Nintendo Confirms New Super Mario Bros. Movie Film Arriving In 2026

Nintendo made several new announcements on Mario Day, one of which included confirmation of a new animated Super Mario Bros. Movie. Fans felt this announcement was inevitable, as the film was a major success for Nintendo and the  American animation studio Illumination; however, it doesn't confirm that the new film will be a sequel.

What has been revealed thus far is that the new animated film is set within "the world of Super Mario Bros." which could potentially be a spin-off film. Nevertheless, the film will likely begin production as it's scheduled for release on 3rd April 2026 in theatres worldwide.

The forthcoming Super Mario Bros. Movie will see Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic return to direct the animated film, and Matthew Fogel will handle the script. Illumination's CEO, Chris Meledandri, will co-produce the animated film alongside Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto, and the Japanese publisher will also co-finance the project.

According to a statement made by Miyamoto, who thanked audiences for supporting the film, "The Super Mario Bros. Movie released last Spring continues to be watched by many people, including over the holidays and into the year!" Meledandri added that storyboarding is currently underway, with the animation to begin shortly, "and rest assured we're be stressing over every detail to get it right."

An official statement from Nintendo and Illumination continues as follows, "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."

Alongside this announcement, Nintendo confirmed three Mario games, Dr. Mario, Mario Golf, and Mario Tennis, for the Game Boy generation, are heading to the Nintendo Switch Online subscription service on 12th March 2024. Release dates for Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door and Luigi's Mansion 2 were also confirmed during Mario Day as The Thousand-Year Door launches on 23rd May 2024, and Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD arrives on 27th June 2024 for the Switch.