A Sequel to 'The Super Mario Bros Movie' Will Take You Back to the Mushroom Kingdom in 2026
After the first film made $1.3 billion at the global box office, saying "let's go" to a second animated movie based on the beloved Nintendo characters was always going to happen.
Before Barbenheimer became the biggest thing in cinema in 2023, moviegoers flocked to a film that featured a blonde wearing plenty of pink, and also clouds and mushrooms, all in the one flick. That feature: The Super Mario Bros Movie. It was a hit. It was a smash, in fact. At the global box office, the first-ever animated movie based on the Nintendo favourite came in right in the middle of both Barbie and Oppenheimer for the year — notching up more than $1.3 billion in takings.
That an animated Mario movie would get audiences saying "let's go" to cinemas is hardly a surprise. Neither is the next piece of news: that a sequel to The Super Mario Bros Movie is on the way. The folks at Nintendo and animation studio Illumination are back doing the filmmaking equivalent of hitting blocks to unveil power-ups — aka crafting a second picture that's due to hit cinemas in 2026.
The exact date in the US: April 3, 2026. Expect audiences in Australia and New Zealand to see the film at around the same time. Nintendo and Illumination announced the sequel as part of the annual MAR10 celebrations on March 10 — which would also make a great movie release date, but features don't usually hit the big screen on Tuesdays, which is when the occasion will fall in 2026.
"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," said the company in a statement.
In a video, Shigeru Miyamoto from Nintendo and Chris Meledandri from Illumination also chatted about the news — but without going into much detail regarding what'll be in store in the film, other than the return trip to the Mushroom Kingdom.
"This time, we're thinking about broadening Mario's world further, and it'll have a bright and fun story," said Miyamoto.
The 2023 The Super Mario Bros Movie enlisted Chris Pratt (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3) to voice the Italian plumber, plus Charlie Day (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia) as Luigi, Jack Black (Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Childhood) as Bowser, Anya Taylor-Joy (The Menu) as Princess Peach, Seth Rogen (Dumb Money) as Donkey Kong, Keegan- Michael Key (Wonka) as Toad and Fred Armisen (Wednesday) as Cranky Kong.
Directors Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic (Teen Titans Go!, Teen Titans Go! To the Movies) will return from the first film, as will screenwriter Matthew Fogel (Minions: The Rise of Gru).
Check out the trailer forThe Super Mario Bros Movie below:
The sequel to The Super Mario Bros Movie is set to release in cinemas in the US on April 3, 2026 — we'll update you with Down Under release dates when they're announced. Read our review of the first film.
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