Nintendo and Universal Pictures have officially taken steps toward bringing Donkey Kong to the big screen with a newly registered motion picture project. According to copyright records dated June 6, 2025, an “Untitled Donkey Kong Project” has been jointly filed by Nintendo Studios LLC and Universal Pictures, pointing to an upcoming film adaptation based on the long-running video game franchise.
While details on the project remain scarce, the registration confirms that the title is being developed as a motion picture. The record lists the document as a “short-form license,” a common practice in early film development stages between studios. The execution dates range from May 9 to May 27, 2025, indicating the deal was finalized shortly before the formal filing.
This new development follows the massive success of The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which grossed over 1.3 billion dollars worldwide and helped establish Nintendo and Illumination, under Universal, as major players in animated adaptations of video game properties. The film became the highest-grossing video game adaptation of all time and triggered increased interest in further Nintendo-related projects.
Seth Rogen, who voiced Donkey Kong in the Mario movie, previously hinted that Donkey Kong Country had strong potential as a standalone film. His comments reflected Nintendo’s growing openness to adapting more of its iconic franchises following the performance of The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Producer Chris Meledandri and Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto have also expressed long-term ambitions for building out a broader cinematic universe based on Nintendo’s properties.
Although this newly registered Donkey Kong film has not been publicly announced, its emergence through official licensing documents suggests that Nintendo and Universal are preparing to expand their collaboration. Whether the project takes the form of a spin-off tied to the Mario film universe or an entirely standalone feature remains to be seen.
This film would add to Nintendo’s expanding media slate, which already includes the Super Mario Bros. sequel set for April 3, 2026, and a live-action adaptation of The Legend of Zelda currently in development with Sony Pictures.
