http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2014/12/12/rumor-sony-pictures-in-talks-to-make-a-mario-animated-film.aspx\
A series of leaked emails reveals that Sony's entertainment subsidiary has been pursuing a Mario Bros. animated film.
BuzzFeed has a full breakdown of the information contained in the emails, which were leaked after Sony suffered a massive security breach late last month. According to the report, movie producer Avi Arad negotiated a deal with Nintendo to make a Mario Bros. animated film and promptly began talks with Sony studio chief Amy Pascal via email, referring to the deal as "the mother load."
Michelle Raimo Kouyate, president of production for Sony Pictures Animation, was also brought into the loop, telling Arad, "Let's build a Mario empire!" In another email, Kouyate tells Pascal, "I can think of 3-4 movies right out of the gate on this. So huge!"
BuzzFeed was quick to stress the volatility of the film industry, and that an eventual film is far from guaranteed. An update to the story states that Arad has called the negotiations with Nintendo "just the beginning," indicating that Sony's involvement in the potential project has not been finalized.