While the Super Mario Bros. animation in the film made in collaboration with Illumination and grossed 1.36 billion dollars in theaters, a live-action film based on the motif of The Legend of Zelda series is being prepared in collaboration with Sony Pictures. The two companies share funding, but Nintendo will allocate more than half of the funds to production, while Sony Pictures will handle distribution to cinemas worldwide.
Iconic game developer Shigeru Miyamoto, creator of many Nintendo brands, will oversee the film’s quality as producer, along with Avi Arad. He worked on many hits, including the films Iron Man, Spider-Man: Across Parallel Worlds and Uncharted. Wes Ball, who has films in the Labyrinth series, will be in the director’s chair.
“By producing visual content from its own brands, Nintendo is creating a new way for people around the world to access the world of entertainment that Nintendo has built, even through means other than through their dedicated game consoles,” announced Nintendo, which years ago announced its intentions to expand beyond games and build a diversified, Disney-style entertainment empire.
The Legend of Zelda series usually tells the story of the young hero Link who tries to save Princess Zelda from the clutches of the villain Ganon. It’s likely that the film will give Zelda a less passive role, much like Princess Peach in the Mario films.
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