There's little doubt that, barring delays, the Mario movie will be a huge gaming culture event in 2022. Nintendo's recent drive to expand its business into broader entertainment such as theme parks will, arguably, go to a whole new level once the film hits theatres.
The company making the film - Illumination - made its name with the Despicable Me films in particular, and now its founder Chris Meledandri is set to join the Nintendo board of Directors (pending approval at June's shareholder meeting), with a formal role of 'Outside Director'. It's a detail that's easily missed in the annual financial reports, but is intriguing nonetheless.
It's an interesting move in light of recent comments from Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa, stating that the company is looking into animation projects beyond the Mario movie. Bringing Meledandri onto the Board suggests that Nintendo is happy with progress on the Mario project, and gives insight into the evident ambition to look beyond that movie and do more in the space.
It's certainly something to watch closely in the coming months.
[source nintendo.co.jp]
Comments 37
It's just an advising role of sorts. Shouldn't be too bad. At least he doesn't have more control in their animation
No god. NO GOD. Why?!
Hopefully he won't have too much influence on Nintendo games or we'll end up with fart jokes every 5 minutes in BotW2
I’m assuming he’s a non-executive Board director in which case nothing changes so it doesn’t matter.
Hmmm weird choice of I'm honest. Still if the news about more animation stuff is true then I hope they don't only use this studio. Let some of the anime studios make an anime about Metroid or zelda
Dear god, why?
How much milk can Mario give with them aboard?
Thats interesting.. would make him the first non-japanese member. Maybe to bring in some western perspective into the board?
Lord above... hopefully, this is just to help Nintendo manage Hollywood's BS, and he won't even begin to look at the games.
Because if he does... we're boned.
REALLY boned.
This is a massive show of confidence for the upcoming Super Mario animated movie (and any other collaboration between Nintendo and Illumination that we don't know about yet)
@Rhaoulos @Alpha-2002
I'm doubtful Chris Meledandri has ever programmed a piece of software in his life, let alone been involved in making a video game, so I kinda doubt Nintendo will be seeking his advice on anything game development-related
@jump As an 'Outside Director' it's probably more an advisory thing, but does suggest a strengthening of the relationship with Illumination
@AndyC_MK
Pretty much this.
But of course, people will fear monger over this decision because...checks notes...there was a fart joke in Despicable Me.
"There's little doubt that, barring delays, the Mario movie will be a huge gaming culture event in 2022."
How do you know that? Can you see the future? Many people said that the Sonic movie will flop and yet it was a huge success.
How about we wait and see.
If nintendo is planning on making several movies with illumination, this makes all the sense. Why wouldn't he be on the board? people need to relax, minions aren't going to show up in nsmb or whatever
This is likely the most reactionary and ridiculous I’ve ever seen this comment section.
Please, be a Zelda movie.
@AndyC_MK oh... I see.
Watch as the Minions get in Smash.
Or, even worse, Universal buys Nintendo, only to do the same it did to Universal Interactive: sell it to Sierra. Which is now no more, meaning it would sell them to Activision.
Yeah, Nintendo to focus more on Call of Duty. Just imagine that.
@Crockin Why not have the Minions in a Mario game, when we already had the Raving Rabbids?
I'd like to see that.
@ophone Yeah but at least rabbids are video game characters
Considering Illumination's business model is to make movies as cheaply as possible while designing them to be as profitable as possible... Yeah I have some concerns.
@mystman12
Under Furukawa's tenure (first mainline Pokémon games devoid of the full fauna, Nintendo Switch Online's "growing appeal" coming in the next "years", the lack of celebrational polish in Super Mario 3D All-Stars, said game and Fire Emblem getting removed from eShop the same day), we're halfway there.
inb4 Mario + Rabbids feat. Minions.
The internet's head will now explode.
@mystman12 When has that ever not been Nintendo's (or almost every other company's) model? It's not like they were spending billions on Donkey Kong cabinets. Creating the game was a rush job to stop the bleeding of the failed Radar Scope cabinets by running something else on them.
I agree with the sentiment, though. Nintendo's crossed a line already where the focus is produce bare minimum and watch it sell.
I have a question, for god. WHY
I hope we get a game based off the movie based off the game.
Expect them to start cheaping out on everything.
Hopefully there will a crossover with the Minion universe where Mario stamps on all their heads.
To be honest, I'm not feeling very optimistic about this collaboration. Pixar would have been a much better choice. Possibly Dreamworks as they've done some decent movies.
Well it doesnt sounds like it but i think this is a huge news.
Yuck. I would ask them why, when Japan has the best, hands down the BEST animation in the world... but I know why. It's because Hollywood has successfully killed off classic 2D animation from the mainstream and Nintendo knows it. And they want to market to the Hollywood enslaved Mainstream...
Outside of Japan actually good animation has been made second stream at best.
Oh well. At least it's not live action with hideous CGI. Like certain other recent game movies...
@Rhaoulos The plot is that Ganondorf does a stinky funny fart and Link has to stop him (oh god that sounds atrocious)
@Arnold-Kage That was my feeling as well. I am excited about their animation ambitions. But I was hoping for some diversity in the studios used.
I also don't see how anyone makes the leap to a movie guy having any say in the directions of games.
A Metroid movie please!
@sikthvash Meledandri is also a consultant for DreamWorks now
@Jackpaza0508 It wouldn't be Ganondorf, but Faarti... I guess I have what it takes to work at illumination
@JaneBear
Usually, the Nintendo Life community is pretty civil and respectful. However, whenever Illumination gets brought up, whether it’s talking about the Mario Movie, or this article, people seem to lose their stuff, and I honestly don’t know why.
I have seen some of Illumination’s films, and I think that they’re good. I mean, they’re not Disney or Pixar quality, but they’re still good, though.
I’m surprised that people haven’t hated more on Sony Pictures Animation, because of the fact that they made what people consider one of the worst, if not the worst, animated movie in quite some time, it’s TE Movie in case you’re wondering. (TBF though, they then turned around a year and a half later, and made what people consider one of the best, if not the best, animated movie in quite some time, which is Into the Spiderverse.)
@AlexSora89
Furukawa has been in for almost 3 years at this point, now more time than Tatsumi Kimishima. Usually, it takes a new CEO at least a year (sometimes 2 years) to even start implementing what they want to do with the company.
Think about this, why do you think it’s been more than a year and a half since the last mobile game released, and the fact that we just in the last couple of months got a new mobile game announcement. I believe it’s because Furukawa realized that they could be doing mobile better.
Also, games take (at least) a couple years to develop, so I believe that most of the games on the Switch were started by Tatsumi Kimishima, even though Furukawa has been the CEO for a while now.
I also believe it’s why we’re just now hearing that Nintendo is reportedly upgrading their Switch Online infrastructure, because things like that take time, and it seems like Furukawa is getting to the point where it’s becoming more of his reign of Nintendo, rather than a Tatsumi Kimishima/Furukawa reign, if that makes sense.
I hope this helps you to understand the transfer of power and the reign between a new and a old CEO better.
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