Nintendo Sets Its Sights on More Movies and Anime Based on Its Franchises

Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa recently sat down for an in-depth interview with Japanese newspaper Kyoto Shimbun, touching on a wide range of topics—from the Switch 2 to the company’s future beyond video games. Of particular interest were his comments about movies and the possibility of anime adaptations based on Nintendo universes.

Furukawa emphasized that Nintendo doesn’t see movies as a quick cash grab, but rather as a tool for the long-term development of its brands and characters.

The company plans to gradually build excitement around the upcoming film adaptation of The Legend of Zelda adventure series, without revealing everything at once. (Some of the first images from the movie have already surfaced online.)

Furukawa also highlighted the desire to generate major buzz for the animated film The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, aiming to turn it into a big event. You can check out the trailer here.

Nintendo isn’t planning to limit itself to just Mario and Zelda adaptations—in the future, the company wants to create a system for regularly releasing movies based on its various franchises.

In other words, Nintendo is seriously aiming to become a major player in the film industry, not just dabble in it.

The topic of anime also came up. Furukawa was cautious but telling: "If we can create works uniquely Nintendo, it’d be good in the future."

This means Nintendo isn’t ruling out anime projects, but only if they truly reflect the spirit of the company and its approach to characters and worlds. It’s not about churning out content, but about carefully crafted projects that expand the universes of Nintendo’s brands—without diluting their value.