Today, Illumination and Nintendo announced that they are producing a new Super Mario Bros. movie based on the world of the popular video games.
The last film, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, opened in theaters in April of 2023 and was a huge box office success. The movie grossed $1.362 billion worldwide, with $574.9 million coming from domestic theaters and $787 million from international markets.
The new animated film based on the world of Super Mario Bros. is planned to be released on April 3, 2026, in the U.S. and many additional markets globally, with select territories releasing throughout the month of April.
The film will be produced by Chris Meledandri, founder and CEO of Illumination, and Shigeru Miyamoto, representative director and fellow of Nintendo. Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic will direct the film, and Matthew Fogel will write the script.
The new Super Mario Bros. film will be co-financed by Universal Pictures and Nintendo and distributed theatrically worldwide by Universal Pictures.
In a statement, Nintendo said: “By getting deeply involved in the movie production with the aim to put smiles on everyone’s faces through entertainment, Nintendo will continue its efforts to produce unique entertainment and deliver it to as many people as possible.”
Illumination added: “Illumination is excited to continue its partnership with Nintendo, bringing its signature mix of joy and discovery to worldwide audiences of all ages, allowing them to connect with the beloved characters and stories from one of the world’s most popular franchises.”
The 2023 movie featured the voices of Chris Pratt as Mario, Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach, Charlie Day as Luigi, Jack Black as Bowser, and Keegan-Michael Key as Toad.
They were joined by Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong, Fred Armisen as Cranky Kong, Kevin Michael Richardson as Kamek, and Sebastian Maniscalco as Spike.
The Japanese voice cast included Mamoru Miyano as Mario, Arisa Shida as Princess Peach, Tasuku Hatanaka as Luigi, Kenta Miyake as Bowser, and Tomokazu Seki as Toad.
Mirko Parlevliet has been reporting on the entertainment industry since 1998 and founded Vital Thrills in 2018 to cover the latest news on streaming, movies, TV, and video games.