THE sequel to Universal’s record-breaking “Super Mario Bros. Movie” has officially been named “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie”. It is scheduled for release in cinemas on April 3, 2026, distributed by Universal and Illumination.
The title is inspired by Nintendo’s hugely popular 2007 Wii game “Super Mario Galaxy”. The announcement was made during a Nintendo Direct showcase, for the 40th anniversary of the original Super Mario Bros. video game, which debuted on September 13 1985.
Nintendo kicked off the presentation with a teaser trailer for the sequel. It opened with Mario sleeping beneath a tree, while Princess Peach’s castle loomed in the distance, before the camera panned skywards into space. The short clip also featured quick flashes of familiar characters, including a Monty Mole digging underground, Cheep Cheeps swimming in a stream, and Toads bustling around the castle.
The first “Super Mario Bros. Movie” featured an all-star voice cast: Chris Pratt as Mario, Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach, Charlie Day as Luigi, Jack Black as Bowser, Keegan-Michael Key as Toad, and Kevin Michael Richardson as Kamek. All of them are set to reprise their roles in “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie”.
Released in April 2023, the original film became a global box office sensation, grossing an astonishing US$1.36 billion worldwide. It remains the highest-grossing video game adaptation ever, and currently ranks as the fifth most successful animated film of all time, behind “Ne Zha 2”, “Inside Out 2”, “The Lion King” (2019) and “Frozen 2”.
The first film told the story of two Brooklyn plumbers, Mario and Luigi, who are transported to the mystical Mushroom Kingdom. There, Mario joins forces with Princess Peach, Toad and Donkey Kong in a quest to rescue Luigi and defeat the villainous Koopa King, Bowser.
