With the upcoming release of "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie," the collaboration between Nintendo and Illumination is once again drawing significant attention. In a recent interview, Illumination founder and CEO Chris Meledandri revealed that during the film's production, legendary Nintendo producer Shigeru Miyamoto was considered "the most important audience member," with the team even making his satisfaction a core guiding principle for the creative direction.
"When you work with Mr. Miyamoto, he embodies the spirit of Nintendo, so naturally, the team wants to please him," Meledandri stated. "Whenever a creative idea emerged, everyone would think, 'What would Mr. Miyamoto think?' This process ultimately made the work an indirect tribute to Nintendo."
Regarding the collaborative model, Meledandri noted that the film's production didn't involve pre-planned characters or plotlines; instead, the direction evolved organically during the creative process. He explained, "We don't start by planning which characters will appear. Ideas gradually emerge throughout the process. When an idea feels interesting, we discuss it together and rely on Mr. Miyamoto's intuition to determine if it's suitable."
Shigeru Miyamoto, on the other hand, felt that the team was like a Nintendo family, with many inspirations stemming from revisiting past characters and works. He remarked, "When someone proposes an idea, we'd think, 'This character hasn't appeared in a long time!' It's like visiting a museum filled with nostalgia, and it allowed me to rediscover the charm of the Mario character roster."
Discussing the reason for choosing "Galaxy" as the setting for the sequel, Miyamoto explained that it connects to the world-building of the first film.
"When we decided the story would primarily take place in the Mushroom Kingdom, I felt it was logical to expand the world into the galaxy, because this is a galaxy that exists above the Mushroom Kingdom. So, it felt very natural to me," Miyamoto stated.
Furthermore, the appearance of Pikmin in the film also sparked discussion. Miyamoto chuckled, calling it not a specific request but rather a long-term goal. He commented, "It's more like a mission; I want Pikmin to appear in various Nintendo titles, and the 'Galaxy' setting was very suitable for integrating them."
Meledandri also pointed out that these films simultaneously attract new generations of viewers, further expanding Nintendo's influence. Miyamoto believes that movies are a crucial way to introduce more people to the Nintendo world, and Mario has always evolved with media and technology, allowing the character to continue growing and reaching a broader audience.
via： IGN