Well, seems like the movie rumours just keep on coming, don’t they? Because just a few days after rumours of a Metroid movie started swirling around the internet, evidence has popped up that another Nintendo/Illumination production is in the works for 2028.
Indeed, according to Universal’s Spanish release schedule, an untitled Nintendo/Illumination flick is planned to release on the 12th of April 2028. Here’s the original document from their site:
Universal Release Schedule (Spanish)
Plus, a picture showing the relevant entry on the schedule:
The relevant part of the release schedule showing the untitled movie
As you can see, there’s not a lot to go on here. The schedule itself says that the title is set to change, and there’s no extra info beyond it being a Nintendo/Illumination coproduction here. All we know is that it’s based on a Nintendo property, and that it’s meant to be released on the 12th of April 2028.
But we do have some theories about what it could be nonetheless. Most notably, we don’t see it being a Mario movie.
Or at least, a Mario movie that’s a direct sequel to the Super Mario Bros Movie or Super Mario Galaxy Movie. The latter only released a few months ago, while the former was released a whole 3 years before that. So, unless Illumination have got really quick at animating films and the writing process happened during the production of the last film, the timespan seems a bit too short here.
That said, there are other, more likely possibilities here. Most notably, a Donkey Kong movie.
Since well, plenty of evidence has come out that such a film is in production at the moment. Various leakers and news sources mentioned it in 2021, Seth Rogan himself teased it in 2023, and Nintendo and Universal registered the copyright for such a movie in 2025.
So, something’s happening with Donkey Kong at least. And with neither DK or Cranky having a speaking role in the Super Mario Galaxy Movie, it’d only make sense that they’d be saved for this film instead.
Other possibilities here include a Luigi’s Mansion movie (which Charlie Day has shown an interest in starring in), a Star Fox movie (which Glenn Powell hopes becomes a thing at some point) or some other spinoff relating to a character or group from either of the existing Mario movies. There’s a surprising number of possibilities here to be honest.
That said, one film you shouldn’t expect it to be is a Metroid one. That’s because such a movie is apparently in the bidding stages right now, with Sony and Universal still gunning for the rights to make it. So, unless they’re willing to rush out the movie in a year or less, the chances of such an adaptation being ready by 2026 are virtually non-existent. There’s just no way to make it happen in that timeframe.
Regardless, Nintendo and Illumination are working on another movie, Universal will be distributing it, and it’ll be released in April 2028. So, what do you think it’ll be? Is a Donkey Kong movie the most likely option here?
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