A new Nintendo animated movie is seemingly releasing in 2028, and signs are pointing to the rumored Donkey Kong spin-off

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A new Universal Pictures release schedule has been found... and Nintendo fans are hoping that one date in particular leads to the animated spin-off movie of their dreams.

According to a release schedule from Universal Pictures Spain, there is an "Untitled Illumination/Nintendo Event Film" set to come out on April 12, 2028. Now, this could very well be the Donkey Kong spin-off movie that's been rumored for quite some time.

While confirmation of the film comes from an array of different sources (and some that can't really be traced back to anything other than "trust me, bro"), records don't lie. In 2025, Nintendo and Universal registered the copyright, "Untitled Donkey Kong Project; Motion Picture." This comes, of course, after The Super Mario Bros. Movie made around $1 billion at the box office. Seth Rogen would return to voice the everyone's favorite ape.

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We already know that Nintendo's 2027 movie is The Legend of Zelda, and it may be too soon for the third Super Mario Bros. movie... so it's definitely possible. There is another Nintendo/Illumination Event Film scheduled for 2029, as well as 2030. I think it's safe to say that the Donkey Kong movie is coming, but it could be any of these three dates. Though Jack Black did suggest a third Mario movie would be coming in 2029...

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is still in theaters. For more, check out our Super Mario Galaxy Movie review or dive into our Super Mario Galaxy Movie Easter eggs guide.

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Lauren MiliciSenior Entertainment Writer

Lauren Milici is a Senior Entertainment Writer for GamesRadar+ based in New York City. She previously reported on breaking news for The Independent's Indy100 and created TV and film listicles for Ranker. Her work has been published in Fandom, Nerdist, Paste Magazine, Vulture, PopSugar, Fangoria, and more.

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