The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, the highly anticipated sequel to 2023’s billion-dollar blockbuster The Super Mario Bros. Movie, premiered its official trailer on November 12, 2025, during a Nintendo Direct presentation, unveiling Mario and Luigi’s spectacular cosmic adventure across imaginative planets and new characters. Illumination Studios and Nintendo announced the film will launch theatrically worldwide on April 3, 2026 (April 24 in Japan) through Universal Pictures, bringing back the original voice cast—Chris Pratt (Mario), Anya Taylor-Joy (Princess Peach), Charlie Day (Luigi), and Jack Black (Bowser)—while introducing exciting new additions: Brie Larson as the elegant and powerful Rosalina and Benny Safdie as Bowser Jr. wielding a magical paintbrush. Directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic with Matthew Fogel returning to write the screenplay and Brian Tyler composing, the sequel expands the Mario universe beyond the Mushroom Kingdom into a galactic realm inspired by the 2007 Nintendo Wii classic. Following the original film’s unprecedented $1.36 billion worldwide box office success, expectations are extraordinarily high for this cosmic continuation featuring breathtaking visuals of water worlds, desert pyramids, and imaginative celestial locations.
Official Trailer and Announcement
The official trailer for The Super Mario Galaxy Movie premiered on November 12, 2025, during a Nintendo Direct livestream presentation, unveiling the film’s cosmic direction and spectacular visual scope. The trailer showcases Mario and Luigi taunt a now-miniature Bowser (who swallowed a Mini Mushroom in the original film’s conclusion), only to witness a meteor shower send the heroes blasting off on a galactic adventure across stunning alien worlds.
Watch the Official Trailer: The Super Mario Galaxy Movie Official Trailer on YouTube
The trailer features breathtaking visuals of imaginative planets including a glittering water world, desert regions filled with upside-down pyramids reminiscent of Super Mario Odyssey, and cosmic environments never before seen in Mario media. Princess Rosalina’s debut showcases her using magical wand abilities to combat massive robot enemies, while Bowser Jr.’s distinctive magical paintbrush—inspired by Super Mario Sunshine—hints at his role as a formidable new antagonist.
Plot and Premise
Building upon the original film’s narrative, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie finds Mario and crew living peacefully in the Mushroom Kingdom when a cosmic event sends them on an intergalactic quest. Drawing inspiration from the 2007 Nintendo Wii game Super Mario Galaxy, the film follows Mario’s mission to collect Power Stars while navigating diverse planetary environments and facing new cosmic challenges.
The narrative introduces Princess Rosalina, the elegant and powerful cosmic guardian, whose introduction transforms the story’s scope into a universe-spanning adventure. Bowser Jr., armed with supernatural painting abilities, emerges as an unexpected threat, complicating alliances and raising stakes beyond the original conflict.
Cast and Voice Actors
Returning Voice Cast:
– Chris Pratt as Mario, the Italian-American plumber from Brooklyn leading the cosmic adventure
– Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach, the intelligent and resourceful leader of the Mushroom Kingdom
– Charlie Day as Luigi, Mario’s timid younger brother providing comedic support
– Jack Black as Bowser, the formerly-shrunken King of the Koopas now miniaturized from his Mini Mushroom consumption
– Keegan-Michael Key as Toad, the enthusiastic mushroom companion
– Kevin Michael Richardson as Kamek, Bowser’s loyal advisor
New Cast Additions:
– Brie Larson as Rosalina, the powerful cosmic princess and adoptive mother of the Lumas, bringing warmth and strength to the character
– Benny Safdie as Bowser Jr., Bowser’s son wielding a magical paintbrush and serving as an unexpected threat
Director and Creative Team
Directors: Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic (returning from the first film) | Screenplay: Matthew Fogel (returning writer) | Composer: Brian Tyler (returning for original score composition)
Producers: Chris Meledandri (Illumination founder/CEO), Shigeru Miyamoto (Nintendo’s legendary game designer)
Animation Studio: Illumination Studios Paris (Paris, France)
Horvath and Jelenic’s return as directors ensures thematic and stylistic continuity with the first film’s success, while Matthew Fogel’s screenplay focuses on expanding the Mario universe beyond terrestrial limitations. Brian Tyler’s score will seamlessly integrate with the film’s galactic scope while maintaining connection to the original’s musical identity.
The Original Super Mario Bros. Movie: Box Office Phenomenon
Global Box Office Collection: $1.361 billion worldwide | Domestic (US/Canada): $574.9 million | International: $785.9 million | Opening Weekend (Domestic): $146.4 million (three-day), $204.6 million (five-day extended Easter weekend) | Opening Weekend (Global): $375.6 million | Records Achieved: Highest-grossing animated film opening, largest film debut based on video game, first video game film to surpass $1 billion
The 2023 Super Mario Bros. Movie became a cultural phenomenon, exceeding all industry projections and establishing unprecedented records. Released April 5, 2023, the film achieved the highest opening ever for an animated feature with its $375.6 million global debut. The film crossed the $1 billion worldwide mark on April 30, 2023—just four weeks after theatrical release—making it the first animated film to achieve this milestone since Frozen II in 2019.
Box Office Trajectory: The film maintained extraordinary staying power, achieving the second-highest-grossing weekend of $92.5 million and third-highest weekend of $59.9 million—both records for animated films. It became the highest-grossing Illumination film ever (surpassing Minions) and earned a Guinness World Record as the highest-grossing film based on video game source material. The film’s success established the franchise’s viability for theatrical sequels and expanded universes.
Release Information
Release Date (US and International): April 3, 2026 | Release Date (Japan): April 24, 2026 | Distribution: Universal Pictures (worldwide) | Theatrical Formats: RealD 3D and IMAX | Co-Financing: Universal Pictures and Nintendo
The film will receive coordinated worldwide theatrical distribution through Universal Pictures, ensuring simultaneous or staggered releases across all major international markets throughout April 2026. The April 3 US release positions the film perfectly for spring holiday viewing, replicating the successful Easter-adjacent release timing that powered the original to unprecedented opening numbers.
Production and Development
Following the original film’s record-breaking success, Nintendo and Illumination announced the sequel’s development in March 2024, immediately confirming Horvath, Jelenic, and Fogel’s return. Production commenced in Paris at Illumination Studios Paris, beginning storyboarding and environment design development in March 2024. The creative team cited inspiration from the 2007 Nintendo Wii classic Super Mario Galaxy, translating the game’s cosmic adventure aesthetic into animated film format.
The announcement occurred on September 13, 2025—the 40th anniversary of the original Super Mario video game series—with a teaser trailer premiering during a Mario Day presentation. The full official trailer debuted on November 12, 2025, providing comprehensive visual glimpses of the film’s cosmic scope and new characters.
