Nintendo and Illumination Confirm Sequel to The Super Mario Bros. Movie; Set for April 2026 Theatrical Release.
Legendary game director Shigeru Miyamoto celebrates Mario Day with a thrilling revelation: The highly anticipated sequel to The Super Mario Bros. Movie is set to hit theatres on April 3, 2026.
While fans had been eagerly anticipating a sequel to the animated blockbuster, today marks the official confirmation. Returning directors Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic, who led the first film, are back for the sequel, currently in its early production stages.
“Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic and the very talented artists from Illumination Studios 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,” Illumination CEO Chris Meledandri said in a pre-recorded video. “We start animation soon and rest assured we will be obsessing over every detail to get it just right.”
Specific plot details weren’t revealed, but Miyamoto promised to share more once they are at a proper place to do so. He did hint that “we’re thinking about broadening Mario’s world further, and it’ll have a bright and fun story.”
While The Super Mario Bros. Movie drew inspiration from the iconic Nintendo video game series, it diverged from any specific game plot, instead crafting an original narrative. Mario and Luigi find themselves transported to different realms after being sucked into a warp pipe. Mario lands in the Mushroom Kingdom ruled by Princess Peach, while Luigi ends up in the Dark Lands under the tyrannical reign of King Bowser. With Bowser threatening the Mushroom Kingdom’s destruction unless Peach agrees to marry him, Mario and his allies unite to thwart this evil scheme.
While the first film featured numerous fan-favorite characters, notable figures like Wario, Waluigi, Daisy, and Yoshi were notably absent, although the latter was hinted at in a post-credits scene.
It’s uncertain which direction Illumination and Nintendo will take with the sequel. Could Mario and company venture to new worlds, perhaps inspired by Super Mario Galaxy’s expansive universe?
In The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Chris Pratt voiced Mario, sparking mixed reactions from fans who had hoped for Charles Martinet, the character’s long-time video game voice actor. Nonetheless, Pratt delivered a commendable performance. The star-studded cast also included Charlie Day as Luigi, Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach, Jack Black as King Bowser, Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong, Keegan-Michael Key as Toad, Fred Armisen as Cranky Kong, and Sebastian Maniscalco as Spike.
While casting details for the sequel remain undisclosed, it’s likely that much of the original cast will reprise their roles, with the possibility of new additions.
Despite receiving lukewarm reviews from critics, The Super Mario Bros. Movie proved to be a commercial triumph, grossing over $1.3 billion globally. It set records as the highest-grossing animated film opening weekend and marked the first video game adaptation to surpass the $1 billion mark at the box office.
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