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Nintendo, Illumination Confirm New Super Mario Animated Film on April 3, 2026

Nintendo confirmed in a press release on Sunday (March 10 or "MarIO Day") that a new animated film "based on the world of Super Mario Bros." is in the works with Illumination. Returning partner Universal Pictures plans to release the film on April 3, 2026 in the United States and many other markets. The announcement does not specify that the new film is a sequel to The Super Mario Bros. Movie from the same companies last year.

Illumination founder and CEO Chris Meledandri and Nintendo representative director and fellow Shigeru Miyamoto are producing the new film. Directors Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic and screenwriter Matthew Fogel are returning from last year's film for the new project.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie opened in the U.S. and in over 60 markets worldwide on April 5. The film earned US$31,702,735 in its opening day in the U.S., and US$204,630,730 in its first five days in the U.S. (the film opened on a Wednesday, and thus had a five-day opening frame). Deadline puts the movie's estimated US$377,628,865 opening worldwide as the highest-earning all-time worldwide opening for an animated film, beating Frozen II. (Frozen II opened over a regular three-day frame, as opposed to The Super Mario Bros. Movie's five-day frame.) The film is also the highest-earning video game adaptation in history.

The film ended 2023 as the #2 top-earning film worldwide and in the United States, with worldwide earnings of over US$1,361,367,353, including US$574,934,330 in the U.S.

Sources: Nintendo via Hachima Kikō, Variety