Samus Aran may finally be heading to the big screen, with Sony and Universal, two of Hollywood’s biggest studios, fighting hard to make the Metroid movie happen.
According to an industry insider, Nintendo is actively pitching a Metroid film, with Sony Pictures and Universal Pictures currently locked in a close race to secure the rights.
Both studios are reportedly in serious contention, with Sony considered a frontrunner at this point. As per early reports, both camps are leaning towards a live-action adaptation, but that could change down the line.
Back in November 2025, insider MyTimeToShineHello reported that Universal was looking to tie a Metroid movie into a broader Mario Cinematic Universe, alongside its ongoing partnership with Nintendo. The idea was to build on the momentum of the Super Mario Bros. movie, which became a massive box office hit in 2023.
Nintendo is serious about building a film franchise
Nintendo made it clear that it’s working toward a slew of consistent movie releases, with The Super Mario Galaxy Movie and a Legend of Zelda film already in the pipeline for 2026 and 2027.
The company has been notoriously protective of its IP, and the success of the Mario film gave it both the confidence and the leverage to push for better creative control. That was a major reason why an older Metroid movie attempt by John Woo in the early 2000s fell apart.
The Metroid franchise has one of the most compelling leads in all of gaming. Samus Aran is a lone bounty hunter navigating hostile alien environments with little more than her power suit and combat instincts.
Metroid Dread, released in 2021, pulled in a new generation of players and reminded everyone how good this franchise still is. A film off the back of that energy, paired with the current wave of video game adaptations doing serious box office numbers, makes a lot of sense commercially.
As for casting, names like Brie Larson and Charlize Theron have floated around online fan circles for the role of Samus, though nothing official has been attached yet.
At this stage, no director, writer, or cast attached to the project has been confirmed. The studio race is still ongoing, and Nintendo hasn’t made any official announcement. Still, the fact that Nintendo is out there actively pitching the project to major studios tells you this is real, and it’s moving.
