Nintendo and Universal Team Up for Donkey Kong Movie After Decades-Long Legal Feud
Nintendo and Universal Pictures are teaming up to produce a new Donkey Kong movie, a surprising collaboration considering their rocky history over the iconic character’s rights. This partnership comes on the heels of the massive success of the 2023 Super Mario Bros. Movie, where Seth Rogen’s Donkey Kong stole the spotlight and won fans worldwide.
- Universal and Nintendo’s past legal battle over Donkey Kong
- The new Donkey Kong movie in the works
- Connection to the upcoming game Donkey Kong Bananza
- Fun historical facts about the lawsuit and its aftermath
From Legal Battle to Movie Collaboration
Back in 1983, Universal sued Nintendo claiming that Donkey Kong infringed on its King Kong trademark. The fight was intense, with Nintendo’s attorney Howard Lincoln bringing in John Kirby, a lawyer famous for winning tough cases. The court ruled in Nintendo’s favor, stating that Universal had no exclusive rights to King Kong, especially since they had argued it was public domain in 1975 to make their own 1976 remake. The verdict also confirmed there was no consumer confusion between Donkey Kong and King Kong.
This victory was a major milestone for Nintendo, helping cement its place in the U.S. gaming industry. To thank John Kirby, Nintendo gifted him a $30,000 sailboat named Donkey Kong and gave him exclusive rights to use the name for boats worldwide. Later, they honored him further by naming the beloved Kirby video game character after him.
What’s Next for Donkey Kong?
The new Donkey Kong movie is currently untitled but was officially filed for copyright in May, listing Nintendo and Universal as co-producers. The timing is perfect, as Donkey Kong is starring in his own upcoming game, Donkey Kong Bananza, which features a baby Pauline — a nod to the original 1981 arcade classic.
It’s exciting to see Nintendo and Universal put the past behind them and collaborate on this project. Don’t be surprised if the movie includes fun Easter eggs, like a cameo from Kirby or a sailboat named Donkey Kong.
For more details, check out the original report by Video Game Chronicle.
