It is clear that Nintendo's next phase of world domination is set to play out in movie theaters across the world. Not content with making mounds of money via video gaming, the Japanese giant has its sights set on the filmmaking and television business.
In 2023, The Super Mario Bros. Movie made over $1.3 billion at the worldwide box office. A sequel to that film is set to be released in 2026. It was recently announced that the Legend of Zelda film from Sony Pictures will be getting a theatrical release on March 26, 2027. There have been so many Pokémon films and shows over the last thirty years that listing them out would simply be a waste of everyone's time. Other franchises have gotten a crack at it as well: there was the Donkey Kong Country cartoon, a Star Fox: Zero short film, and a direct-to-video Kirby movie, for instance. Most interestingly of all is the 2006 animated film titled Gekijōban Dōbutsu no Mori, which can roughly be translated to Animal Crossing: The Movie.
Cutest Villagers in the Animal Crossing Franchise
The Animal Crossing franchise is filled with some of the most adorable creatures in gaming, so here are the cutest villagers.
Gekijōban Dōbutsu no Mori wasn't released outside of Japan, but it earned a respectable $16.2 million in its home country. It's easy to see why Nintendo of America didn't bring the film to the States, as Animal Crossing as a whole wasn't the behemoth franchise it is now back in 2006. The state of the entertainment industry is vastly different from what it was almost two decades ago and Animal Crossing became an international phenomenon in 2020 after Animal Crossing: New Horizons released smack-dab in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. New Horizons has gone on to sell an eyewatering 47 million+ copies over the past five years, becoming one of the fifth best-selling video games ever released. Now seems like the perfect time for Nintendo to capitalize on the franchise in a new way.
Animal Crossing Is A Perfect Fit For An Animated Series
Nintendo is certainly no stranger to animated series based on their properties. Everything from retro classics like The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! And Captain N: The Game Master to more recent fare like the delightful Netflix series Pokémon Concierge proves that the video game titan's can make the jump quite easily. With that in mind, the Animal Crossing franchise lends itself more to a series than a movie. The series isn't exactly known for high-octane action, after all.
Trying to squeeze a feature-length narrative out of the cozy life-simulation gameplay the series is known for isn't the easiest thing to accomplish. When Gekijōban Dōbutsu no Mori was released in 2006, it wasn't intended to be the money-making giant that Nintendo expects from its most popular franchises now. Suffice it to say, an Animal Crossing film probably isn't going to gross upwards of a billion dollars in movie theaters. Nintendo staples like Zelda, Metroid, and even F-Zero lend themselves more to a theatrical film than Animal Crossing.
Think About All The Beloved Animal Crossing Characters Who Could Show Up
One of the standout features of the Animal Crossing franchise as a whole is its wide-ranging cast of lovable characters. There are classic staples like K. K. Slider and Tom Nook—say what you want about Tom, but the series doesn't work without him—in addition to newer additions like Animal Crossing: New Leaf's Molly and Animal Crossing: New Horizons's Audie.
Any creative team working on an Animal Crossing series would have an extensive collection of characters to choose from. The way the series always introduces new characters in each installment would give them the opportunity to invent totally original characters for the series as well. A blend of returning faces and exciting new ones would give fans something to be excited about.
One has to assume that Nintendo is quietly working on the next installment in the venerable video game franchise in some capacity. That doesn't mean a new Animal Crossing game is anywhere close to release. An Animal Crossing animated series could bridge the gap between New Horizons and whatever the new game is. It's been about five years since the last game came out. How long will Nintendo's Animal Crossing fans be willing to wait?
Animal Crossing is a Nintendo-exclusive life sim franchise spread across numerous Nintendo consoles. Featuring anthropomorphic villagers, strong customization, and a real-time day cycle, the Animal Crossing series offer unique and varied gameplay.
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