Glen Powell Wants a Star Fox Movie: Could Hollywood Push Nintendo Further?

Glen Powell and the Fox McCloud confession

Question: what happens when a Hollywood actor openly loves a Nintendo mascot? No joke, Glen Powell, known for Top Gun: Maverick (2022) and Those Who Wish Me Dead (2021), told interviewers that he’s a Fox McCloud fan and that he’d love a Star Fox movie, according to Nintendo Everything. From my experience, celebrity endorsements like this get studios listening.

Picture this: a movie star with a genuine gaming history talking about pilots, Arwings and space battles, not just promoting a role. The best part is that fans feel seen, and that buzz can push intellectual property holders to take meetings. Convinced yet?

Why a Star Fox movie makes sense for Hollywood

Unlike what we're used to, Nintendo hasn’t flooded cinemas with every franchise they own. Here's the deal: Nintendo licensed big hits like Super Mario, which became The Super Mario Bros. Movie in 2023 and earned over $1.3 billion worldwide, and Detective Pikachu, which made about $433 million in 2019. Those numbers prove that a Nintendo property can be a lucrative film franchise.

Plot twist: Star Fox brings something different, an older sci-fi tone blended with anime-style characters and strong team dynamics. A live-action/CGI hybrid could work. From my experience, mixing CGI animal pilots with practical set pieces sells to both Western audiences and game fans in Japan.

Casting and studio considerations

Here's the deal: Glen Powell won’t necessarily be cast as Fox McCloud, but his interest matters. Studios often pay attention when actors publicly champion a project. A major studio like Illumination or Legendary Pictures could partner with Nintendo, similar to past collaborations.

Picture this: a director with video game adaptation cred, a strong VFX studio in Vancouver or Tokyo, and a modest budget of, say, $120–180 million to start. That’s comparable to medium-tier tentpoles, and it’s reasonable given past Nintendo investments. From my experience, realistic budgets keep creative control and fan trust intact.

Japanese culture and language ties that could enrich a Star Fox film

Direct address: filmmakers who want authenticity should learn from Japanese storytelling and aesthetics. Take anime influences, for instance. The dynamic aerial dogfights in 1997’s Star Fox 64 echo mecha anime choreography, and that visual language resonates deeply with Japanese audiences.

No joke, adding small Japanese cultural details, like a tech lab labelled with 技術 (ぎじゅつ) gijutsu for technology, or a brief scene at a tea ceremony-style briefing, could delight bilingual fans without feeling gimmicky. What I especially like is that respectful nods to Japanese animation and design can elevate the film’s credibility. From my experience...

Language hooks for learners and fans

Know that feeling when you want to learn vocabulary from media you love? Movie tie-ins can spark interest in Japanese, especially terms related to space, commands, and honourifics. My tip is to study in small chunks. For instance, learn 飛行 (ひこう) hikou for flight and 隊長 (たいちょう) taichou for captain, then spot them in trailers or interviews. But that's not all.

How celebrity interest changes the conversation

Fact: when actors with large followings publicly support a project, social media and trade outlets amplify the story. A great example is that public endorsements helped revive dormant franchises in Hollywood. Oh, almost forgot: Nintendo Everything’s coverage acts as a bridge between dedicated game sites and mainstream entertainment press.

Direct address: if Glen Powell keeps mentioning Star Fox, studios will take a call. My tip is for fans to continue respectful, creative campaigning, like themed fan art or polished video tributes that highlight cinematic potential. From my experience, thoughtful fan engagement is more effective than noise.

What I especially like is the idea of a Star Fox film that respects both Nintendo’s legacy and cinematic storytelling. Wild, isn't it? Convinced yet?

Sources

1. Nintendo Everything - Star Fox Movie: Glen Powell
2. The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) box office
3. Detective Pikachu box office