Illumination and Nintendo are reuniting for a new installment in the Super Mario film franchise, following the 2023 global hit that grossed over $1.3 billion. Titled The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, the upcoming film aims to broaden the scope of the franchise, according to its director.
“Super Mario Galaxy, to us, was an opportunity to expand the world in every direction,” Horvath says. “The first movie was very classic. We were focused on the retro spirit of Super Mario Bros. At the time, we thought we had put all our best ideas into that movie, but then we discovered that there was a huge universe left to be uncovered.”
The film follows Mario and Luigi after they settle into life in the Mushroom Kingdom, only to be pulled into a new mission triggered by a mysterious call tied to Princess Peach’s past. The journey takes the characters beyond familiar territory into an intergalactic setting, introducing new worlds and alliances.
Chris Pratt and Charlie Day return as Mario and Luigi, alongside Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach. The original cast also includes Jack Black as Bowser, Keegan-Michael Key as Toad and Kevin Michael Richardson as Kamek.
New additions to the cast include Benny Safdie as Bowser Jr., Donald Glover as Yoshi, Issa Rae as Honey Queen, Luis Guzmán as Wart and Brie Larson as Rosalina.
The film is directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic, with Matthew Fogel returning as screenwriter. Composer Brian Tyler is also back to score the film.
Produced by Illumination founder and CEO Chris Meledandri and Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto, the film is co-financed by Universal Pictures and Nintendo. It will be released worldwide by Universal Pictures.