Scene images. You go to see the Mario Movie in 2023. You realize that it’s a stroke of genius that is sure to garner a Return of the king Oscar nominations and go down in history as one of the all-time greats. Roll credits. Just like you’re on your way out with your friends, excited about Chris Pratt’s impeccable performance, a post-credits pen revealed that the film, in fact, has a lot more to offer. .
Returning to his room in the Mushroom Kingdom after saving a day, Mario is caught by a shadowy figure. Rotary figure. That’s Miyamoto.
“You’ve heard of the Smash Bros. Initiative.” he asks. “I’m assembling a team.”
Thus, NCU was born…
However, instead of Illumination hoarding all of the rights to each of Nintendo’s franchises, the next cinematic universe is split into various animation studios, each adopting a unique visual and vibe. their for a variety of different games; The perfect marriage of the Nintendo franchise and the animation studio.
Of course, this is just a fiction. Currently, the Nintendo movies planned to start and end with the hilarious title of Illumination Movie Super Mario Bros. and there’s no way other studios want to jump in as part of a shared cinematic universe. But seeing different animators tackle some of Nintendo’s biggest franchises? Now it will be cool.
Below, we’ve put together a huge list of Nintendo franchises that we’ve paired with the animation studios we think are the best fit to take on them – excluding, of course, Mario: he took. We keep this only in the realm of cartoons (come on, you have really want to see a live-action Kirby??) and have decided to limit the pairing to one franchise per studio – because, admittedly, otherwise Ghibli would have a lot of work to do.
Fun fantasy! …
Animal Crossing – Walt Disney Animation Studios
Some of these couples seem more obvious than others and go together Mule and Disney would certainly be an open target.
Catching talking animals is hard work and managing it in a way that’s not funny but also incredibly sane is still harder. What better studio to take on the challenge than House of the Mouse?
We’re thinking more about animal-centric 3D animation projects like Zootopia, Flash, and Little chicksbut we wouldn’t rule out a hand-drawn of Nintendo’s healthiest franchise – how cozy Animal Crossing would be in style Brother Bear or Bambi?? Even so, we did see Animal Crossing hand-drawn back in 2006 Gekijōban Dōbutsu no Moriso we’re leaning towards CG Nook.
Donkey Kong – Aardman
That’s the wrong barrel, man!
With bulging eyes and oversized hands, Donkey Kong has the hallmarks of a fractured Aardman work.
As the studio has grown into more ambitious projects, its studios have also expanded in size. We know that Aardman can make a dingy forest (just look at Primitive man), and a chaotic character like DK deserves a dry dose of humor to boot.
It’s certainly going to be a challenge (and a lot of years in the making) but we think Aardman’s moving eye will be the perfect accompaniment to Donkey Kong’s twists, turns and slams. .
Fire Icon – Toei Animation
For some Nintendo franchises, style should take precedence. Although it will be interesting to see how Fire EmblemThe turn-based combat will translate into an action movie on the big screen, it’s hard to imagine the film will appear in any other animation style than anime.
Then who better to head into a Fire Emblem movie than the studio behind the movie Dragon ball and Digimon series, Toei Animation. Not only do the studios have experience in adapting video games, but their work on Dragon Ball will make a good substitute for all the slashing, explosive, and physics-challenging hairstyles that will have to run throughout the Fire movie. Emblem.
Of course, there was an experimental Fire Emblem anime in 1995, but with only two episodes released to show, we don’t see the harm of starting over.
Kid Icarus – DreamWorks
From flying too close to the sun to freezing over the moon, Kid Icarus seems to be the most suitable choice for Dreamworks.
Probably best known for its work on Shrek movie, we actually thought more about How to Train Your Dragon with this option. Old scene? Sequence above? Soft-haired protagonist? All is fine there!
Looking into the transition to a more cartoonish style can be seen in the studio’s upcoming film Puss in Boots: The Last WishWe’re imagining that style becoming specific to Icarus’ child-centered story.
Contracts need to be signed preventing the use of not at all However, Smash Mouth in the project.
Kirby – Lighting
All right, we’ll clean up. We know that Illumination will be full at the moment, but once Mario Movie is out the studio will definitely be looking for a follow-up project, and what could be a better fit than Kirby?
You take a Minion, paint it a bit, paint it pink, and boom, you’ve got yourself a role model for Kirby. What we’re talking about is that Illumination has a history with petite boys, and Kirby is definitely the smallest, roundest guy out there.
On top of that, of course, Kirby is arguably one of Nintendo’s most kid-friendly franchises yet – an area of the animation market that Illumination is definitely breaking into.
However – and yes, this should be taken as a warning – if this happens and anyone shows up to movie screenings wearing a vest (perhaps under the title ‘Kirballers’ or something squishy similar), we Not must be responsible.
The Legend of Zelda – Studio Ghibli
The question with a task like this will always be the same: Which Nintendo franchise for Ghibli will we be?
With picturesque landscapes, intricate character details, and a world that feels truly alive in it, Ghibli can get close enough to any Nintendo game and make it an all-time classic right away. But seriously, how can we Not choose Zelda?
Have inspiration from Matt Vince‘s short animation’Zelda X Ghibli movie trailer‘, Hyrule is the obvious location for Ghibli’s adventures. We’ve embedded Vince’s video below, and it’s well worth a look to see how beautiful the film will be.
If it weren’t for our unflinching Ghibli adoration, the studio would probably be in the best position to do a Nintendo adaptation right out of the box. It can do stunning environments, sword swing action, and has such an ear for music that we can’t think of a better studio to handle Kondo’s themes on the big screen? Too much!
Luigi’s Mansion – Laika
Yes, Luigi will be in Mario Movie. Heck, from what we’ve seen, it’s clear that Illumination will rely on the unlucky ghost of his gaming past; but if Luigi’s Mansion was allowed to stand on his own trembling feet?
There’s certainly enough in the franchise to warrant an indie movie adaptation – spooky house, jump scares, old man babbling nonsense – you get the picture. You throw a product from Coraline and ParaNorman studio Laika into the mix, and you get something drenched in a lot more nightmarish fuel.
But this can actually work! Luigi’s Mansion is the light-hearted horror franchise that features all sorts of adult ghosts but without any sharp edges. Laika can really turn this into something to hurt the next generation of kids for years to come, all while presenting it in its signature stop motion. Because clay can’t be scarythe right?
