A recent filing hints at Nintendo’s next big-screen move, and it involves one of gaming’s most iconic apes.
It looks like Nintendo is gearing up to bring Donkey Kong back to the big screen. A recent registration filing has revealed that a new motion picture titled “Untitled Donkey Kong Project” is now officially on record, suggesting that the iconic video game ape may be getting his own film.
The registration was made on 6 June 2025, by Nintendo Studios LLC, with Universal Pictures also listed in the filing. While no formal announcement has been made, the document clearly states the project is a “motion picture,” strongly hinting that development is either underway or in the planning stages.
This move follows the massive box office success of The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which earned over $1.3 billion globally on a $100 million budget. Given the scale of that success, it comes as no surprise that Nintendo, Universal, and Illumination are looking to expand their cinematic universe further, with Donkey Kong being a natural next step.
Donkey Kong movie could expand Nintendo’s cinematic universe
Although no casting or plot details have been confirmed, fans will be watching closely to see if Seth Rogen, who voiced Donkey Kong in the Super Mario Bros. film, will return to reprise the role—or if this new project will stand apart from the Mario movie universe entirely.
Nintendo’s pipeline of adaptations continues to grow. A sequel to The Super Mario Bros. Movie is already in production, slated for an April 2026 release. Meanwhile, The Legend of Zelda film, announced in 2023, has been pushed back to 7 May, 2027, though that date may shift again, as is often the case with major film productions.
Outside of Hollywood, Donkey Kong is also making a comeback in games, with his next big title Donkey Kong Bananza heading to the Nintendo Switch 2.
For now, the Donkey Kong movie remains unconfirmed by Nintendo, but the licensing move all but confirms that the beloved barrel-throwing gorilla is getting ready to swing back into the spotlight.
