Everything We Know About The Donkey Kong Movie So Far

Sometimes miracles do happen, and if you're as big a fan of Donkey Kong as I am, then there is no doubt you are busy smashing barrels and stealing bananas with excitement over the chatter around an original Donkey Kong animated movie. The news, originally first reported on over at Giant Freaking Robot, comes on the heels of the upcoming "Super Mario Bros." animated movie that is set to come out late next year from Illumination Entertainment (the very same studio that introduced the minions from "Despicable Me" to moms everywhere and thereby set Facebook aflame in cringeworthy minion memes).

While the "Donkey Kong" movie is reportedly in development, not much is known yet about the possible "Super Mario Bros." spin-off. However, there are still a few facts and plenty of speculation to tide us over until bigger news swings into town. So let's catch a ride from our good pal Enguarde the Swordfish and dive into all the delicious details! 

Because the "Donkey Kong" movie will be a spin-off of the "Super Mario Bros." movie, we can probably expect that many of the overlapping cast members will be set to return to DK Island proper. It has already been confirmed that Seth Rogen will reprise his role as the voice of that lovable King of Swing. No stranger to voice acting, Rogen has lent his to many animated characters throughout his career. We can only hope that he has what it takes to bring our favorite bongo-bashing, barrel-smashing ape to life.

Another possible cast member is Fred Armisen reprising his role as the crotchety but ever lovable Cranky Kong, Donkey's grandfather and the original Donkey Kong from his arcade game days. Seemingly much more mellow in his old age, Cranky, while still fiesty, no longer harbors strong desires to hold princesses captive or flatten Mario (a.k.a Jumpman for the purists out there) with barrels. Armisen seems like a perfect fit to take Cranky's place in his rickety wooden rocking chair, and we can only hope he'll be up to the task if and when the time comes.

There's no news yet on what other members of the Kong family might be set to make an appearance in the "DK" movie, but we can hope that other fan favorites like Diddy and Dixie Kong will be added to the film. After all, how do you even make a "Donkey Kong" movie without Dixie? If she isn't your favorite Kong in the entire "DK" franchise, then you're definitely playing the game wrong. I mean, her hair just has so much power!

We can probably also expect a healthy dose of the evil, banana-stealing Kremlings and their leader, King K. Rule, to show up and make a mess of things. And if I don't have at least one animal buddy appearance — preferably Expresso the Ostrich, please — I will riot.

All that being said, there is still a long way to go before an actual cast gets announced. Right now, I will just rest easy knowing that DK himself already has a voice, and quietly hope that something as bizzare as my dream of Keanu Reeves voicing Funky Kong actually comes to fruition.

Because the possibility of a "Donkey Kong" spin-off movie is still relatively new, there is not much that is known about a potential plot. As fans of the franchise, we can speculate that the most likely story will be one similar to the "Donkey Kong Country" storyline, leaving DK's shadier days as a villain in the original arcade game behind in favor of something more likable. If that's true, we can expect an origin story of sorts based around the disappearance of the Kong's beloved banana hoard — or maybe even one of the Kongs themselves — that is now being held hostage by that greedy croc, King K. Rule. 

That being said, it's also possible that the new "Super Mario Bros." movie throws us some hints about what a possible "Donkey Kong" spin-off might look like since DK is set to make an appearance alongside everyone's favorite plumber (voiced by Chris Pratt, which has left many of us scratching our heads in confusion), next year. Personally, I will truly be fine with any plot so long as there is at least one good mine cart action sequence and a healthy dose of red balloons (they're not just for fans of "IT," people!). 

Whatever the plot of a potential "Donkey Kong" movie, one thing is for sure: Nintendo's decision to partner with Illumination to make a "Super Mario Bros." movie is very good news for fans of the video game giant. If all goes well and the new "Mario" movie does better than the 1993 abomination, we could be looking at the beginnings of a Nintendo cinematic universe. Truthfully, I cannot think of anything more beautiful.

The "Super Mario Bros." movie is slated to warp onto the silver screen on December 22, 2022, but as for the "Donkey Kong" spin-off? Well, we'll probably have to wait just a little while longer before we can even think about it swinging its way into theaters.