Video Games Giant Nintendo Planning Expansion Into The Movie Business
Nintendo is undeniably one of the most cemented names in the video games industry, with the Japanese video games giant responsible for some of the most well-known handheld and console franchises. That’s exactly what makes the news that Nintendo is planning an expansion into the movie business even more exciting. According to the Verge, Nintendo is currently considering their options in terms of what franchises they could take over to the big screen and is in talks with partners that could bring Nintendo characters to life in the movie industry.
It’s a big leap for a company whose success is often accredited to the fact that they don’t stray too far from what they know. However, Nintendo’s CEO and president Tatsumi Kimishima has unveiled plans suggesting that Nintendo will go all in on the movie business, with plans to release their first film within five years. According to IGN, while Nintendo is in talks with a number of major production companies to partner with to produce their films, they’re also looking to carry out as much work on the film themselves as possible. Nintendo’s skills in terms of bringing characters to life are unparalleled, which is something fans will look forward to being transferred to the big screen.
For a new generation of Nintendo fans, the news that the company looks to move into film production initially appears to be pretty new. However, this isn’t the first time Nintendo has dabbled in the industry. 1993 saw Nintendo release a live-action movie based on the Super Mario Bros. franchise, however, the release didn’t receive much success, with Kimishima suggesting that Nintendo could avoid a similar theme with future movie releases. That being said, back in 2006, Nintendo also released a somewhat more successful Animal Crossing animated film in Japan, which could suggest an approach that Nintendo might take in the future.
Exactly which franchises Nintendo plans to adapt for the big screen are pretty unclear at the minute. Kimishima was keen to suggest that Nintendo releasing a movie might not necessarily mean Mario. Rumors have surfaced in the past suggesting that Nintendo planned to release a film based on The Legend of Zelda franchise in partnership with Nintendo, however, those were quickly kiboshed.
Meanwhile, Nintendo is currently in the process of experimenting with adapting some of their most well-known franchises for smartphone devices. Kimishima went on to speak about the Japanese gaming giant bringing two of their most loved series to smartphones: Animal Crossing and Fire Emblem. It’s already pretty clear that Nintendo isn’t afraid of letting some of their biggest franchises break away from their own devices, which could very well suggest that movie lovers might be heading to the cinema to watch Nintendo’s latest release sometime soon.
Nintendo president details movie plans, goals for mobile, Miitomo, NX content/launch & more https://t.co/fBK0LS6Ch9 pic.twitter.com/SltkDZMmzf
— GoNintendoTweet (@GoNintendoTweet) May 16, 2016
There’s certainly a lot in the pipeline for Nintendo right now. The company is said to be busy developing their new NX console, which is ready for an official reveal later this year before release next year. Aside from that, Nintendo has a slew of upcoming games for their Wii U and 3DS platforms in the pipeline. Despite this, the company is still reporting losses, meaning that big changes in the way Nintendo operates are needed. In fact, it may very well be the case that movie releases are part of Nintendo’s plan to make a return to profitability.
Nintendo is looking to make it’s first big-screen release within the next few years. Exactly which of their famous franchises that release will focus on is currently unknown. However, the fact that Nintendo is planning to release a movie of their own along with recently released smartphone titles suggests a big change in the way Nintendo operates and could very well spark success for the company in the near future.
[Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images]
