Nintendo plans move into animation industry

A report in Japanese business publication Nikkei Journal has confirmed that Nintendo is set to enter the film business with the creation of an internal studio focused on animated movie production.

The news follows a proposal aired by former company president Hiroshi Yamauchi, who suggested that the firm should create an animated film based on works from the famous Ogura Hyakunin Isshu collection of classic Japanese poetry.

However, Nikkei Journal's report suggests that the firm is thinking along more conventional lines, and plans to create a title based on one of its own game franchises for theatrical release in 2006.

Although Nintendo's Pokemon franchise has resulted in several animated movies, all of those were created by external production companies. For this new project, the firm plans to create its own in-house studio and manage the entire creative process from start to finish.