Long before the massive success of The Super Mario Bros. Movie by Universal Pictures and Illumination, speculation suggested that further films based on classic Nintendo characters were forthcoming. It now appears that Donkey Kong is next in line for a movie adaptation.
According to reports, Universal and Nintendo have jointly registered a copyright for an “untitled Donkey Kong motion picture.” This development is notable given their historical legal dispute decades ago, where Universal sued Nintendo claiming Donkey Kong infringed on King Kong. Nintendo ultimately prevailed in court by showing that Universal had previously argued King Kong was in the public domain.
The two companies resolved their past differences long ago and achieved significant success together, with the initial Mario Bros. movie earning a global total of $1.361 billion. The announced sequel, rumored to be titled The Super Mario World Movie, is scheduled for release on April 3, 2026. Meanwhile, Nintendo`s other major cinematic venture in Hollywood, the live-action Legend of Zelda film, has recently seen its release pushed back to May 7, 2027.
Seth Rogen provided the voice for Donkey Kong in the 2023 film, where the character was depicted as a supporting hero alongside Mario, voiced by Chris Pratt. It is likely that Rogen will reprise his role for the upcoming Mario Bros. sequel or the potential Donkey Kong film, or possibly both. However, his return has not yet been officially confirmed.
Concurrently, Donkey Kong has been given a new look in anticipation of his first new game in over a decade, titled Donkey Kong Bananza. This game is slated for release on the Nintendo Switch 2 console on July 17. Additionally, the classic game Donkey Kong 64 is expected to be one of several titles potentially coming to the Nintendo Switch Online service in the near future.