Nintendo announces ‘The Super Mario Galaxy Movie’ for April 2026

Nintendo and Illumination officially unveiled “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” as the sequel to 2023’s blockbuster animated film during Friday’s Nintendo Direct presentation. The space-themed adventure will arrive in theaters on April 3, 2026, marking nearly three years since the original film’s record-breaking debut.people

The announcement came as part of Nintendo’s celebration of the 40th anniversary of Super Mario Bros., which first launched in Japan on September 13, 1985. Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto positioned the upcoming film as “the main event” of the franchise’s milestone anniversary celebrations.theverge

Original Cast Returns for Cosmic Adventure

The sequel will reunite the star-studded voice cast from the original film. Chris Pratt returns as Mario, joined by Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach, Charlie Day as Luigi, and Jack Black as Bowser. Keegan-Michael Key will reprise his role as Toad, while Kevin Michael Richardson returns as Kamek.people

The film draws its inspiration from Nintendo’s beloved 2007 Wii game “Super Mario Galaxy,” which sent Mario on interstellar adventures across different planets and galaxies. According to Illumination CEO Chris Meledandri, while the Galaxy games serve as the core inspiration, the movie will include “surprises for fans of every Mario era”.hollywoodreporter

Building on Billion-Dollar Success

The original Super Mario Bros. Movie achieved remarkable commercial success, grossing $1.36 billion worldwide and becoming the highest-grossing video game adaptation in history. The film dominated the 2023 box office as the second-highest-grossing film of the year behind “Barbie” and established itself as the third-highest-grossing animated film of all time.wikipedia

Directors Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic return to helm the sequel, with Matthew Fogel again writing the screenplay. Composer Brian Tyler will also return to create the score, incorporating themes from Mario’s extensive gaming heritage.darkhorizons

Nintendo also announced that Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Galaxy 2 will be released together for Nintendo Switch on October 2, creating synergy between the film and gaming announcements. The timing positions both the movie and game releases as central elements of the franchise’s anniversary celebrations.businesswire

The teaser trailer revealed during the Nintendo Direct showed Mario resting under a tree in the Mushroom Kingdom before the camera follows a butterfly’s journey through the kingdom, past Princess Peach’s castle, and into the cosmos.theverge