Nintendo has announced that they are currently in the process of creating a live-action movie adaptation of their popular video game “The Legend of Zelda.” The company, known for their Super Mario franchise, made this announcement on Wednesday.

The movie, funded by both Sony Pictures Entertainment and its own resources, will be helmed by Wes Ball, the American filmmaker of the upcoming “Planet of the Apes” movie. It is a joint project between Nintendo and Arad Productions Inc., the company responsible for the live-action Spider-Man films and led by Avi Arad.

The move highlights Kyoto-based Nintendo’s strategy to leverage various aspects of its business, including theme parks, merchandising and movies, to boost machine and software sales, and vice versa.

The approach has been successful. The animated movie “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” was released earlier this year and has earned over $1.3 billion, attracting nearly 170 million viewers globally.

During an online briefing with reporters, President Shuntaro Furukawa expressed satisfaction with the positive reception of the Super Mario animated film. He noted that this was Nintendo’s first time serving as a direct producer for a movie.

The official release date for the Zelda movie has not been revealed. Shigeru Miyamoto, a long-standing Nintendo executive known for his pioneering contributions to the company, stated that the film will only be released when it is fully prepared. He also mentioned that development on the project has been ongoing for ten years.

Miyamoto acknowledged the large number of Zelda fans and the importance of meeting their expectations. This is a significant challenge, but we are prepared for it.

On Tuesday, Nintendo announced a 18% increase in their net profit for the first six months of their fiscal year, reaching a total of approximately 271.3 billion yen ($1.8 billion), compared to 230 billion yen in the previous year.

Executives at Nintendo reported that the popularity of the Super Mario movie has led to increased purchases of their Switch consoles and games featuring Super Mario.

According to reports, the “Super Mario Bros. Wonder” video game has been rapidly selling since its release last month, with a staggering 4.3 million copies sold within a span of two weeks.

Nintendo is anticipating a boost in popularity for their upcoming movie based on the successful sales of their latest Zelda game, “Tears of the Kingdom.” The game features a heroic protagonist and a princess battling against nefarious forces.

According to Nintendo, the Switch console continues to perform strongly in sales, even after seven years since its initial release.

Nintendo is relying on increasing exposure to its creations by utilizing official retail locations, such as temporary stores, themed amusement parks, unique events, and even films.

Nintendo has launched Nintendo World at Universal Studios in Hollywood, with plans for another location in Orlando. Officials also announced that the park in Japan will expand next year to include a dedicated area for Donkey Kong, another popular Nintendo character.

Next year in March, Nintendo will be launching a museum specifically dedicated to its past and impact in Kyoto, an ancient city in Japan.

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Yuri Kageyama is a member of X, previously known as Twitter, at the following link: https://twitter.com/yurikageyama

Source: wral.com