Here Are Our Pitches for the Next Nintendo Movie

The Super Mario Bros. Movie is out now, and it opens up all kinds of possibilities for future Nintendo movies. Where will Nintendo go next? The cast of Nintendo Voice Chat got together and dreamed up some of their own dream movies featuring beloved Nintendo characters, including Luigi’s Mansion, The Legend of Zelda, and more. Read on for our picks, and share your own ideas in the comments!

Name: Rebekah Valentine

Movie: Luigi’s Mansion. Yes, it would benefit from a punnier name. No, Nintendo would never call it anything other than this.

Pitch: The premise is simple: Luigi’s Mansion, but a movie. Minimal changes needed, just flesh out the script so folks actually talk.

It’s a comedy, not a horror film, very Ghostbusters-level campy and silly. Fleshes out the game more significantly and gives characters like E. Gadd, King Boo, and others more time to develop personalities. Luigi is the total coward he is getting through it all anyway. Stick with the story of the first game, but bring in some elements from later games such as Polterpup (who quickly becomes an ally) and maybe even a Gooigi cameo. Lots of room for ghosts with silly personalities, just really milk the nonsense.

Also, it minimizes everyone complaining about Chris Pratt because they bring him back but we barely see him the whole film. Release it on Halloween. Instant hit.

Name: Jada Griffin

Movie: Legend of Zelda Noir

Pitch: A gritty noir film where Link takes on the role of a detective trying to solve the mystery of who has stolen the Triforce.

Now I know what your saying Link doesn’t speak, well have no fear, that continuity is maintained through internal monologues about the investigation all while his long time partner Z serves as his counterpart during interrogations, and deals with the chief (Z’s father) who is constantly tired of their loose cannon behavior when dealing with the various bokoblins, Lizalfos, and other Hyrulean creatures. The case will take them all across Hyrule as they investigate this three part mystery, but spoiler alert the first one ends with them finding the first piece but realizing that the other two pieces are still missing. And that the conspiracy of who took the Triforce and split it into pieces runs deeper than you could imagine, with the top suspects being among the Goron, Sheikah, Zora, Gerudo, Rito and other tribes.

How deep does the treachery run? What part will the Korok’s play, what strange instrument will Link find and magically know how to play? Will the happy mask salesman show up peddling his goods? Tune in next Winter to find out!

Name: Peer Schneider

Movie: Super Smash Bros. Multiverse Battle Royale

Pitch: Multiverses are all the rage right now. Well, maybe a little bit too much the rage….But it would be a shame if the success of Everything Everywhere All at Once, Ready Player One, and all those Marvel and DC storylines stood in the way of getting us the CG-animated version of Super Smash Bros. we deserve. Yes, we may all be a bit exhausted with all those crossover movies out there, but Super Smash Bros. is the game that started the mix-and-clash trend in gaming in the first place. I remember the first time we saw the original game on N64 and the nervous looks on the faces of the Nintendo of America representatives when we beat the living zap out of Pikachu with a lightsaber. 

Whether it’s as a storyline in a forthcoming Mario movie sequel or as a standalone movie, a Super Smash Bros. movie could see our favorite Nintendo heroes get plucked out of their universes by the nefarious Master Hand – and forced to fight each other in the ultimate tournament, Mortal Kombat-style. Assemble a team of Nintendo’s most famous heroes as the core focus of the story and you’ve basically got The Avengers. And with Kirby on their team, how could they possibly lose? Cue final showdown with Master Hand when Glover’s supersized cousin yells: “No man can defeat me!” – and one lone warrior in an orange spacesuit pulls off her helmet and snarls back: “I am no MAN!” Power Bomb, 999% damage. The crack of a bat. “Victoryyyyyy!” 

Name: Seth G. Macy

Movie: Beyond the Great Plateau

Pitch: The world of Breath of the Wild is so rich and alive, it would be an incredible setting for a movie based on a character or characters living in that world. One of the things that makes Breath of the Wild so special also makes it perfect for movie adaptations: the world feels alive in spite of our hero. In my Nintendo movie, Link and Zelda wouldn’t even be featured at all. Well, OK, maybe as a cameo in the background for sharp-eyed fans, but that’s it. Link’s quest, and Zelda’s reign would be acknowledged or alluded to, but ultimately the film would focus on one of the many characters living in the world of Hyrule. Just as is the case in the game upon which its based, the land itself would be a prominent character, and the film’s protagonist would simply be a stand-in for us, the audience, as we’re introduced to the magic, splendor, and danger of the world of Hyrule as seen in Breath of the Wild.

Casting a non-playable character removes much of the pressure from fans and from creators to get Link or Zelda just right. It would free up the writers and allow them to explore parts of the world without the burden of adapting a non-speaking, in-game protagonist whose primary role is as a blank canvas for the player to paint themselves. It would serve the best of both worlds: it could create new, interesting characters with their own motivations more closely identifiable by an audience, while still setting it in a familiar, yet vast, world. 

Personally, I think a film set in Hyrule would benefit greatly from hand-drawn animation. Whether it’s Studio Ghibli-style anime or a more experimental Western style like The Secret of Kells, I don’t actually know. Both would be awesome. Any kind of painterly aesthetic would heighten the fantasy and wonder of Hyrule. I mean, the series has explored many art styles and the ones that stick with us the most are arguably Wind Waker and Breath of the Wild, two games with an artistic approach, versus a realistic approach, to presentation. 

Name: Brendan Graeber

Movie: Animal Crossing

Pitch: It may surprise you to learn that Nintendo already helped produce an animated Animal Crossing movie way back in 2006. Of course, this film never saw any release outside of Japan, but given the overwhelming popularity of Animal Crossing New Horizons, it’s safe to say that there would be interest in another adaptation of the series.

Similar to the previous animated film, the story would follow a young human’s arrival on Animal Crossing: New Leaf’s island getaway, and have a comfy and heartwarming focus on the human building relationships with the various animal villagers who come to call the island their home (as well as lots of comedic banter stemming from working off debts from Tom Nook). The film could explore themes of companionship, as well as the hopes, dreams, and fears of starting a new life far from home.

Of course, most movie plots have to deal with an opposing force in some form — which is not exactly something the Animal Crossing franchise is known for other than paying off your debt to that greedy raccoon. One possible approach would be the looming threat of some corporate overlord (somehow even more avaricious than Tom Nook) setting their sights on converting the island paradise into a shady hotel chain or tourist trap, forcing the villager and their newfound friends to band together to beautify the island, and raise the needed funds to thwart a hostile takeover by throwing an epic festival — one worthy of a visit by the legendary guitar-slinging dog: K.K. Slider.

So those are our picks, but what about yours? Do you want a Metroid movie? Maybe a movie set in Inkopolis? Share your own ideas in the comments, and make sure to check out our review of the Super Mario Bros. Movie right here.