Donkey Kong Movie In the Works Leak Reveals
It looks like Donkey Kong could be getting his own movie, and Universal might be behind it. Even though nothing has been officially confirmed, a copyright listing seems to point to a new animated Donkey Kong film being planned. The news hasn’t been announced yet, but it feels like only a matter of time.
Nintendo has had a tricky past with movies. A long time ago, they released a live-action Super Mario Bros. film, and it went really badly. It was a big mess, and fans hated it. After that, Nintendo stepped away from Hollywood and just focused on making games.
Things changed in 2023 when The Super Mario Bros. Movie came out. It was animated, and even though critics didn’t love it, audiences did. It made over a billion dollars and became a hit with kids and families. That success made Nintendo feel more confident about doing more films.
"Untitled Donkey Kong Project ; Motion picture" US Copyright registered by Universal Pictures https://t.co/iOWSksyNTkhttps://t.co/gMc7HP8KlC pic.twitter.com/liG1znqC8j
— Wario64 (@Wario64) July 13, 2025
Now, they’re working on a sequel to The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which is coming out next spring. They’re also making a Legend of Zelda movie that’s planned to come out in May 2027. But that’s not all. A new copyright filing suggests that Nintendo and Universal Pictures are working on a Donkey Kong movie too.
The movie hasn’t been given a title yet, and the listing doesn’t reveal much. But the timing seems to match up with the upcoming Donkey Kong Bananza game, which is launching for Nintendo Switch 2 on July 17. A lot of fans think the movie could be revealed at the same time, maybe during a new Nintendo Direct.
Nintendo hasn’t held a full Nintendo Direct since the new console came out, except for one focused on Donkey Kong. Many fans believe the company is saving a few big surprises, and a Donkey Kong movie reveal would be a big one.
Since Donkey Kong already appeared in The Super Mario Bros. Movie, voiced by Seth Rogen, people are guessing he’ll be back in the new film. It also makes sense that this would be animated too, not live-action.
Nintendo’s president, Shuntaro Furukawa, recently gave fans a bit more info during the company’s annual general meeting. The Q&A session was translated and shared online.
“We released The Super Mario Bros. Movie in theaters in April 2023, and are pleased to say that it has been received positively by many people around the world. Looking ahead, we plan to release a new animated film based on the world of Super Mario Bros. in April 2026, and a live-action movie of The Legend of Zelda in May 2027,” said Furukawa.
He also talked about how Nintendo is handling these movie projects. “Rather than simply licensing our IP to film production companies, we are taking a proactive approach where Nintendo itself is deeply involved in production and makes investments as needed. This approach allows us to maintain a strong commitment to the quality of the final product.”
While Furukawa didn’t mention Donkey Kong directly, he did say there are other projects already being worked on that haven’t been announced yet. With that in mind, the leak about the Donkey Kong movie starts to make a lot more sense.
If everything lines up, Donkey Kong could be heading back to theaters soon. And this time, fans are actually excited.
Have something to add? Let us know in the comments below!