Reports suggest that a Donkey Kong film is planned, following the huge success of The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Rumors about more movies based on Nintendo characters predated the Mario film`s release.
A joint copyright filing by Universal and Nintendo for an `untitled Donkey Kong motion picture` has been discovered (according to IGN). This is notable given their past legal dispute decades ago, where Universal sued Nintendo, claiming Donkey Kong infringed on King Kong. Nintendo won the case by showing Universal had previously argued King Kong was public domain.
The companies have long since resolved their past conflict. Their collaboration on the first Mario Bros. movie earned $1.361 billion globally. A sequel, reportedly titled The Super Mario World Movie, is scheduled for April 3, 2026. Nintendo`s other major film venture, the live-action Legend of Zelda, has been pushed back to May 7, 2027.
Seth Rogen provided the voice for Donkey Kong in the 2023 film, where the character appeared as a key supporting figure alongside Mario (voiced by Chris Pratt). It`s anticipated that Rogen will reprise his role for either the Mario sequel or the potential Donkey Kong film, though this hasn`t been confirmed.
Meanwhile, Donkey Kong`s design has been updated. He`s expected to star in his first new game in over a decade, Donkey Kong Bananza, set for release on Nintendo Switch 2 on July 17. Additionally, the classic Donkey Kong 64 might soon be available on Nintendo Switch Online.