Nintendo Movies News: Could Metroid, Zelda & Pikmin Finally Come to Silver Screen?
Remember that "Super Mario Bros?" movie back in 1993? Even if you don't want to admit it, you can't help but feel the sting of seeing one of the most iconic video game characters of all time get decimated on the silver screen. It was a painful experience, but also one that seemed to foreshadow the kind of sacrifice that gaming characters would endure for years on end.
The reality is that video games have not made good films, a shocking revelation when one considers the wealth of content on order in the gaming world. For some odd reason however, Hollywood has not cracked the code.
So who can save the day and unite the two media in a manner that is worthy of both forms?
Nintendo seems interested in redeeming itself after that horrid display back in 1993 as creative genius Shigeru Miyamoto recently told Fortune.
"As we look more broadly at what is Nintendo's role as an entertainment company, we're starting to think more and more about how movies can fit in with that -- and we'll potentially be looking at things like movies in the future," said Miyamoto regarding the company's stance on video games.
It seems like an interesting step for Nintendo, which has always considered itself an entertainment company. Throughout the console wars, Nintendo has made technological genius less of a priority than giving gamers and fans a unique experience.
Movies are not quite as immersive as games, but in potentially allowing some of their IP's to grace the screen, Nintendo might be making a move toward expanding its horizons as the days of console gaming slowly but surely end their time in this world.
The logical question remains however -- what Nintendo characters make it to movie theaters?
For years fans have awaited a "Metroid" movie that was rumored to be in development with John Woo attached to direct back in 2004; however it never really got off the ground. The world of Samus Aran certainly feels the most cinematic in scope. Not only does the gaming experience play up the feeling of isolation, but its grounding in science-fiction fantasy certainly allows for a plethora of endless possibilities. The Metroid games have all managed a wide range of genres from the isolated experiences to the more globally inclusive with federations and bounty hunters playing their parts in Samus' life.
There was a Kickstarter campaign to make a fan-film, but Nintendo quashed that idea due to copyright restrictions.
"The Legend of Zelda" was rumored to be an upcoming Netflix series, but that one has not come to fruition either. "Zelda" is filled with its own ever-growing mythology and would be ripe for cinema if not for one major factor -- Link. The blond-haired, blue-eyed hero is perfect for American cinema, but he has never uttered a word. And when he has, it hasn't been pretty. How does a creative team get around this little issue? That would be the interesting challenge.
Miyamoto has made a series of "Pikmin" shorts and that franchise seems ripe for the animated cinematic world.
Then there is the question of whether Mario gets another shot at the movies. Maybe we should pass on that one.
Of course Nintendo could also develop original IP's as well for any cinematic project. The point is this: Nintendo has as much material as Marvel or even Star Wars from which to build its own cinematic universe. Imagine the company not only manages it, but does it to the usual standards of its best games? The movie business could be in for a true treat.