Mar10 is kicking off with a bang as Nintendo game director and Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto and Illumination CEO Chris Meledandri announced pre-production is underway at Illumination on a new film based on Nintendo’s Super Mario Bros.,” with Universal.
Miyamoto and Meledandri took to YouTube make the announcement as part of “Mario Day,” an annual event Nintendo holds on March 10th.
While details about the were not shared, Miyamoto and Meledandri described the upcoming film as one set in the world of Super Mario Bros. but not necessarily a sequel to The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Meledandri said that storyboarding and set design work has already begun, with animation set to begin later this year.
A Mario return was basically guaranteed after the first The Super Mario Bros. Movie grossed $1.36 billion at the global box office last year, second only to Barbie on the annual charts. It shattered the record for the highest grossing film based on a video game in box office history and passed the $1.15 billion grossed by Minions to become Illumination’s highest grossing movie ever.
Super Mario Bros. has also become an important part of Universal’s theme park plans with the opening of Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios in Osaka and Hollywood. Created with direct input from Miyamoto and Nintendo, the new theme park areas feature an augmented reality ride based on “Mario Kart” and mini games throughout the park. “Super Nintendo World” will also be a part of Universal’s new theme park Epic Universe, which is set to open in Orlando in 2025.
The new Super Mario Bros. movie is set to release the film on April 3, 2026. Check out the announcement in the video above and a closer look at The Super Mario Bros. Mario Through the Years in the video below.
