lithium supply. The U.S. just found 328 years' worth in its own backyard
By Jake AngeloApril 30, 2026
1 day ago
The U.S. economy is booming — just not where 50 million Americans live
Commentary
The U.S. economy is booming — just not where 50 million Americans live
By Derek KilmerMay 1, 2026
13 hours ago
Accenture's Julie Sweet blew up 50 years of company history. She says the hardest part is still ahead
Conferences
Accenture's Julie Sweet blew up 50 years of company history. She says the hardest part is still ahead
By Nick LichtenbergApril 29, 2026
2 days ago
Apple cofounder Ronald Wayne—whose stake would be worth up to $400 billion had he not sold it in 1976—says that at 91, he has no regrets
Success
Apple cofounder Ronald Wayne—whose stake would be worth up to $400 billion had he not sold it in 1976—says that at 91, he has no regrets
By Preston ForeApril 27, 2026
4 days ago
Exclusive: America's largest Black-owned bank launches podcast with mission to unlock hidden shame holding back generational wealth
Banking
Exclusive: America's largest Black-owned bank launches podcast with mission to unlock hidden shame holding back generational wealth
By Nick LichtenbergApril 29, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.