On October 4, 2022, the first trailer will be released for the upcoming Super Mario Bros animated movie. Produced by Illumination, the film boasts an all-star cast, including Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor-Joy, Jack Black, and more. Furthermore, it may spawn a whole new future for Nintendo's original franchises and games in film and television.
With the possibility of a Nintendo cinematic universe on the horizon, fans have speculated what Illumination's next Nintendo franchise to adapt will be. Hopefully, if some of these fan wishes come true, an Avengers-esque Super Smash Bros movie will become a reality. For now, these franchises would excite Nintendo fans, assuming the Mario movie goes well.
10 The Legend Of Zelda
Rumors of a Legend of Zelda film or TV series have populated the Internet for years. Fake trailers for adaptations of Ocarina of Time or Majora's Mask have previously spread across YouTube, tricking many fans into believing a Zelda film was on the way. Even recently, a live-action series was in the works at Netflix before being canceled.
It seems like the possibility of a Legend of Zelda animated film is a matter of when, not if. There's certainly interest from fans, but perhaps next to Illumination's Super Mario movie, there could be concern about making it appeal to kids. There's always The Wind Waker as a good model of a kid-friendly, light-hearted Zelda game to adapt into a film.
9 Metroid
Next to Zelda, Metroid is another popular Nintendo franchise that seems destined for the screen. The franchise itself is based on already-acclaimed films like Alien, and has even had support for a feature by Brie Larson, the star of the MCU's Captain Marvel. Recent Metroid games have even had cutscenes that prove the series is cinematic enough.
However, the Metroid franchise is also victim to stalled production on its games. Metroid Prime 4 has been in development hell for several years now, and the same could easily happen to a film adaptation. Nevertheless, Samus Aran could rival Lara Croft as an iconic female game-to-film protagonist, especially with talent like Larson behind her.
8 Kirby
It's quite easy to imagine Illumination tackling the Kirby series if the Super Mario movie goes well. The character design in the franchise is not unlike that of the Minions movies, which are hugely popular with kids. In addition, Kirby has already had a successful TV series with the anime Kirby: Right Back at Ya!
The cast of a Kirby movie would also be simplistic: Kirby, Meta Knight, and King Dedede would be the primary choices for the film's main roles. Games like Kirby Super Star also provide the right stories for a Kirby film, perhaps based on sub-games like Revenge of Meta Knight or Milky Way Wishes, or even a story that's brand-new.
7 Kid Icarus
The Kid Icarus franchise received a revival with the 3DS title Kid Icarus: Uprising. Alongside the game's release, Nintendo put out three shorts involving the game's characters: Palutena's Revolting Dinner, Medusa's Revenge, and Thanatos Rising. These three shorts make excellent demos for what a Kid Icarus film would be like.
It's obvious that a Kid Icarus film would mostly find Pit sent on a mission by the goddess Palutena, facing some world-threatening god. Whether it would be a direct adaptation of stories from Uprising or not, it would prove to be an entertaining, zany film. The involvement of Masahiro Sakurai, who directed Uprising, would also excite interested fans.
6 Pikmin
Few Nintendo franchises are as serene as Pikmin, which currently has three entries, with a fourth on the way. The first two games center on Captain Olimar, a space traveler who happens upon a planet and discovers Pikmin, who are friendly plant creatures who assist him in fixing his ship. However, a Pikmin film could raise the stakes quite a bit.
Perhaps, like future Pikmin games, the film could find Olimar separated from his crew, needing to befriend the Pikmin creatures to find them. With Illumination's previous work in mind, it's easy to imagine how beautiful a Pikmin film could look. Shigeru Miyamoto's involvement in the Pikmin franchise and the Super Mario movie may improve its chances.
5 Earthbound
Outside the Super Smash Bros series, Nintendo hasn't paid a lot of attention to the Mother franchise. The series' second installment, known as Earthbound in the west, is a cult classic, considered one of the best RPGs ever made. That's mostly due to its silly tone and compelling storyline, which is best not spoiled for those who haven't played it.
While the game could also translate well to a miniseries of some kind, it would be truly epic to see an Earthbound animated film on the big screen. Several scenes in the game, or its sequel, the yet-to-be-localized Mother 3, would be marvelously depicted with Illumination's stellar animation style.
4 Fire Emblem
Out of all of Nintendo's biggest franchises, Fire Emblem is one of the easiest to imagine as an animated film. The series' recent entries, like Fire Emblem: Awakening, already feature fully-animated cutscenes and compelling character arcs. The only question would be whether the film features completely new characters, or is an adaptation of an older game.
Recent Fire Emblem fans would probably love to see the characters in Awakening imagined on the big screen. Older fans of the series, however, may prefer to see adaptations of games like Radiant Dawn or Shadow Dragon. The most likely scenario, however, would be an original story with new characters that invokes previous games.
3 Yoshi
Illumination loves their cute, mostly-mute characters. Given that Yoshi isn't set to appear (as far as we know) in the Super Mario movie, there's room for the character to make his debut in a film of his own. Perhaps a Super Mario movie prequel based on the Yoshi's Island games would entice fans of the movie after it comes out.
Furthermore, a Yoshi-led animated movie could have its own unique aesthetic. More recently, Yoshi games have had a D-I-Y look to them, like Yoshi's Woolly World or Yoshi's Crafted World, which invoke yarn and cardboard. An entire film with this kind of stylized look would definitely catch the eye of not just Nintendo fans, but animation fans.
2 Star Fox
For a series as popular as Star Fox, there's a lot that's untold about its lore. Fans know that Fox McCloud is a pilot taking after his father, who was killed by the evil scientist Andross. The depth of this relationship has yet to be explored by a Star Fox game, but perhaps that's because it's best fit for a feature film.
Star Fox would also be a great choice for a feature film due to its potential for a great cast. The main Star Fox unit, including Fox, Falco, Slippy, and Peppy could have some A-list talent behind it, with additional voice roles including Andross, General Pepper, R.O.B, and Krystal. However, the latter might be best saved for a sequel based on Star Fox Adventures.
1 Xenoblade Chronicles
Over the past few years, Xenoblade Chronicles has become one of Nintendo's biggest franchises, particularly after the inclusion of Shulk in Super Smash Bros. Like previous entries in this list, Xenoblade is an incredibly cinematic series to begin with. Many entries feature complex characters, an intricate, unfolding story, and dramatic stakes.
However, the real promise of a Xenoblade movie would be adapting the world of the games to a big screen. The original title for Wii takes place entirely on the bodies of two frozen titans that are at war. Even games like Xenoblade Chronicles X, which venture outside the main concept, still capture the feel of the franchise that a movie could easily embody.