In a lengthy interview over at Screen Rant, Mario's creator and long-time Nintendo executive, Shigeru Miyamoto, and Illumination CEO, Chris Meladandri, sat down to discuss just about everything regarding the recently released Super Mario Bros. Movie, and it was here they revealed that this movie is just the start of the two companies' partnership.
When the executives were asked if they already had plans for "this cinematic's universe's future," such as a movie based around Super Mario Galaxy, neither gave too specific of an answer, but Meladandri did say that he had been invited to join the board of directors at Nintendo, which certainly shows that Nintendo's connection with Illumination won't be limited to just this recent movie.
Miyamoto was a bit more direct in his answer. He stated that there was nothing to share at the moment about specific projects, but that he is "sure" that the two companies would "continue working on this partnership." When asked if any other Nintendo properties would work with illumination, like Star Fox, or The Legend of Zelda, Miyamoto, of course, declined to comment on specifics but stated that he believes "there will be opportunities in the future."
With Nintendo being so protective of its IP over the past couple of decades, it was unclear if this partnership with Illumination for the Super Mario Bros. Movie was simply going to be a one-time venture, but now it seems as though Nintendo is willing and eager to delve deeper into the realm of adaptations like many other video game companies have done before it.
Whether they'll offer up other IPs to Illumination is yet to be seen, but it does appear that the Mario "cinematic universe" is slated to continue. Fans have long been touting several other Nintendo franchises that would make good TV shows/movies, the most prominent of which being Nintendo's second-biggest franchise behind Mario, The Legend of Zelda. However, it's likely most fans would prefer Nintendo find a different partner for Zelda, as Illumination's style of animation and storytelling is perhaps best suited for more comedic stories.