Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, and the rest of the gang from 2023’s highly successful animated film The Super Mario Bros. Movie are gearing up for another big-screen adventure. Nintendo and Illumination, who co-produced the first film, have revealed that the next installment of the film franchise is in development and is set to come out in theaters two years from now.
When was The Super Mario Bros. Movie sequel officially announced?
On Mario Day, March 10, 2024, Nintendo and Illumination revealed that The Super Mario Bros. Movie 2 is officially in the works.
“We are now working with the folks at Illumination on a new animated film based on the world of Super Mario Bros.,” Shigeru Miyamoto, video game designer, producer, and game director at Nintendo said in a video announcement. “The Super Mario Bros. Movie, released last spring, continues to be watched by many people, including over the holidays and into this year! Thank you all very much. The team at Illumination who worked on The Super Mario Bros. Movie is also producing this new film together with Nintendo.”
The founder and CEO of Illumination Chris Meledandri also appeared in the video announcement, saying he’s “thrilled” to officially announce Illumination and Nintendo’s return to the Super Mario Bros. cinematic world alongside Miyamoto. Meledandri also confirmed the directors for the sequel and gave a quick update on the production.
Our directors Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic, and the talented artists from Illumination Productions Paris who brought the Mushroom Kingdom to life in The Super Mario Bros. Movie, have been busy at work storyboarding scenes and developing set designs for new environments. We start animation soon and rest assured we’ll be obsessing over every detail to get it just right.”
When exactly in April 2026 will the sequel to The Super Mario Bros. be released in theaters?
“The film will arrive on April 3, 2026, in the U.S. and many other markets globally, with a few select territories releasing throughout the month of April,” Meledandri said in the video announcement.
What will The Super Mario Bros. Movie sequel will be about?
Shigeru Miyamoto is tight-lipped about the plot details of The Super Mario Bros. sequel. He, however, shared a little bit about what fans can expect from the new film.
“As for the details of the new movie, as I often say, we’ll let you know once we’re at the stage where we’re ready to share more,” said Miyamoto. “[But] this time, we’re thinking about broadening Mario’s world further and it’ll have a bright and fun story. We hope you’ll look forward to it.”
Who are the voice cast members of The Super Mario Bros. Movie sequel?
The voice cast of The Super Mario Bros. Movie sequel hasn’t been announced yet, but it is expected that the following main actors from the first movie will come back for the second installment to reprise their roles:
- Chris Pratt as Mario
- Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach
- Charlie Day as Luigi
- Jack Black as Bowser
- Keegan-Michael Key as Toad
- Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong
- Fred Armisen as Cranky Kong
- Sebastian Maniscalco as Spike
- Kevin Michael Richardson as Kamek
How successful was The Super Mario Bros. movie?
Released in 2023, The Super Mario Bros. Movie was a massive success! Here’s a breakdown of its achievements:
Box Office
With only a production budget of $100 million, the movie went on to gross a whopping $1.36 billion worldwide, making it the:
- Highest-grossing movie based on a video game ever.
- First video game movie to break the $1 billion mark.
- Second-highest-grossing film of 2023.
- Third-highest-grossing animated film ever.
- Highest-grossing film by Illumination studios.
Critical Reception
Reviews of The Super Mario Bros. Movie were mixed, but the film’s financial performance spoke volumes about its audience appeal. So, while critics might have had differing opinions, there’s no doubt The Super Mario Bros. Movie was a commercial juggernaut.
Where to watch The Super Mario Bros. Movie
If you’re in the U.S. and want to watch The Super Mario Bros. Movie, you have a couple of options:
- Streaming: The movie is currently available to stream on Netflix.
- Digital Purchase/Rental: You can also purchase or rent the movie digitally on various platforms like Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Vudu, and Microsoft Store.