When The Super Mario Bros. Movie was released in 2023, it seemed like the perfect opportunity for a new video game film universe to establish itself, and the announcement of The Legend of the Zelda movie seemed to confirm this until it was revealed that the film would be live-action, not animated. The Super Mario Bros. Movie came out in April 2023 and told the story of the iconic video game brothers Mario and Luigi as they accidentally get sucked into a strange and unfamiliar land. Meanwhile, The Legend of Zelda movie is currently in production, and will adapt the popular video game of the same name.
While The Super Mario Bros. Movie did not guarantee a new film franchise, it did seem like an ideal starting point. Nintendo has a great variety of properties that are well-established and beloved among video game fans. Though The Super Mario Bros. Movie was not critically acclaimed, it was something of a hit for audiences, which spurred more hope for a vaster Nintendo film universe. Once The Legend of Zelda movie was announced, it really seemed like this could be a viable direction. But now, the film’s latest announcement has caused some confusion. If a film universe was going to be started, why would The Legend of Zelda be live-action?
The Zelda Movie’s Live-Action Plan Ruins A Shared Nintendo Universe With Super Mario Bros
While The Legend of Zelda movie being live-action may seem like a minor detail, the reality is that it ruins the chance of making The Super Mario Bros. Movie and The Legend of Zelda movie into a shared universe. The Super Mario Bros. Movie is animated, while The Legend of Zelda will be live-action. If the films wanted to share a film franchise, it would only make sense that they would share a film format. Overall, this newest announcement puts a big hold on the concept of a Nintendo film universe. Now, it seems more likely that the properties will stay quite separate from each other.
Overall, this is a shame for Nintendo fans. Having two major Nintendo properties adapted into movies back to back seemed like the perfect sign that the company would be expanding their influence onto the big screen. However, The Legend of Zelda being live-action completely ruins this. While animation and live-action can be mixed, it would be a bit strange. This is especially true because Zelda has always been animated. It seems that perhaps the desire for a live-action Zelda outweighed the desire for a shared Nintendo universe plan.
Why The Live-Action Legend Of Zelda Movie Is Still Promising
Although The Legend of Zelda movie will not be adding to The Super Mario Bros. Movie universe, the movie is still very exciting. As previously mentioned, The Legend of Zelda has only ever been animated, no matter what form it took, and so seeing the characters actually brought to life will be quite amazing. Furthermore, if The Legend of Zelda movie gets it right, it has as much promise as The Super Mario Bros. Movie had to gain popularity. The new movie will not only be a delight for fans, but could also get audience members that aren’t familiar with the video games to become new fans.
