On July 19, 2025, the first trailer will be released for the upcomingSuper Mario Brosanimated 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.
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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, anAvengers-esqueSuper Smash Brosmovie will become a reality. For now, these franchises would excite Nintendo fans, assuming theMariomovie goes well.
10The Legend Of Zelda
Rumors of aLegend of Zeldafilm or TV series have populated the Internet for years. Fake trailers foradaptations ofOcarina of TimeorMajora’s Maskhave previously spread across YouTube, tricking many fans into believing aZeldafilm 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 aLegend of Zeldaanimated film is a matter of when, not if. There’s certainly interest from fans, but perhaps next to Illumination’sSuper Mariomovie, there could be concern about making it appeal to kids. There’s alwaysThe Wind Wakeras a good model of a kid-friendly, light-heartedZeldagame to adapt into a film.
9Metroid
Next toZelda,Metroidis another popular Nintendo franchise that seems destined for the screen. The franchise itself is based on already-acclaimed films likeAlien, and has even had support for a feature by Brie Larson, the star of the MCU’sCaptain Marvel. RecentMetroidgames have even had cutscenes that prove the series is cinematic enough.
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However, theMetroidfranchise is also victim to stalled production on its games.Metroid Prime 4has 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.
8Kirby
It’s quite easy to imagine Illumination tackling theKirbyseries if theSuper Mariomovie goes well. The character design in the franchise is not unlike that of theMinionsmovies, which are hugely popular with kids. In addition, Kirby has already had a successful TV serieswith the animeKirby: Right Back at Ya!
The cast of aKirbymovie would also be simplistic: Kirby, Meta Knight, and King Dedede would be the primary choices for the film’s main roles. Games likeKirby Super Staralso provide the right stories for aKirbyfilm, perhaps based on sub-games likeRevenge of Meta KnightorMilky Way Wishes, or even a story that’s brand-new.
7Kid Icarus
TheKid Icarusfranchise received a revival with the 3DS titleKid Icarus: Uprising. Alongside the game’s release, Nintendo put out three shorts involving the game’s characters:Palutena’s Revolting Dinner,Medusa’s Revenge, andThanatos Rising. These three shorts make excellent demos for what aKid Icarusfilm would be like.
It’s obvious that aKid Icarusfilm would mostly find Pit sent on a mission by the goddess Palutena, facing some world-threatening god. Whether it would bea direct adaptation of stories fromUprisingor not, it would prove to be an entertaining, zany film. The involvement of Masahiro Sakurai, who directedUprising, would also excite interested fans.
6Pikmin
Few Nintendo franchises are as serene asPikmin, 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 anddiscovers Pikmin, who are friendly plant creatureswho assist him in fixing his ship. However, aPikminfilm could raise the stakes quite a bit.
Perhaps, like futurePikmingames, 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 aPikminfilm could look. Shigeru Miyamoto’s involvement in thePikminfranchise and theSuper Mariomovie may improve its chances.
5Earthbound
Outside theSuper Smash Brosseries, Nintendo hasn’t paid a lot of attention to theMotherfranchise. The series' second installment, known asEarthboundin 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.
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While the game could also translate well to a miniseries of some kind, it would be truly epic to see anEarthboundanimated film on the big screen. Several scenes in the game, or its sequel, the yet-to-be-localizedMother 3, would be marvelously depicted with Illumination’s stellar animation style.
4Fire Emblem
Out of all of Nintendo’s biggest franchises,Fire Emblemis one of the easiest to imagine as an animated film.The series' recent entries, likeFire 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.
RecentFire Emblemfans would probably love to see the characters inAwakeningimagined on the big screen. Older fans of the series, however, may prefer to see adaptations of games likeRadiant DawnorShadow Dragon. The most likely scenario, however, would be an original story with new characters that invokes previous games.
3Yoshi
Illumination loves their cute, mostly-mute characters. Given that Yoshi isn’t set to appear (as far as we know) in theSuper Mariomovie, there’s room for the character to make his debut in a film of his own. Perhaps aSuper Mariomovie prequelbased on theYoshi’s Islandgameswould entice fans of the movie after it comes out.
Furthermore, a Yoshi-led animated movie could have its own unique aesthetic. More recently,Yoshigames have had a D-I-Y look to them, likeYoshi’s Woolly WorldorYoshi’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.
2Star Fox
For a series as popular asStar 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 aStar Foxgame, but perhaps that’s because it’s best fit for a feature film.
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Star Foxwould also be a great choice for a feature film due to its potential for a great cast. The mainStar Foxunit, 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 onStar Fox Adventures.
1Xenoblade Chronicles
Over the past few years,Xenoblade Chronicleshas become one of Nintendo’s biggest franchises, particularly after the inclusion of Shulk inSuper Smash Bros. Like previous entries in this list,Xenobladeis an incredibly cinematic series to begin with. Many entries feature complex characters, an intricate, unfolding story, and dramatic stakes.
However, the real promise of aXenoblademovie 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 likeXenoblade Chronicles X,which venture outside the main concept, still capture the feel of the franchise that a movie could easily embody.
