Nintendo Greenlit New Star Fox, Yoshi Games After $1 Billion Mario Galaxy Movie

Q: With Mario's film success, is a movie-canon Legend of Zelda next for Nintendo's cross-media empire?

Yes. Nintendo’s own comments and release plans strongly suggest that *The Legend of Zelda* is the next major test of its cross-media strategy, and that the film is likely to matter to future game canon. Shigeru Miyamoto told Famitsu that Nintendo is now developing games and films in tandem on a “case-by-case” basis, using movie exposure to guide game priorities. He cited *Star Fox* and *Yoshi & the Mysterious Book* as direct results of characters gaining prominence in *The Super Mario Galaxy Movie*, while game discussions also fed back into how Princess Peach was written on screen. More importantly, Nintendo has moved away from its older reluctance to let films define backstory, with Miyamoto saying future games should stick “as much as possible” to movie-established lore. That makes *Zelda* the clearest next candidate. Nintendo and Sony have already set the live-action *The Legend of Zelda* film for April 30, 2027, directed by Wes Ball and starring Benjamin Evan Ainsworth as Link and Bo Bragason as Zelda. While it is not expected to be directly tied to the animated *Mario* universe, it fits the same broader Nintendo expansion into film, merchandise and games. The open question is not whether *Zelda* is next, but how far Nintendo will let one film define a franchise built on flexible timelines and reinterpretation. If Miyamoto’s current approach holds, the movie will likely establish at least some character and lore points that future *Zelda* games will follow.

3 articles · Updated · GoNintendo · Jul 22

Shigeru Miyamoto said Nintendo began developing a new Star Fox and Yoshi & the Mysterious Book after deciding those characters would feature prominently in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.
More than $1 billion in worldwide box office for the movie helped drive that strategy, as Nintendo sought to turn the film’s attention and character exposure into game releases.
Miyamoto said the coordination works both ways: game plans can shape movie portrayals too, citing Princess Peach Showtime and discussions about making Peach more energetic on screen.
Nintendo expects to keep linking games with films and other projects case by case, signaling deeper cross-media planning for future character releases.