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The Super Mario Bros. Movie

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The Super Mario Bros. Movie is a 2023 computer-animated adventure comedy film produced by Nintendo and Illumination to be distributed by Universal Pictures. It is the third feature film adaptation of Nintendo's Mario video game franchise following the 1986 Japanese-only anime film Super Mario Bros.: The Great Mission to Rescue Princess Peach! and the 1993 live-action film Super Mario Bros. and marks Illumination's first movie made to be based on a video game. The film is being directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic from a screenplay by Matthew Fogel, and features an ensemble voice cast including Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Day, Jack Black, Keegan-Michael Key, Seth Rogen, Fred Armisen, Kevin Michael Richardson, Sebastian Maniscalco, and Charles Martinet. It is Illumination's 13th feature film.

After the critical and commercial failure of the 1993 feature-film, Nintendo was reluctant to license its intellectual properties for film adaptations. Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto became interested in developing a second Mario film when Nintendo was bringing its older games to the Virtual Console service, and through Nintendo's work with Universal Parks & Resorts to create Mario-based attractions he met Illumination founder Chris Meledandri. By 2016, the two were discussing a Mario film, and in January 2018 Nintendo announced that it would collaborate with Illumination and Universal Pictures to produce it.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie was released in North America in April 5, 2023 by Universal Pictures. The film has received mixed reviews by critics but has grossed $1.36 billion worldwide, breaking numerous box office records.

Plot[]

Italian-American brothers Mario and Luigi operate a struggling plumbing business in Brooklyn, to the derision of their ex-foreman Spike and the disapproval of their father. After seeing a significant water main leak on the news, Mario and Luigi go underground to fix it but are sucked into a Warp Pipe and separated.

Mario lands in the Mushroom Kingdom, ruled by Princess Peach, while Luigi arrives in the Dark Lands, ruled by the evil Koopa king Bowser. Bowser seeks to marry Peach and will destroy the Mushroom Kingdom using a Super Star if she refuses. Seeing Mario as a competition for Peach's love, Bowser imprisons Luigi to threaten him. Mario meets Toad, who takes him to Peach. Peach plans to ally with the primate Kongs to help repel Bowser, and trains Mario before allowing him and Toad to travel along. During their journey, she tells Mario that she ended up in the Mushroom Kingdom as a baby, where the Toads took her in and eventually made her their leader. In the Jungle Kingdom, King Cranky Kong agrees to help if Mario defeats his son, Donkey Kong, in a fight. Despite initially being overpowered by Donkey Kong's strength, Mario defeats him using a Cat Suit.

Mario, Peach, Toad, and the Kongs use karts to drive back to the Mushroom Kingdom, where Bowser's army ambushes them on Rainbow Road. When a blue-shelled Koopa General destroys part of the road, Mario and Donkey Kong plummet to the ocean while the other Kongs are captured. Peach and Toad return to the Mushroom Kingdom and urge the citizens to evacuate. Bowser arrives aboard his flying castle and proposes to Peach, who reluctantly accepts after Bowser's advisor Kamek tortures Toad. Mario and Donkey Kong, having been swallowed by a giant eel, learn they both want the respect of their fathers. They escape the eel by riding a rocket barrel from Donkey Kong's kart and hurry to Bowser and Peach's wedding.

At the wedding ceremony, Bowser intends to sacrifice all of his prisoners in Peach's honor. Toad smuggles an Ice Flower into Peach's bouquet, which she uses to freeze Bowser and the chain lowering the prisoners into the lava. Mario and Donkey Kong fight their way through Bowser's army and free the prisoners, with Mario using a Tanooki Suit to save Luigi. Bowser frees himself and launches a Bomber Bill to destroy the Mushroom Kingdom, but Mario knocks it off-course and directs it into the Warp Pipe, where it detonates, creating a vacuum that sucks Bowser's castle and its occupants into Brooklyn.

Mario attempts to grab the Star but is attacked by the enraged Bowser, who swiftly defeats Peach, Toad, and Donkey Kong. Mario sees his business' commercial on a television and is motivated to face Bowser, who almost incinerates him. Luigi saves Mario, and they both grab the Super Star. Becoming temporarily invincible, they defeat the Koopas, destroy Bowser's castle, and incapacitate him. Peach shrinks Bowser with a blue Mini Mushroom before Toad imprisons him in a jar. Mario and Luigi are hailed as heroes by Brooklyn's populace, including their parents and Spike.

Sometime later, after moving into a house in the Mushroom Kingdom, the Mario brothers begin a day of plumbing work together.

Voice Cast[]

  • Chris Pratt as Mario, a struggling Italian-American plumber from Brooklyn, New York, who is accidentally transported to the world of the Mushroom Kingdom and embarks on a quest to save his brother.
  • Charlie Day as Luigi, Mario's timid younger fraternal brother and fellow plumber, who is captured by Bowser and his army.
  • Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach, the ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom, Mario's mentor and love interest, who entered the world of the Mushroom Kingdom as an infant and was raised by the Toads.
  • Jack Black as Bowser, an anthropomorphic dragon-turtle hybrid and the King of the Koopas, who rules the Dark Lands, steals a powerful Super Star, and plots to conquer the world and the Mushroom Kingdom by marrying Peach.
  • Keegan-Michael Key as Toad, a Mushroom Kingdom resident whose species is also named Toad, who aspires to go on his first real adventure.
  • Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong, an anthropomorphic necktie-wearing gorilla and heir to the throne of the Jungle Kingdom.
  • Fred Armisen as Cranky Kong, an elderly anthropomorphic gorilla, the ruler of the Jungle Kingdom, and Donkey Kong's father.
  • Kevin Michael Richardson as Kamek, a Koopa sorcerer and Bowser's advisor and informant.
  • Sebastian Maniscalco as Foreman Spike, Mario and Luigi's antagonistic former boss from the Wrecking Crew.
  • Khary Payton as Penguin King, the ruler of the Ice Kingdom descended upon by Bowser's army.
  • Eric Bauza as Diddy Kong, an anthropomorphic cap-wearing monkey and Donkey Kong's cousin.
  • Scott Menville as Koopa General, the winged, blue-shelled leader of Bowser's army.
  • Juliet Jelenic as Lumalee, a nihilistic blue Luma held prisoner by Bowser.
  • Charles Martinet as Mario's Dad / Giuseppe
  • Jessica DiCicco as Mario's Mom
  • Rino Romano as Uncle Tony
  • John DiMaggio as Uncle Arthur

Production[]

Development[]

After the critical and commercial failure of the 1993 Super Mario Bros. film adaptation, Japanese video game company Nintendo became wary of licensing its properties for film adaptations.[1] According to Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto, the idea for a new Mario film came from bringing their older games to the Virtual Console and other services; such transitions took time for the company, and Miyamoto recognized that "our content business would be able to develop even further if we were able to combine our long-beloved software with that of video assets, and utilize them together for extended periods."[2] Miyamoto knew that the process of making a film was far different from that of making a video game, and wanted a film expert to lead the effort.[3]

Following the November 2014 hack of Sony Pictures, emails between producer Avi Arad, studio chief Amy Pascal, TriStar Pictures head Tom Rothman, and Sony Pictures Animation president of production Michelle Raimo Kouyate were released revealing that Sony had been attempting to secure the film rights to the Mario franchise for several years. Arad visited Nintendo in Tokyo in February and July 2014 in an attempt to secure a deal. In October, Arad emailed Pascal and said he had closed the deal with Nintendo. Pascal suggested recruiting Genndy Tartakovsky to help develop the project, while Kouyate said she could "think of 3-4 movies right out of the gate" and expressed hope in "build[ing] a Mario empire."[1] However, after the emails leaked, Arad denied that a deal had been made, stating that negotiations had only begun. BuzzFeed News noted that the emails did not take into account potential conflicts with Sony Pictures' corporate sibling Sony Computer Entertainment, one of Nintendo's chief competitors.[1]

Through Nintendo's work with Universal Parks & Resorts to create Mario-based attractions, Miyamoto met Chris Meledandri, founder of Universal Pictures's Illumination animation division. Miyamoto found Meledandri's creative process similar to his own, and felt he would be the proper lead for a Mario film. They had started more earnest discussions by 2016, knowing that if they felt it would not work that they could easily walk away.[3] In November 2017, reports emerged that Nintendo was collaborating with Universal and Illumination to make an animated Mario film.[4][5][6][7] Then-Nintendo president Tatsumi Kimishima clarified that a deal had not been finalized, but that an announcement would come soon. Kimishima hoped that if the deal was successful, a 2020 release date would be possible.[8] In January 2018, Nintendo announced that the film would progress with Miyamoto and Meledandri co-producing.[9] Meledandri stated that the film was a "priority" for Illumination and that it will most likely come out in 2022. He added that Miyamoto would be "front and center" during production.[10] In January 2020, Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa stated that production was "moving along smoothly" with an expected 2022 release date. Furukawa stated that Nintendo would own the rights to the film, and both Nintendo and Universal would fund the production.[11]

In August 2021, it emerged that Teen Titans Go! developers Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic were directing the film after the discovery of an Illumination animator's LinkedIn profile that included the film in the list.[12] Following the full casting announcement, Horvath and Jelenic were confirmed to be directing, and Minions: The Rise of Gru writer Matthew Fogel was attached as the screenwriter.[13]

In September of 2022, it was officially announced by New York Comic Con that the teaser trailer for the film would be released on October 6, 2022. Shortly thereafter, Ed Skudder, creator of Dick Figures and developer of Unikitty!, confirmed that he worked as head of story on the film.

Casting[]

In February 2021, Mario voice actor Charles Martinet, when asked about the possibility of reprising his role, stated that the film "sounds like a marvelous thing" and that if he were asked to voice Mario, "I'll go in and play with great joy and happiness."[14] In August 2021, Sebastian Maniscalco revealed that he was voicing Spike, Mario and Luigi's boss from the game Wrecking Crew (1985).[15]

During a September 2021 Nintendo Direct presentation, Shigeru Miyamoto announced that Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Day, Jack Black, Keegan-Michael Key, Seth Rogen, Kevin Michael Richardson, Fred Armisen, and Maniscalco would headline the voice cast, and that Martinet would be featured in "surprise cameos."[16]

Plot details were kept secret to the actors during recording, according to Day, who noted he had to record his dialogue in many different ways, after which the directors selected the version they believed would be best suited for the scene.

Animation[]

The film was animated by Illumination Studios Paris in Paris, France. Production was underway by September 2020, with animation work ending in October 2022. Post-production work on the film had wrapped by March 2023. Jelenic stated that Illumination updated their lighting and rendering technology for the film, with Meledandri claiming that it "pushed the technical and artistic capabilities of [the] studio to new heights."

Jelenic and Horvath wanted the animation to juggle stylized animation with realism, with Horvath claiming that "there are moments of cartoony fun, but […] we wanted it to feel like a big adventure film and that there are stakes and maybe you believe that these characters can die, so they're not super-squashy and super-stretchy, and we used consistent volume on the characters to make them feel a little more grounded." For the go-karts featured in the film, the directors worked with a vehicle design artist and artists at Nintendo to create go-karts that fit their portrayal in the film while drawing inspiration from their portrayal in the Mario Kart games.

In an interview with GameSpot, Horvath said that he and Jelenic took a "blockbuster approach" when making The Super Mario Bros. Movie. He stated: "To me, this is a movie that's been like 40 years in the making, you know, and I've always considered Mario more of an action game. The characters look comedic, but the story is always high stakes, you gotta save the princess or save the world or whatever in the game. So we wanted to reflect that action sensibility." The two brought in artists they knew from television and worked closely with them to craft the film's action sequences. Skudder in particular was crucial in making the action, especially the Rainbow Road sequence. According to Jelenic and Horvath, Skudder spent months working on the sequence, which they also described as the film's most technically challenging. The road itself was a visual effect, and every shot of it had to go through the visual effects department, which was time-consuming and expensive.

Donkey Kong's design was changed for the first time since the video game Donkey Kong Country (1994). For his new design, artists incorporated elements of both his modern design and his original design from his debut appearance in Donkey Kong (1981). For Mario's family, Horvath and Jelenic were given early designs of Mario by Nintendo to use as reference; they ended up using slightly altered versions of those designs in the final film.

Music[]

During an October 2022 Nintendo Direct presentation, Meledandri confirmed that Brian Tyler was set to compose the score for the film. Tyler worked closely with longtime Mario composer Koji Kondo to incorporate themes from the games within the film's score. He described the composition as "big", featuring an orchestra, choir and bands, as well as "Italian instruments, accordions, live drums, mandolins […] whistling human voices", and "eight-bit [sounds]". Recording sessions for the score began on October 17, 2022, at the Eastwood Scoring Stage at Warner Bros. Sound mixing took place at Skywalker Sound, where Kondo and Miyamoto responded positively to a fifteen-minute suite of new themes Tyler had written for the film. Music in the film references leitmotifs from Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario 64, and Super Mario 3D Land, among other Mario games.

In a March 2023 video, Seth Rogen shared that Donkey Kong is introduced in the film accompanied by the title theme music from Donkey Kong 64, the "DK Rap", composed by Grant Kirkhope. In contrast to the licensed songs that were used in the film, Kirkhope did not receive credit for the "DK Rap" in the film's end credits, an oversight the composer found disappointing. Jack Black co-wrote the song "Peaches", wherein Bowser professes his love for Princess Peach, alongside the directors, editor Eric Osmond, and song producer John Spiker. Having Bowser perform a love song was Black's idea. "Peaches" was released on April 7, 2023, with a music video directed by Cole Bennett. According to Black, it was filmed within a few hours. Upon its initial release, "Peaches" appeared on No. 61 on the iTunes streaming chart. Later, the song appeared on the Billboard Hot 100, reaching position 83.

Release[]

The Super Mario Bros. Movie was released theatrically in the United States on April 5, 2023, and later in Japan on April 28, in both regular formats and in IMAX 2D and 3D.[17]It was previously set for a release on December 21, 2022 and April 7, 2023 (the former of which was taken over by DreamWorks Animation's Puss in Boots: The Last Wish in response to the film's delay to the later date). On February 28, 2023, it was announced that the film would be released two days earlier, on its current date, to more than 60 markets while maintaining the April 28 date for Japan and stating that additional markets are to follow during April and May. It was released in 65+ countries on dates ranging from April 5th to 7th. It was released on April 26 in South Korea and is scheduled to be released on May 26 in Poland.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie was released on premium video-on-demand on May 9. It was also available to stream on Peacock in June and will be on Netflix in late 2023. It was released on 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray, Blu-ray, and DVD on June 13.

Marketing[]

The film's first teaser poster, featuring Mario's backside, an assortment of Toads, a Cheep Cheep, and Princess Peach's castle was unveiled on the official film's Twitter on October 4, 2022. Additionally, a Nintendo Direct presentation dedicated to the film, showing the first teaser trailer of the film was live-streamed on October 6, 2022, with it also being screened around the same time at the New York Comic Con 2022.

In late November 2022, multiple posters were revealed, including one showing the inside of Peach's castle, and another featuring the brothers in a town that is Brooklyn; their plumbing van and Pauline in the background are shown in it. On November 29, the official trailer was shown in a Nintendo Direct with footage showing Mario losing a fight against Donkey Kong in an arena filled with other Kongs, Bowser interacting with a captured Luigi; Mario training on an obstacle course resembling a typical Super Mario game level; power-ups such as the Tanooki Suit and the Fire Flower; and several characters driving go-karts on a path reminiscent of the Rainbow Road, a recurring location in the Mario Kart series. Public reactions were still largely favorable, though online discourse continued to center on Pratt's performance as Mario.

On February 12, 2023, a Super Bowl commercial for the film was released, featuring a rendition of the title theme from The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!. A corresponding website which was featured in the trailer was also released, which advertises the Super Mario Bros. plumbing service from the film as if it were, according to Plunkett, "...a struggling small business servicing the Brooklyn and Queens areas".

Reception[]

Box office[]

As of May 7, 2023, The Super Mario Bros. Movie has grossed $503.7 million in the United States and Canada, and $637.1 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $1.140 billion. It is the highest-grossing film of 2023, and became the highest-grossing film based on a video game after just one week of release.

In the United States and Canada, The Super Mario Bros. Movie was released alongside Air, and was initially projected to gross around $125 million from 4,025 theaters in its five-day opening weekend. It was also expected to gross around $100 million internationally. After making $31.7 million on its first day and $26.5 million on its second, five-day estimates were raised to $141 million. Projections were re-adjusted yet again to $191 million after the film made $55 million on Friday. The film went on to debut to $146.4 million during the traditional three-day weekend and $204.6 million over the five-day frame, surpassing the $72.1 million opening of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 to become the top opening weekend for a video game adaptation, as well as surpassing its $190.8 million lifetime gross to become the top grossing video game adaptation ever.

It was the third-highest Easter opening weekend of all time, behind Furious 7 and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. The film not only surpassed Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen for the biggest five-day Wednesday opening of any film, but also surpassed Minions for Illumination's largest opening weekend ever. Additionally, the film surpassed Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania for 2023's biggest opening weekend. Overall, The Super Mario Bros. Movie generated the third-highest domestic opening weekend for any animated film, after The Lion King and Incredibles 2. It over-performed in other territories, making $173 million for a global opening weekend of $375 million, surpassing Frozen II's record. Furthermore, it surpassed Warcraft to have the highest worldwide opening weekend for any video game adaptation. The film made $92.5 million in its second weekend and $59.9 million in its third, both the best-ever for an animated film, surpassing Frozen II and Incredibles 2, respectively. The film continued to dominate the box office in its fourth weekend, grossing $40 million, surpassing Incredibles 2 for the 4th best weekend, and crossing the global $1 billion mark on April 30. It became the fifth film of the pandemic era to cross this mark, just after Spider-Man: No Way Home, Top Gun Maverick, Jurassic World Dominion, and Avatar: The Way of Water, as well as the first animated film to do so since Frozen II in 2019.

Outside of the US and Canada, the film grossed $172.8 million in its first weekend. It had the biggest opening ever for an animated film in 10 markets and the biggest video game adaptation opening ever in 44 markets. In its second weekend, The Super Mario Bros. Movie grossed $102.5 million from 71 markets, for a drop of just 22%. In its third weekend, the film made $70.7 million from 78 markets, representing a drop of 38%. As of April 23, 2023, the highest grossing territories were Mexico ($66.2 million), United Kingdom ($51.7 million), Germany ($37.2 million), France ($31.7 million) and Australia ($27.3 million).

Critical response[]

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 59% of 256 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.7/10. The website's consensus reads: "While it's nowhere near as thrilling as turtle tipping your way to 128 lives, The Super Mario Bros. Movie is a colorful – albeit thinly plotted – animated adventure that has about as many Nintendos as Nintendon'ts." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 46 out of 100, based on 52 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". In contrast, the audience response was significantly more positive; the film garnered a "near-perfect" audience score of 96% on Rotten Tomatoes. Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale, while 94% of those polled by PostTrak gave it a positive score, with 82% saying that they would recommend it. Miyamoto felt that the critics who gave the film low ratings contributed to the film's success and creating the buzz around it.

Ross Bonaime of Collider gave a positive review, writing, "Obviously, The Super Mario Bros. Movie is in many ways a feature-length advertisement for Nintendo as a brand. However, Jelenic, Horvath, and [F]ogel make this feel more like a labor of love, as they've been given the keys to the (Mushroom) kingdom, and are allowed to go all-in with what any fan would want to see in a film like this. In many ways, The Super Mario Bros. Movie reminds of Wreck-It Ralph and the glee that came from seeing these characters on screen." Writing for the Datebook section of The San Francisco Chronicle, Zaki Hasan said he enjoyed the visuals but felt the film's strong adherence to and copious references to the games left it lacking in narrative, and that it tried too hard to avoid the failures of the 1993 film, calling it "a blandly efficient piece of brand management".

IGN's Tom Jorgensen gave a generally positive review. He praised the film's energy, its musical score despite the inclusion of "shoehorned" pop songs, and its visuals for setting a "very high bar". He also commended the use of callbacks but criticized some character arcs for being underdeveloped. Jorgensen had slight criticism towards Pratt and Day's attempt at New York accents for Mario and Luigi as "certainly not going to be taking home any commendations from the good people of Brooklyn" and stated, "There's definitely been a flattening of the more cartoonish qualities". However, he applauded the actors for embodying each character's heroism and for a grounded delivery that "balances well with the fantastical trappings of the Mushroom Kingdom". Jorgensen commended Black's performance as Bowser for being "standout" and fitting to the character.

Kyle Anderson of Nerdist celebrated the animation for its game accuracy and called Illumination "the perfect choice to make Mario movies" but opined that "those expecting something akin to The Lego Movie might be left a bit cold" due to lack of a plot outside the main beats given the film's short run time. Soren Andersen of The Seattle Times commented that, while the film succeeded in appealing to the Mario fanbase by creating the feeling of being inside a video game, he found the characters to be lacking in personality and criticized their voice performances, remarking: "...everyone expresses themselves at the tops of their voices, sound and fury signifying not a whole lot". Brian Tallerico of Roger Ebert, a self-described lifelong fan, wrote that the vocal performances were "uniformly mediocre," and that the film is Illumination's "most soulless to date" and "doesn't reflect the franchise's creativity in the slightest." The Los Angeles Times' Katie Walsh applauded the film for its humor and "eye-popping" animation. She praised Black's performance as Bowser but criticized both Pratt and Day's lead performances of Mario and Luigi as "so unremarkable that it could have been anyone at all".

Calum Marsh writing for The New York Times criticized Pratt's performance as "grating" and "unctuous" while describing the overall film as "bland, witless and flagrantly pandering". Kristy Puchko from Mashable commended the fan service and music but was critical of the writing, the characters, and Pratt's lack of accent, commenting "whatever voice Pratt is doing isn't Brooklyn, and it isn't anything particularly specific, consistent, or exciting". Screenrant's Molly Freeman praised the film for being a "love letter" to fans but criticized it for offering little else. She described most of the voice cast as "fun" with Black's Bowser being a standout, while noting that Pratt's performance was "not so bad as to be distracting, but not strong enough to be at all interesting either", which she said was an analogy for the film as a whole. Josh Spiegel from SlashFilm considered the film's portrayal of Princess Peach not in need of rescuing as "unquestionably a good thing" but also "the most subversive decision of a film from 25 years ago, not from 2023." He further criticized the film for an "exceedingly straightforward narrative", characters lacking complexity, and Pratt's performance as Mario as being "blandly heroic", concluding that "This movie exists, and that's about as high as it aspires."

Trivia[]

Future[]

Sequel[]

Main article: The Super Mario Galaxy Movie

In May 2021, Furukawa said that Nintendo was interested in producing more animated films based on its intellectual properties if the Mario Bros. film was successful.[18] In a Variety cover story before the film's release, producer Meledandri was asked about potential sequels, or projects adapted from other Nintendo properties, and answered, "Our focus right now is entirely on bringing the film out to the audience, and at this time, we're not prepared to talk about what's coming in the future".[19]

On April 21, 2023, following the film's box office success, Nintendo stated that there would be more films based on their properties, though they did not directly confirm a sequel to The Super Mario Bros. Movie.[20] In June 2023, Pratt stated that while news on a sequel would come "soon", development on the project had been put on hold due to the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike, saying that it would only resume once "the writers [felt] comfortable moving forward."[21][22] In November, it was revealed that Universal was making plans to build a larger franchise around the film while also confirming a sequel.[23]

On March 10, 2024, as part of Mario Day celebrations, Miyamoto and Meledandri officially announced "a new Super Mario Bros. movie", along with a release date of April 3, 2026 in the United States and more dates throughout April for other territories.[24] Horvath, Jelenic and Fogel will return as co-directors and screenwriter respectively; Meledandri stated that Illumination's team was in the process of storyboarding and "developing set designs for new environments."[24]

In October 2024, Keegan-Michael Key mentioned that the sequel would be "broader in scope" and will feature "some new folks that are old favorites and some folks that I think are really deep cuts".[25]

On May 13, 2025, NBCUniversal listed the sequel under the title Super Mario World, which was later removed.[26] A Nintendo Direct presentation on September 12, 2025, announced the film as The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.[27]

Spin-off[]

Multiple voice actors have expressed interest in spin-offs based on their characters. In February 2022, Charlie Day expressed interest in reprising his role as Luigi in a Luigi's Mansion film[28] and reiterated his interest in March 2023.[29] That same month, Anya Taylor-Joy expressed interest in a possibility of a spin-off film revolving around Princess Peach.[30]

In April 2023, Seth Rogen expressed interest in Donkey Kong Country forming the basis of future works, stating it created "a lot of opportunity" for a spin-off film.[31][32] On July 13, 2025, a copyright registration for "Untitled Donkey Kong Project" was filed by Nintendo and Universal.[33][34]


References[]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Sony Pictures Lands "Mario Bros." Movie Rights From Nintendo, Leaked Emails Show" (December 11, 2014). 
  2. ↑ Olsen, Mathew (February 3, 2020). "The Virtual Console Convinced Nintendo to Make a New Mario Movie"..
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Minotti, Mike (January 9, 2018). "Nintendo's Miyamoto explains how Illumination won Mario movie rights"..
  4. ↑ "Mario Bros. Set to Jump to Big Screen in Movie Deal with Universal's Illumination". The Wall Street Journal (November 14, 2017).
  5. ↑ "'Super Mario Bros.' animated movie in the works at Illumination Entertainment", CNN Business (November 14, 2017). 
  6. ↑ Trumbore, Dave (September 24, 2021). "'Super Mario Bros.' Movie in the Works at Illumination Entertainment", Collider. 
  7. ↑ Hall, Jacob (January 31, 2018). "'Super Mario Bros.' Animated Movie In The Works From 'Despicable Me' Studio [Updated]", /Film. 
  8. ↑ Medina, Joseph Jammer (January 9, 2018). "Super Mario Bros. Movie Deal Not Finalized, Movie Could Come In 2020". Screen Rant.
  9. ↑ Blair, Gavin J. (January 31, 2018). "'Mario' Movie to Be Produced by Nintendo and Illumination". The Hollywood Reporter.
  10. ↑ Schaefer, Sandy (November 6, 2018). "Super Mario Bros. Animated Movie Is A Priority; May Arrive In 2022". Screen Rant.
  11. ↑ Craddock, Ryan (January 30, 2020). "Illumination's Mario Movie Is "Moving Along Smoothly", Aiming For 2022 Release". Nintendo Life.
  12. ↑ Doolan, Liam (August 24, 2021). "Super Mario Bros. Movie Might Be Directed By The Teen Titans Go! Creators". Nintendo Life.
  13. ↑ "Super Mario Bros. Movie Lands All-Star Voice Cast: Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor-Joy, Keegan-Michael Key, Seth Rogen", Variety (September 23, 2021). 
  14. ↑ Doolan, Liam (February 13, 2021). "Charles Martinet Would Love To Voice Mario In Upcoming Illumination Movie". Nintendo Life.
  15. ↑ Ditchfield, Jaime (August 9, 2021). "Sebastian Maniscalco will voice 'Spike' in Illumination Super Mario movie". Nintendo Enthusiast.
  16. ↑ Murphy, J. Kim (September 23, 2021). Nintendo Direct: Chris Pratt Will Voice Mario in the Super Mario Bros. Movie. Archived from the original on September 23, 2021. Retrieved on September 24, 2021.
  17. ↑ "Super Mario Bros. Animated Pic Sets Cast: Chris Pratt As Mario, Charlie Day As Luigi, Anya Taylor-Joy As Princess Peach & More". (en-US) Deadline Hollywood (2021-09-23).
  18. ↑ Evangelista, Chris (May 4, 2021). "More Nintendo Animated Movies on the Way Following Illumination's Super Mario". /Film.
  19. ↑ "Mario Powers Up: How Nintendo Visionary Shigeru Miyamoto and Illumination's Chris Meledandri Plan to Super Smash Hollywood". Variety (April 4, 2023).
  20. ↑ Onder, Cade (April 21, 2023). "Nintendo Confirms More Video Game Movies in the Works". (en) ComicBook.com.
  21. ↑ "Chris Pratt says Super Mario Bros Movie 2 has been delayed by writers' strike". Digital Spy (June 10, 2023).
  22. ↑ "Want A Super Mario Bros. Movie Sequel? Chris Pratt Teases News Coming "Soon"". SYFY Official Site (June 14, 2023).
  23. ↑ "Universal Confirms 'Super Mario Bros.' Will Become A Franchise". (en-US) CultureSlate.
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 "New 'Super Mario Bros.' World Animated Movie in the Works From Illumination, Nintendo". Variety (March 10, 2024).
  25. ↑ Griffin, Griff (October 1, 2024). "The Super Mario Bros. Movie 2 Features More Easter Eggs for Hardcore Fans". Mens Journal.
  26. ↑ Wales, Matt (May 14, 2025). "Next Super Mario movie title quietly announced then quickly removed by NBCUniversal". Eurogamer.
  27. ↑ "'Super Mario Bros. 2' Officially Titled 'Super Mario Galaxy Movie'". (en-US) Variety (September 12, 2025).
  28. ↑ Valentine, Evan (February 18, 2022). "Charlie Day Confirms Interest in Starring in a Luigi's Mansion Movie (Exclusive)". (en) ComicBook.com.
  29. ↑ Outlaw, Kofi (March 28, 2023). "Super Mario Bros. Movie Star Charlie Day On Luigi's Mansion Movie: "Let's Make This Happen" (Exclusive)". (en) ComicBook.com.
  30. ↑ "Anya Taylor-Joy Is Here For a "Girl Power" Princess Peach Spin-Off". E!.
  31. ↑ Deckelmeier, Joe (April 3, 2023). "Seth Rogen Teases Donkey Kong In The Super Mario Bros. Movie & His New TMNT". (en) Screen Rant.
  32. ↑ "Rogen: 'A lot of opportunity' for Donkey Kong spinoff". (en) Madison (April 6, 2023).
  33. ↑ "The Next Nintendo Movie After The Legend Of Zelda Might Have Just Leaked". TheGamer (July 13, 2025).
  34. ↑ Mitchell, Tyler (July 13, 2025). "Nintendo And Universal Have Registered The Film Copyright For Another Classic Gaming Franchise". GameRant.


Gallery[]

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Universal Studios Wiki has a collection of images and media related to The Super Mario Bros. Movie.

Videos[]

Trailers[]

Audio[]

Nintendo GameCube startup as heard in the film:

External links[]



v - e - d
Illumination new logo 2017
Theatrical films
Despicable Me (2010) • Hop (2011) • Dr. Seuss' The Lorax (2012) • Despicable Me 2 (2013) • Minions (2015) • The Secret Life of Pets (2016) • Sing (2016) • Despicable Me 3 (2017) • Dr. Seuss' The Grinch (2018) • The Secret Life of Pets 2 (2019) • Sing 2 (2021) • Minions: The Rise of Gru (2022) • The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) • Migration (2023) • Despicable Me 4 (2024)
Upcoming films
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie (2026) • Minions 3 (2026)
Films in Development
Big Tree • The Secret Life of Pets 3 • Sing 3 (TBA) • Untitled Pharrell Williams film
Short films
Home Makeover (2010) • Orientation Day (2010) • Banana (2010) • Brad & Gary (2011) • Phil's Dance Party (2012) • Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem (2012) • Wagon Ho! (2012) • Forces of Nature (2012) • Serenade (2012) • Puppy (2013) • Panic in the Mailroom (2013) • Training Wheels (2013) • Cro Minion (2015) • Competition (2015) • Binky Nelson Unpacified (2015) • Mower Minions (2016) • Norman Television (2016) • Weenie (2016) • Gunter Babysits (2017) • Love at First Sight (2017) • Eddie's Life Coach (2017) • The Secret Life of Kyle (2017) • Yellow is the New Black (2018) • The Dog Days of Winter (2018) • Santa's Little Helpers (2019) • Minion Scouts (2019) • Super Gidget (2019) • Minions & Monsters (2021) • For Gunter's Eyes Only (2022) • Animal Attraction (2022) • Post Modern Minions (2022) • Mooned (2023) • Fly Hard (2024) • Midnight Mission (2024) • Benny's Birthday (2024) • Game Over & Over (2024)
Characters
Despicable Me: Felonious Gru • Minions • Kevin • Stuart • Bob • Otto • Margo • Edith • Agnes • Lucy Wilde • Dr. Nefario • Marlena Gru • Silas Ramsbottom

Hop: Fred O'Hare • E.B. • Carlos • Phil
Sing: Buster Moon • Rosita • Johnny • Ash • Meena • Gunter • Mike • Eddie Noodleman • Miss Crawly • Nana Noodleman • Porsha Crystal • Clay Calloway • Suki Lane • Nooshy
The Secret Life of Pets: Max • Duke • Snowball • Gidget • Chloe • Mel • Buddy • Sweetpea • Tiberius • Daisy
The Super Mario Bros. Movie: Mario • Luigi • Princess Peach • Toad • Donkey Kong • Bowser
Migration: Mack Mallard • Pam Mallard • Uncle Dan • Dax Mallard • Gwen Mallard • Delroy
Dr. Seuss' The Lorax: The Lorax • The Once-ler • Ted Wiggins • Audrey • Grammy Norma • Mrs. Wiggins • Aloysius O'Hare
Dr. Seuss' The Grinch: The Grinch • Max • Cindy Lou Who

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