Nintendo and Universal are planning a Donkey Kong movie
Copyright filing confirms plans for an animation movie starring DK
Nintendo and Universal have filed copyright information for an untitled Donkey Kong movie.
The filing, which was made in May of this year, declares both Nintendo Studios and Universal Pictures as the co-producers of the film project.
Speculation that a Donkey Kong film could be in the works has circulated for some time, and this news comes as the character has received more prominence in the last few years.
Donkey Kong was a major character in the Super Mario Bros. Movie, where he was voiced by Seth Rogen.
The first Mario movie was released in April 2023 and grossed $1.36 billion at the box office, which was second only to Barbie ($1.44b) that year. The sequel is scheduled for release in April 2026.
Like the original, it will be produced by Illumination CEO Chris Meledandri and Nintendo design guru Shigeru Miyamoto, directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic, and written by Matthew Fogel.
Following the release of the first film, Donkey Kong would become the star of the first major expansion to the Super Nintendo World theme parks: Donkey Kong Country. The area, which opened in Japan last year and in Florida this year, features multiple attractions based on the character.
The character would then undergo a major redesign, as part of the transition to the Nintendo Switch 2, which was debuted in Mario Kart World.
Most significantly, Donkey Kong will star in his first new solo game for 11 years later this week, when Donkey Kong Bananza is released.
Donkey Kong Bananza will be released on Nintendo Switch 2 on July 17. Recently, Nintendo showcased new details and info on the Nintendo Switch 2 game, including the reveal of long-time series character Pauline, who will join DK on his adventure.
VGC published a hands-on preview with Donkey Kong Bananza last week. We wrote: “Like Mario’s recent 3D outings, Donkey Kong Bananza will likely be greater than the sum of its parts – a cavalcade of ideas and mechanics that might not seem like much on their own, but together form a consistently entertaining adventure.”
