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The Donkey Kong Bananza Movie is a 2031 animated action-adventure comedy film based on the 2025 video game Donkey Kong Bananza and Nintendo's broader Donkey Kong franchise. The sequel to The Donkey Kong Country Movie (2028) and a prequel to the Mario film trilogy (2023-2029), it is being directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic and written by Matthew Fogel. Seth Rogen, Eric Bauza, Grey DeLisle, Fred Armisen, and Matt Berry reprise their roles, while Jade Hoyer, Lewis Black, Danielle Brooks, Keith David, and Matt Damon join the cast. It is being produced by Illumination and Nintendo, and distributed by Universal Pictures.
Illumination CEO and producer Chris Meledandri was asked about the possibility of a sequel to The Donkey Kong Country Movie before the film's release in September 2028. Following its box office success, a new animated Donkey Kong film was announced to be in development at Illumination in August 2029, four months after the release of The Super Mario Odyssey Movie in April 2029, with Horvath and Jelenic returning as directors and Fogel as screenwriter.
The Donkey Kong Bananza Movie is scheduled to be theatrically released in the United States on September 5, 2031.
Premise[]
After getting pushed down into the layers of the Earth, Donkey Kong (Seth Rogen) and his new teenage sidekick, Pauline (Jade Hoyer) travel deeper into the Earth in search of the Banandium Root (Matt Damon) to grant their biggest wishes. On the way, an evil mining company called VoidCo, led by Void Kong (Lewis Black), is also on the way to the Banandium Root. To get their biggest wishes in the entire world, Donkey Kong and Pauline make sure VoidCo doesn't get anywhere near the Banandium Root.
Voice cast[]
Main cast[]
Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong, Cranky Kong's son, Pauline's sidekick, and a miner down at Ingot Isle.
Jade Hoyer as Pauline, a 13-year old girl who dreams of singing live in her home city. Hoyer also voices Pauline in her "Odd Rock" form.
Eric Bauza as Diddy Kong, Donkey Kong's best friend and other sidekick, even though he barely appears in this film. Bauza also voices the Fractones, blue rock-like creatures that DK and Pauline meet throughout their adventure to the Banandium Root at the Planet Core.
Grey DeLisle as Dixie Kong, Donkey Kong's other friend. DeLisle also voices the Li'l Eelevators, countless young eels that can help DK and Pauline teeleport when in need. They're also the children of the Eelevator and the Great Harmoneel.
Fred Armisen as Cranky Kong, Donkey Kong's father who is also traversing the Underground World with Rambi the Rhino.
Matt Berry as King K. Rool, a giant crocodile with a bloodshot eye who is the King of the Kremlings. He is also the main antagonist of the film who is also in search for the Banandium Root. He is also one of Donkey Kong's arch-nemeses.
Lewis Black as Void Kong, a small elderly marmoset who is the leader of the mining company VoidCo, who is in search for the Banandium Root. He is also the secondary antagonist of the film and Pauline's arch-nemesis.
Danielle Brooks as Poppy Kong, a tall and slender female lutung who is the director of intelligence over at VoidCo. She quits the company over halfway through the film alongside Grumpy Kong.
Keith David as Grumpy Kong, a muscular orangutan who is the director of manufacturing over at VoidCo. He quits the company over halfway through the film alongside Poppy Kong.
Matt Damon as The Banandium Root, a magical, sentient object made out of Banandium gems and chips. This object can grant its wielder any wish they truly desire. Many people are after the root, mostly DK and Pauline, and can only be found at the Planet Core.
Additional cast[]
Patrick Warburton as The Kong Elder, the leader of the primates living in the Lagoon Layer. He is the bearer of the Kong Bananza, one of DK's new powers that can only be accessed with Pauline's singing.
Rowan Atkinson as The Zebra Elder, the leader of the zebras living in the Freezer Layer. He is the bearer of the Zebra Bananza, one of DK's new powers that can only be accessed with Pauline's singing.
Amy Sedaris as The Ostrich Elder, the leader of the ostriches living in the Forest Layer. She is the bearer of the Ostrich Bananza, one of DK's new powers that can only be accessed with Pauline's singing.
Tiffany Haddish as The Elephant Elder, the leader of the elephants living in the Tempest Layer. She is the bearer of the Elephant Bananza, one of DK's new powers that can only be accessed with Pauline's singing.
Paul McCartney as The Snake Elder, the leader of the snakes living in the Radiance Layer. He is the bearer of the Snake Bananza, one of DK's new powers that can only be accessed with Pauline's singing.
Emily Blunt as The Eelevator, the mother of the Li'l Eelevators and the wife of the Great Harmoneel. She helps DK and Pauline teeleport from one whole layer to another when they summon her with the Warp Gong.
Bruno Mars as The Great Harmoneel, the father of the Li'l Eelevators and the husband of the Eelevator. He was brainwashed by Void Kong and kidnapped Pauline for a while until DK rescued her after freeing the Great Harmoneel from Void's control.
Production[]
Development[]
In May 2021, Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa said that Nintendo was interested in producing more animated films based on its intellectual properties if the then-untitled Mario film is successful. In a Variety cover story before the first Mario film's release, Illumination CEO and producer Chris Meledandri was asked about potential sequels, or projects adapted from other Nintendo properties, and answered, "Our focus right now is entirely on bringing the film out to the audience, and at this time, we're not prepared to talk about what's coming in the future."
In September 2028, following the film's box office success, Nintendo stated that there would be more films based on their properties, though they did not directly confirm a sequel to The Super Mario Bros. Movie. In November 2028, Seth Rogen said a sequel would be announced "soon". In May 2029, Berry expressed interest in the sequel being a musical titled K. Rool's Revenge. In July 2029, during a Nintendo Direct presentation, Meledandri and series creator Shigeru Miyamoto confirmed development of "a new Donkey Kong Country movie", with Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic returning to direct, and Matthew Fogel also returning to write the screenplay; Meledandri stated that Illumination's team was in the process of storyboarding and "developing set designs for new environments." In March 2030, Eric Bauza teased that the sequel would be "broader in scope" and feature "new folks and old favorites and some folks that [he thinks] are really deep cuts."
Casting[]
In February 2031, during a Nintendo Direct presentation, the film's title was revealed as The Donkey Kong Bananza Movie. Rogen, Grey DeLisle, Eric Bauza, Berry, and Fred Armisen were confirmed to reprise their roles from the previous film, with Brian Tyler returning to compose the film's score. Two months later, on April 14, a Nintendo Direct presentation for the movie's trailer was released. With the Direct's release, Jade Hoyer and Lewis Black were revealed to have joined the cast as Pauline and Void Kong respectively. Hoyer has expressed being a fan of Donkey Kong Country and the Mario series as a whole.
Animation and design[]
The film was animated by Illumination Studios Paris in Paris, France. Production was underway by July 2029, with animation ending in April 2031.
Marketing[]
The official trailer for The Donkey Kong Bananza Movie was released on April 14, 2031 in a Nintendo Direct presentation.
Release[]
The Donkey Kong Bananza Movie is scheduled to be theatrically released in the United States on September 5, 2031, and in Japan on September 26, in RealD 3D and IMAX formats.
See also[]
- The Donkey Kong Country Movie (2028 film)
- Category:Films based on video games