Animated 'Super Mario Bros.' movie tentatively planned for 2022
Shigeru Miyamoto is 'front and center.'
That Super Mario Bros. animated movie in development finally has a release window. In a chat with Variety, Illumination founder Chris Meledandri confirmed that the animated flick was in "priority development" with hopes of putting it in theaters by 2022. And yes, as Nintendo announced in January, Shigeru Miyamoto is involved -- the iconic game designer is "front and center" in the process, Meledandri said. The involvement of the series creator will theoretically add depth to the (frankly rather threadbare) plot without souring the spirit and producing a fiasco like the 1993 live-action flick.
Meledandri and Illumination are best known for producing most of the Despicable Me and Minions movies, which have been commercial successes but not necessarily critical darlings. Nintendo and Universal Pictures are certainly invested in making things a success in all facets this time around, and involving the original creator can only help.
Update: This post has been updated to note Nintendo's earlier confirmation that the project is in development.
