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Donkey Kong Movie Incoming? Nintendo Quietly Registers Copyright For New Film
July 14, 2025Gorilla-sized news is swinging in—Nintendo has officially filed a copyright for a Donkey Kong movie, igniting fresh excitement around the iconic franchise. With the success of The Super Mario Bros. Movie still reverberating across the box office and streaming charts, Donkey Kong seems next in line for his cinematic moment. Nintendo registered a copyright for the project with the US Copyright Office—a quiet but telling move that effectively confirms something big is coming.
Copyright Filing Confirms Donkey Kong’s Solo Movie
Whether you’re a lifelong fan or just getting into Nintendo’s enormous line-up, it’s impossible to ignore Donkey Kong’s growing popularity boom in 2025. The copyright filing, listed simply as “Donkey Kong,” aligns with a tidal wave of DK-related content from Nintendo, including the upcoming launch of Donkey Kong Bananza for Nintendo Switch 2.
The copyright was spotted in the US Copyright Office’s online public catalogue, revealing Nintendo as the claimant. While the filing doesn’t list key production details—like a release year, cast list, or involved studios—the timing is no coincidence. The success of Chris Pratt’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie showed Nintendo there’s blockbuster potential outside Mario himself—and Donkey Kong, voiced by Seth Rogen in that film, made a strong impression on fans and critics alike.
Donkey Kong Universe: What’s Happening Around DK Right Now?
Donkey Kong’s importance inside Nintendo’s wider universe has skyrocketed in recent years. From his starring role in the newly announced side-scrolling platformer “Donkey Kong Bananza”, to real-world appearances in Super Nintendo World parks in Japan and now the US, DK has become one of Nintendo’s lead IPs moving forward.
Having his own film makes sense. That Hollywood interest has been building too. Rogen’s offbeat Kong left enough room for expansion without overexposing him in the Mario-verse. Rumours began last year that Illumination—the studio behind the Mario film—was eyeing a standalone Donkey Kong spin-off. While Nintendo hasn’t confirmed the studio’s involvement just yet, the timing makes it likely we’ll see Rogen return as DK’s voice, though nothing’s certain until more info formally drops.
It’s also worth noting that Seth Rogen has expressed interest in exploring DK’s family tree—including familiar faces like Diddy Kong, Funky Kong and Cranky Kong—offering enough dimensions for either a standalone Donkey Kong trilogy or ongoing cinematic universe expansions. While details are still under wraps, don’t be shocked to see one or more of them officially attached to the project by late 2025 or early 2026.
Meanwhile, on the gaming front, Donkey Kong Bananza is locked in as a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive and is coming in Q4 2025. That’s a shrewd move by Nintendo to ensure the new hardware gets a first-party push beyond Mario and Zelda. Visually, the game tosses back to DK’s SNES-era platforming roots with lush 2.5D environments reimagined using next-gen tools. Long-time DK fans should expect plenty of familiar vines, barrels, and K. Rool mayhem.
Bananza will be available on the Nintendo eShop and all major UK & US retailers, including GAME, Amazon and Best Buy. Preorders are already live with no current region-locks reported so far for physical editions.
A New Era For Nintendo’s Cinematic Universe?
The momentum behind major Nintendo franchises hitting theatres is undeniable, and the pipeline is forming fast. Between Zelda, Metroid rumours, and now a Donkey Kong film entering legal prep stages, it’s clear Nintendo intends to follow the MCU-style media expansion model. With 2023’s Super Mario Bros. Movie grossing over $1.35 billion globally, the financial logic is straightforward.
Platform-wise, expect the Donkey Kong movie to drop in mainstream cinemas before heading to Peacock US and Netflix internationally, following the Mario movie blueprint. Based on internal timing of similar filings in 2021–2022, we could see an official trailer or announcement direct stream by late 2025, with a full release sometime in 2026. That aligns with the projected post-launch window of DK Bananza, giving fans a nice one-two punch of Donkey Kong greatness in both gaming and film.
If DK’s world is expanding this quickly, don’t be surprised to see merchandising roll out soon—Think Amiibo reissues, plush toys, and exclusive film-themed DK Bananza game packs. Keep your eyes peeled in store aisles and direct presentations for coming swag drops.
All signs point toward this upcoming Donkey Kong movie being a major push for Nintendo’s broader transformation from game company into full-blown entertainment powerhouse. This gorilla isn’t just playing barrels anymore—he’s aiming for the big screen spotlight once and for all.
