Super Mario Galaxy movie "aspires to earn its place" in Mario's history, according to Illumination head, and "hold surprises for fans" of every game

Illumination head Chris Meledandri says the upcoming Super Mario Bros. Movie sequel is for Mario fans of all kinds, and that it's aiming to make its mark as an important fixture in Mario's 40-year history.

"All of us at Illumination feel so fortunate to continue our collaboration with Nintendo as we continue the life of Mario in movies," Meledandri said during the Nintendo Direct presentation.

"And while the Super Mario Galaxy games are the core inspiration for our story, this next film holds surprises for fans of every Mario game. Our directors, Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic, and our team of artists are busy working to deliver a film that aspires to earn its place in the history we're here to celebrate. Brian Tyler is also returning to compose a score that incorporates themes from Mario's incredible game heritage."

Meledandri went on to introduce the returning cast, which, of course, includes Chris Pratt as Mario, along with Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach, Charlie Day as Luigi, Keegan Michael-Key as Toad, and Kevin Michael Richardson as Kamek.

After the massive success of the first Super Mario Bros. Movie, we have high expectations for the second installment. During the presentation, fans were treated to a teaser trailer that announced the sequel's title: The Super Mario Galaxy movie.

Super Mario Galaxy is a 2007 game made exclusively for the Nintendo Wii, and sees Mario embark on an intergalactic mission to rescue Princess Peach from Bowser (and you can play as Luigi if you're feeling frisky). The levels, which are some of the prettiest in the entire franchise, consist of various galaxies, planets, asteroids, and different variations of gravity that Mario gets to bounce around in.

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is heading to cinemas on April 3, 2026. For more, check out our picks of the best video game movies of all time or our guide to all of the upcoming video game movies heading our way.