The fusion between video games and movies is “natural”, says producer of “Super Mario Bros.”

Now, after a six-year collaboration with Nintendo to create “Super Mario Bros.: The Movie,” the studio’s founder illumination it also entered the even more lucrative video game scene.

And it is that, for Meledandri, the barrier between both worlds is on the verge of extinction.

“I think the natural evolution is for these lines to disappear”the producer told AFP. “We are beginning to see that video games played in real time have a lot of power, we see a level of visuals in video games that is simply impressive”he explained.

Meledandri also noted that there are “video games that integrate narrative in various effective ways, and a mix of artists working in both areas.”

Studio Illumination, which he heads, is the latest to try to close that gap with the release this week of the highly anticipated “Super Mario Bros.” movie. in American theaters.

With a history of grossing a $4.4 billion box office with the “Despicable Me” franchise, the Paris-based studio managed to convince stars like chris pratt and Jack Black to add their voices to the cast of Nintendo.

However, it was a long shot considering that not all video game adaptations have been successful on the big screen, as was the case with the original 1993 “Super Mario Bros” movie, which was a critical and commercial flop.

But Meledandri said they put this aside while planning their new movie. “I don’t remember any conversation about the 1993 movie. It came up maybe three times,” she said.

Since then, a small but growing number of crossovers have won audiences, including “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider” and “Warcraft,” as well as the Emmy-winning Netflix series “Arcane” and the recent release from HBO “The Last Of Us”.

“We are quick to talk about trends. But the tendencies are hardly a collection of individual experiences”, opined the producer.

Although in several unsuccessful attempts to adapt video games to the cinema, Hollywood wrested creative control from the authors of the original franchises, Meledandri believes that basing films on video games is “perfectly viable” if a collaborative process is established.

“If we continue to work like before, I think it’s going to be more difficult to make solid movies,” he added.

Despite the fact that cinematic elements are becoming more common in video games, there is little evidence that the interactive component can be successfully translated to film or television.

“Very talented people” like Charlie Brooker have dabbled in interactivity on shows like “Black Mirror,” which had an episode titled “Bandersnatch” that allowed viewers to make choices that influenced the plot, Meledandri said.

“It’s one of those notions that has captivated people for many years, but I think it’s much harder to achieve,” Meledandri said. “I don’t know anyone who masters this.”