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After the colossal failure of 1993’s “Super Mario Bros.”—a film that became a cautionary tale in video game adaptations—Nintendo decided to step back from the movie scene for nearly three decades. However, the gaming giant found a promising partner in Illumination, the animation studio behind blockbusters like “Despicable Me,” “Sing,” and “The Secret Life of Pets.” Together, they reconsidered their approach to the Mushroom Kingdom, opting wisely to avoid live-action formats.
Illumination/Nintendo
This collaboration led to 2023’s “The Super Mario Bros. Movie.” Despite receiving lukewarm reviews from critics, the film captivated audiences and achieved staggering box office success. It swiftly climbed to the top of the highest-grossing video game films. Although “A Minecraft Movie” made a strong attempt at the title in 2025, it ultimately settled into a respectable second place.
Initially, “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” was available on Peacock, a Universal-owned streaming service, before making its way to Netflix. Currently, it has found a new home on Prime Video, where it has become a favorite among family audiences, ranking among the platform’s top 10 most-streamed films (via FlixPatrol).
With global earnings nearing $1.4 billion, a sequel seemed inevitable. Yet, surprisingly, Nintendo did not immediately rush into production, even with the film’s evident success. It wasn’t until March 2024 that Nintendo and Illumination officially announced that a sequel was in the works.
Following several months of speculation, September 2025 brought clarity with the announcement of the sequel’s title and release date. “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie,” inspired by the “Super Mario Galaxy” games originally launched on the Nintendo Wii and later remastered for the Nintendo Switch and Switch 2, is scheduled to premiere in theaters on April 3, 2026.
Now’s a good time to prepare for the upcoming Super Mario movie sequel
Illumination/Nintendo
When a movie makes nearly $1.4 billion worldwide, a sequel is practically guaranteed. But surprisngly, it wasn’t necessarily a foregone conclusion that Nintendo would immediately green light a sequel, even after the first film proved successful. But in March 2024, Nintendo and Illumination officially confirmed that a follow-up to “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” was indeed in development.
After a period of vague updates, September 2025 brought the reveal of the sequel’s official title and release date. “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie,” titled after the two “Super Mario Galaxy” games initially released for the Nintendo Wii console that have subsequently seen remastered versions for the Nintendo Switch and Switch 2, is set to hit theaters on April 3, 2026.
Other than confirming that the core cast from the first movie are returning and will be voiced by the same actors, it is not yet known which new characters will be joining the fray — though Bowser actor Jack Black says the sequel needs Pedro Pascal as Wario, Mario’s longtime evil doppelganger.
