Nintendo And Illumination Are Working On A Second ‘Super Mario Bros.’ Movie

For fans of the Super Mario Bros. franchise, March 10 – or Mar10 – is celebrated as “Mario Day.” This year, the “holiday” was made extra special by an announcement from Nintendo and Illumination that they have given the green light to a second Mario Bros. animated film.

Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic, who directed the first film, and Matthew Fogel, who wrote it, will return to those roles for the sequel.

Nintendo and Illumination also co-produced the franchise’s first animated theatrical feature, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which grossed more than $1.3 billion at the global box office, making it the second highest-grossing film of 2023 after Barbie.

In an extremely brief release, Nintendo declined to offer any plot or character details for the second Mario movie but did say it’s planned to hit theaters on April 3, 2026.

Like the first film, the Mario sequel will be produced by Chris Meledandri for Illumination and Shigeru Miyamoto for Nintendo.

In the statement, Nintendo said:

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,” the company said in its release.

Illumination added:

Illumination is excited to continue its partnership with Nintendo, bringing its signature mix of joy and discovery to worldwide audiences of all ages, allowing them to connect with the beloved characters and stories from one of the world’s most popular franchises.