New Super Mario Bros. Movie will release in 2026

Nintendo and Illumination have confirmed a new Super Mario Bros. film will be released in 2026.

As revealed by Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto in a special promotion prepared for 10th “Mar10” March – colloquially known as Mario Day – the sequel will “broaden Mario’s world further” and release on 3rd April, 2026.

“As today is Mario Day, I have something to share with you all,” Miyamoto said via a video uploaded to the official Nintendo X/Twitter channels earlier today.

“We are now working with the folks at Illumination on a new animated film based on the world of Super Mario Bros.

“The Super Mario Bros. Movie, released last spring, continues to be watched by many people, including over the holidays and into this year!” Miyamoto added. “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,” Miyamoto said, then introduced Illumination’s Chris Meledandri.

“I’m thrilled to be here alongside Miyamoto-san to officially announce our return to the Super Mario Bros. Our directors, 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.

“We start animation soon, and rest assured, we’ll be obsessing over every detail to get it just right.”

Meledandri confirmed that the film will be released on 3rd April 2026 in the US and “many other markets globally”.

As for what the film will entail? Well, Miyamoto’s as taciturn as ever.

“As for the details of the new film, as I often say, we’ll let you know once we’re at the stage where we’re ready to share more,” Miyamoto teased. “This time, we’re thinking about broadening Mario’s world further, and it’ll have a bright and fun story.”

Nintendo’s Super Mario Bros. Movie was a monster success, breaking records for the largest-ever opening weekend of any animated movie. It brought in $377m in ticket sales worldwide since its debut, beating previous record holder Frozen 2’s $358m.

As you might expect, this also gives Mario the best opening for any video game adaptation ever, animated or otherwise.