Animated Mario film in the works

An animated film based on the iconic Mario video game franchise -- about plumbers Mario and Luigi -- is in the early stages. Illumination Entertainment has reached an agreement with Nintendo to produce the film, as confirmed by a tweet from the latter.

Miyamoto is the creator of Mario and many other Nintendo properties, and Meledandri is the owner of Illumination Entertainment, along with Universal Studios.

Illumination has produced the Despicable Me series, Minions, and The Secret Life of Pets.

Nintendo agreed in 2015 with Universal Parks and Resorts to build attractions based on Nintendo characters, including Mario and Luigi. The company also made a deal that spawned 1993's live-action Super Mario Bros, starring Bob Hoskins, John Leguizamo and Dennis Hopper. But the film didn't do well at the box office.