- Screenshot of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, Courtesy of Nintendo and Illumination

Nintendo’s Transition From Video Games to Movies Offers Cinematic Power-Up for Classic Characters

Originally posted on Total Apex Gaming | By David Gilbert | Last updated Oct 19, 2025 3:22 PM ET

Shigeru Miyamoto is praised as one of the most legendary creators, who is responsible for developing Nintendo’s most famous faces. He recently explained the company’s surprising and enthusiastic dive into the world of cinema. Although the company owns a treasure trove of globally recognized characters, it seems perfectly content to ignore the film industry. Yet, the announcement and subsequent record-breaking success of The Super Mario Bros. Movie drastically changed this stance. So, what exactly prompted this significant strategic shift from the gaming titan?

Nintendo’s New Play for Film Immortality

Logically, many speculate the motivation is simply mountains of gold coins, much like Mario collects. However, Miyamoto responded to this assumption, offering a more thoughtful reason behind the decision. He pointed out that the natural expiration date of video games is essential, as they eventually stop running when newer hardware and software versions arrive. On the other hand, films remain forever fixed in their final form as a permanent snapshot of a character’s adventure.

This perspective makes Nintendo’s movies out to be the clever answer to the challenge of preserving its iconic franchises. Not only that, but it ensures that they remain accessible to audiences for generations to come. The company’s approach to preserving its own classic games has created a somewhat amusing revelation, as sometimes its decisions have been, well, for lack of a better term, selective. Does anyone else remember hunting for those classic games on various digital shops?

Miyamoto Reveals Nintendo’s Movie Master Plan

Image of Princess Peach, Courtesy of Universal Pictures and Nintendo

Consequently, the Mario and Zelda films seem to be part of a much larger cinematic campaign. With Miyamoto’s comments, the reason behind Nintendo’s foray into movies is made abundantly clear and is far from over. As a result, players should expect more and more of our favorite game series to get the silver screen treatment. As long as a pink, puffball hero named Kirby is on that list, and there’s not much to be done about it.

That said, what other Nintendo universe would be thrilling to explore in a darkened theater? Whether the Metroid series finally gets the epic sci-fi adaptation it deserves is hopefully a possibility. Just imagine going to see a Splatoon movie at the theaters is simply too ink-credible to think about. Not only is the future of Nintendo’s cinematic ambitions looking bright, but it’s also decidedly less pixelated. To find success in the movie route, the company must continue to stick the landing with the same grace as a certain plumber jumping on a flagpole.

This article first appeared on Total Apex Gaming and was syndicated with permission.

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