The year 2026 promises to be a battleground for video game adaptations, with the launch of several high-profile film projects. In an unexpected twist, both Nintendo and FromSoftware are set to clash in the cinematic arena, each bringing their own major productions to the big screen.

While the calendar is brimming with game-inspired movies, not all have been met with enthusiasm. The trailer for Return to Silent Hill has drawn criticism from fans, and the preview for the Street Fighter adaptation shown at the Game Awards has been unfavorably likened to a sketch from Saturday Night Live. Despite these mixed reactions, Nintendo and FromSoftware are poised to captivate audiences with their offerings.

Nintendo is gearing up for what is likely to be the most anticipated video game movie of 2026. A new Super Mario Bros. sequel is in the works, titled The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. Scheduled for release on April 3, 2026, this film will draw inspiration from the beloved Super Mario Galaxy game originally launched on the Nintendo Wii.

Nintendo Is Poised To Dominate With The Super Mario Galaxy Movie

Universal Pictures

Nintendo has what is easily going to be the biggest video game movie of 2026, as there’s a second Super Mario Bros. film on the way. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is launching on April 3, 2026, and as the name suggests, it’s adapting elements of Super Mario Galaxy on the Nintendo Wii.

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is also adding elements from Super Mario Sunshine, with Benny Safdie playing Bowser Jr., who seeks to free his father from imprisonment. There’s also Brie Larson as Rosalina, which isn’t surprising, as Nintendo seems to love shoving the mother of the Lumas into Mario projects.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie set the record for the highest-grossing video game adaptation of all time, and the sequel looks like it’s going to be its equal at the box office. The movie might also feature a trailer for another upcoming Nintendo film, the 2027 Legend of Zelda movie, which should draw even more moviegoers in.

It’s likely that the movie will fare well with critics and audiences alike, as The Super Mario Bros. Movie has a 59% Rotten Tomatoes score with a 95% Popcornmeter. That said, there’s at least one other media project that’s going to be challenging it as the best adaptation of 2026.

FromSoftware’s Sekiro: No Defeat Is One of 2026’s Most Anticipated Shows

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Fans have been asking for a Soulsborne movie or TV show for years, and at long last, FromSoftware is finally adapting one of its games. While titles like Dark Souls and Bloodborne might have received board game and comic book adaptations, they never came to the big or small screen.

In 2026, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is getting an anime series called Sekiro: No Defeat. It makes sense for Sekiro to be the first FromSoftware game to receive this treatment, seeing as it has a set protagonist and a story that’s easy to follow, unlike something like Elden Ring, which is an issue the producers of the live-action film will face in the future.

The debut trailer for Sekiro: No Defeat was glorious, with stunning visuals and an evident respect for the source material, lovingly recreating scenes and characters from the game on screen. Sekiro: No Defeat is adapting one of, if not the best, FromSoftware games, which will hopefully translate into an incredible anime.

Nintendo and FromSoftware are going to have a great year of collaborations in 2026, with Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition coming to the Switch 2, and The Duskbloods being a Switch 2 console exclusive. The two companies will face off during award season, when Mario trades blows with Sekiro for the first time.

It’s hard to say which project will have a bigger impact, but either way, audiences will be the real winners. Hopefully, Sekiro: No Defeat will be successful enough to spawn other FromSoftware adaptations. It’d be great to see the best Dark Souls boss fight brought to life.