Trending Now - Nintendo Expands Mario Franchise Beyond Gaming Amid Console Limits

WHO:

Kotaku - Shigeru Miyamoto stated, "I would love for them to think about, 'What kind of world Nintendo will expand on now,'" indicating a shift in how he envisions the future of Nintendo's projects.

Yahoo - Chris Meledandri, CEO of Illumination, mentioned that the collaboration with Nintendo has been key to the success of the Mario film franchise.

Kotaku - Shigeru Miyamoto stated in an interview with Polygon, "As we approach Mario and developing Mario games, I start to feel like there's only so many people that we can reach through Nintendo's systems and consoles."

Kotaku - Shigeru Miyamoto stated, "When we’re talking about Mario as a character, he’s always evolved alongside the evolution of digital media."

Kotaku - Shigeru Miyamoto, creator of Mario and a key figure at Nintendo.

Yahoo - Chris Meledandri, CEO of Illumination.

WHAT:

Deadline - The Super Mario Galaxy Movie achieved a global first-day box office of $68.4 million, with $33.9 million coming from 78 markets.

TechRadar - The Super Mario Galaxy Movie has received a worse rating than its predecessor, with critics calling it "a bland screensaver that’s worse than AI."

Deadline - The Super Mario Galaxy Movie achieved a global first-day box office of $68.4 million, surpassing the first-day earnings of The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which was $66.4 million.

TechRadar - The Super Mario Galaxy Movie has received a worse rating than its predecessor, with critics calling it "a bland screensaver that’s worse than AI."

Deadline - The Super Mario Galaxy Movie achieved a global first-day box office of $68.4 million, surpassing the first-day earnings of The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which was $66.4 million.

Kotaku - The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is expected to achieve a level of success similar to that of The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which has already surpassed any individual Mario game in terms of success.

Kotaku - Miyamoto expressed a desire for Mario to evolve outside of video games, stating, "I feel like that’s a great way to get Mario involved too, and really be able to evolve alongside with digital media."

Gizmodo - Shigeru Miyamoto has doused fans' hopes for a major Nintendo crossover, indicating that a Super Smash Bros. movie is not in the works.

TechRadar - The Super Mario Galaxy Movie has received a worse rating than its predecessor, with critics calling it "a bland screensaver that’s worse than AI."

Yahoo - Miyamoto stated, "I would love for them to think about, 'What kind of world Nintendo will expand on now,'" indicating a shift in how he envisions the future of Nintendo's projects.

Kotaku - Miyamoto expressed a desire for Mario to evolve outside of video games, saying, "I feel like that’s a great way to get Mario involved too, and really be able to evolve alongside with digital media."

BBC - A film based on the Legend of Zelda is due to be released in 2027, and there are plans for an animation based on Donkey Kong.

Kotaku - The Super Mario Bros. Movie has become more successful than any individual Mario game.

Kotaku - Nintendo has announced a live-action Zelda movie and is producing animated shorts for Mario and Pikmin.

Yahoo - Miyamoto expressed a desire for Mario to evolve outside of video games, indicating a shift in focus for Nintendo.

WHERE:

Kotaku - The context of the discussion is related to Nintendo's operations and media expansions, including potential streaming platforms.

WHEN:

BBC - A film based on the Legend of Zelda is scheduled for release in 2027.

BBC - A film based on the Legend of Zelda is due to be released in 2027.

BBC - The Legend of Zelda film is scheduled for release in 2027.

Kotaku - The articles reference developments occurring in 2026, including the anticipated success of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.

Yahoo - The interview discussing these topics took place in 2026.

WHY:

Kotaku - Miyamoto stated, "So going from being able to have a touchpoint with Nintendo only through Nintendo consoles, we want to expand," indicating a desire to reach a broader audience beyond gaming.

Yahoo - Miyamoto noted, "going from being able to have a touchpoint with Nintendo only through Nintendo consoles, we want to expand," indicating a need to reach a broader audience.

Yahoo - Miyamoto stated, "I would love for them to think about, 'What kind of world Nintendo will expand on now,'" indicating a shift in focus for Nintendo's future projects.

Yahoo - Miyamoto noted, "going from being able to have a touchpoint with Nintendo only through Nintendo consoles, we want to expand."

Yahoo - Miyamoto stated, "there's only so many people that we can reach through Nintendo's systems and consoles," indicating a need to expand beyond traditional gaming.

Kotaku - Miyamoto noted that the console market has reached a ceiling, stating, "The total footprint devices like the Switch and PS5 can achieve appears to have maxed out."

Yahoo - Miyamoto noted, "there's only so many people that we can reach through Nintendo's systems and consoles," indicating a need to expand beyond traditional gaming.

Kotaku - Miyamoto stated that there is a limit to how many people Nintendo can reach through consoles like the Switch, prompting a desire to expand into other media.

Yahoo - Miyamoto believes that evolving Mario alongside digital media is essential for reaching a broader audience.

HOW:

Kotaku - Miyamoto mentioned that Nintendo aims to provide touchpoints with its characters through various media, stating, "we want to expand."

Kotaku - Miyamoto expressed that Nintendo aims to provide touchpoints with its characters through various media, stating, "we want to expand," moving beyond just consoles.

Kotaku - Miyamoto mentioned that Nintendo aims to provide touchpoints with its characters through various media, stating, "we want to expand."

Kotaku - Miyamoto mentioned that Nintendo aims to provide touchpoints with its characters through various media, not just consoles.

Yahoo - The company is exploring transmedia projects as a response to the saturation of the console market.

(UPDATED April 3, 2026 01:20 UTC)

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie had a strong opening, raking in $68.4 million globally on its first day, with $33.9 million generated from 78 markets. However, it has received a lower rating than its predecessor, with critics describing it as "a bland screensaver that’s worse than AI." Looking ahead, a film based on the Legend of Zelda is set to be released in 2027, as Nintendo aims to expand its reach beyond just gaming, according to Miyamoto.

(UPDATED April 2, 2026 23:05 UTC)

Shigeru Miyamoto has expressed a desire for Nintendo to explore new worlds and expand its projects beyond traditional consoles, emphasizing the importance of reaching a broader audience. Meanwhile, the Super Mario Galaxy Movie has made a splash at the box office, raking in $68.4 million on its first day, surpassing the previous record set by The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which earned $66.4 million. However, critics have not been as kind, labeling the new film as "a bland screensaver that’s worse than AI," while a film based on the Legend of Zelda is set to hit theaters in 2027.

(UPDATED April 2, 2026 21:06 UTC)

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie has made a splash at the box office, raking in an impressive $68.4 million on its first day, which beats the previous record set by The Super Mario Bros. Movie at $66.4 million. Looking ahead, a film based on the Legend of Zelda is set to hit theaters in 2027, promising more excitement for fans. Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto expressed his hopes for future projects, suggesting a new direction for the company as they expand their creative universe.

(UPDATED April 2, 2026 17:16 UTC)

In an interview with Polygon, Shigeru Miyamoto shared his thoughts on the future of Mario, expressing a desire for the beloved character to evolve beyond video games and reach audiences through various media. He noted that the upcoming Super Mario Galaxy Movie is expected to achieve success similar to that of The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which has already outperformed any individual Mario game. Additionally, Miyamoto revealed plans for a film based on the Legend of Zelda, set to be released in 2027, as part of Nintendo's strategy to expand its reach beyond its consoles.

(UPDATED April 2, 2026 15:16 UTC)

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is expected to achieve a level of success similar to that of The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which has already outperformed any individual Mario game, although it has received a worse rating from critics who described it as "a bland screensaver that’s worse than AI." Meanwhile, Shigeru Miyamoto has dashed hopes for a Super Smash Bros. movie, stating that there are limits to how many people can be reached through Nintendo's systems and consoles, suggesting a need to explore beyond traditional gaming. Looking ahead, a film based on the Legend of Zelda is set to be released in 2027.

(UPDATED April 2, 2026 13:20 UTC)

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is anticipated to achieve a level of success comparable to The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which has already outperformed any individual Mario game. In a recent statement, Miyamoto highlighted a shift in Nintendo's vision, suggesting that the company aims to expand its reach beyond consoles, as he noted that the current console market has likely maxed out. He emphasized the importance of connecting with fans through various media, expressing a desire for audiences to consider what new worlds Nintendo might explore in the future.

(UPDATED April 2, 2026 07:19 UTC)

Shigeru Miyamoto recently emphasized the importance of evolving Mario alongside digital media, expressing a desire for the character to branch out beyond video games. He noted that there are plans for a film based on the Legend of Zelda set to release in 2027, along with an animation featuring Donkey Kong, highlighting Nintendo's intention to reach broader audiences. Miyamoto stated, "there's only so many people that we can reach through Nintendo's systems and consoles," as the company looks to expand its presence through various media.

(UPDATED April 2, 2026 05:32 UTC)

Shigeru Miyamoto, the creator of Mario and a key figure at Nintendo, announced that The Super Mario Bros. Movie has surpassed the success of any individual Mario game, marking a significant shift for the franchise. In 2026, Miyamoto expressed a desire for Mario to evolve beyond video games, as Nintendo plans a live-action Zelda movie and animated shorts for Mario and Pikmin, while also exploring transmedia projects to reach a broader audience. He emphasized that there are limits to how many people Nintendo can connect with through consoles like the Switch, prompting the company to expand its operations into various media, including potential streaming platforms.