Nintendo might already have its hands full with the recently delayed The Legend of Zelda live-action movie, but it seems the studio has plans to adapt another of its major IPs for the big screen, with a recent copyright filing hinting that a Donkey Kong movie is in the works.
According to a copyright filed by Nintendo Studios LLC, a registration was made last month for an “Untitled Donkey Kong Project ; Motion picture”, with further mentions indicating the involvement of Universal Pictures, which all but confirms that the project is a film adaptation of the beloved video game, although there was no mention on whether it would be live-action or animated.
Donkey Kong last appeared on the silver screen in 2023’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie, where he was voiced by comedian Seth Rogen (The Interview, This is the End). The movie would go on to become the third-biggest animated film of all time, grossing over US$1.3 billion at the worldwide box office to date, making it no surprise that Nintendo is now looking to tap into its other popular franchises and turn them into potential movie moneymakers.
And as far as franchises go, Donkey Kong might be one of Nintendo’s most recognisable, excluding Mario, of course, as the character has become a massive hit in the video game space since his debut in 1981, receiving over 20 mainline titles and spin-offs over the years, including numerous cameos in massive Nintendo crossover games like Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and the recent Mario Kart World.
As of right now, as the new Donkey Kong movie still remains untitled, it might be quite a ways out, so fans shouldn’t expect trailers or announcements anytime soon. Fans of the gaming franchise, however, will soon have some ape adventures to tide them over until the movie is released, as Nintendo’s highly anticipated next entry, Donkey Kong Banazna, is set to hit the Nintendo Switch 2 on 17 July 2025, marking the second major first party release for the new hybrid console.
Kevin is a reformed PC Master Race gamer with a penchant for franchise “duds” like Darksiders III and Dead Space 3. He has made it his life-long mission to play every single major game release – lest his wallet dies trying.
Si Jia
