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The Super Mario Galaxy Movie has star-jumped onto the big screen, bringing one of the most-loved Mario games to moviedom.
With Chris Pratt's Mario returning alongside Jack Black's Bowser and a whole host of new faces – including some major Nintendo figures not typically associated with the Mario series – there's a lot stuffed into the movie's tight 98-minute runtime.
Article continues belowSuper Mario Galaxy Movie release date
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie was released in theaters on April 1, 2026, almost exactly three years on from the first movie's release, on April 5, 2023.
The confirmed Super Mario Galaxy Movie runtime is 98 minutes.
If the pattern holds, we could expect to see the (currently unannounced) Super Mario Bros. Movie 3 in April 2029. Fingers crossed, anyway…
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie Reviews – what the critics are saying
The reviews for the Super Mario Galaxy Movie are not pretty, with critics bemoaning the film's over-reliance on Easter eggs, lack of character development, and curious treatment of Rosalina.
The film is currently sitting on a measly 44% on Rotten Tomatoes, which is way down on The Super Mario Bros. Movie's (still technically rotten) 59%. Both UK-based broadsheets The Times and The Guardian gave the film their lowest possible star rating, which in the case of The Times was actually zero stars. A "bland screensaver of a movie that’s actually worse than AI," was The Guardian's evaluation.
More measured verdicts, which include GamesRadar+'s own 3* Super Mario Galaxy review, noted that while the film has "relentless energy and creativity," it "never quite reaches Galaxy's gravity-defying game heights."
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie trailer
The first full-length trailer for The Super Mario Galaxy movie was released during a dedicated Nintendo Direct on November 12, 2025. This trailer shows off Rosalina, introduces Bowser Jr., and even teases a connection to Super Mario Odyssey. Check it out above. This came after the first teaser for Super Mario Galaxy Movie was released on September 12's Nintendo Direct, confirming the movie's official title.
However, during January 25's Nintendo Direct in 2026, Nintendo and Illumination revealed yet another Super Mario Galaxy trailer, which gave us our first look at fan-favourite character Yoshi. Check it out below.
Not only does the new trailer introduce Yoshi in the sweetest way possible, but the clip also includes shots of some major villains taken right from the games, such as Birdie and Super Mario Bros. 2's Mouser.
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie cast
The confirmed cast list for The Super Mario Galaxy Movie features some returning actors from the first movie and several noteworthy newcomers.
The main cast is as follows:
- Chris Pratt – Mario
- Charlie Day – Luigi
- Anya Taylor-Joy – Princess Peach
- Jack Black – Bowser
- Keegan-Michael Key – Toad
- Donald Glover – Yoshi
- Glen Powell – Fox McCloud
- Kevin Michael Richardson – Kamek
- Brie Larson – Princess Rosalina
- Benny Safdie – Bowser Jr.
- Luis Guzman – Wart
- Issa Rae – Queen Bee
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie plot
While the Super Mario Galaxy Movie takes its cues from the legendary 2007 video game, much of the film's story is original to the movie.
The film opens with Princess Rosalina (Brie Larson) being abducted by Bowser Jr., who is piloting Megaleg at the time. Back across the stars, Mario and Luigi discover hungry green dinosaur Yoshi in the Sand Kingdom.
During her birthday celebrations, one of Rosalina's children – a Luma star – arrives at Peach's castle and tells her their mother has been kidnapped. Peach sets out with Toad to save her, leaving Mario, Luigi, and Yoshi to keep the Mushroom Kingdom safe.
Before too long, Bowser Jr. attacks the Mushroom Kingdom and attempts to rescue his father, Bowser (who is still miniaturised), by lifting Peach's Castle into the sky using his spaceship. Bowser Jr. fails, but the heroes are stranded on an unfamiliar planet.
Across space, Peach and Toad arrive at the Gateway Galaxy. There, they encounter Wart in an underground casino, and learn the location of Bowser Jr's hideout in the Space Junk Galaxy. In need of a ride, they enlist the services of Fox McCloud and his nifty Arwing. Simultaneously, Mario, Luigi, and Yoshi hitch a ride to the Gateway Galaxy on an interstellar beetle thanks to Queen Bee.
The heroes reunite on the flight deck and set off with Fox to the Space Junk Galaxy. But Bowser Jr. and his recently rescued father attack, turning Mario and Luigi into babies and causing them to crash in the Cascade Kingdom, where a sleeping T-rex resides. Though the Arwing is damaged, they are rescued by the Lumas, who arrive in Rosalina's Comet Observatory.
Thanks to some impressive piloting by Fox, Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Yoshi are able to infiltrate Planet Bowser. After surviving a deadly gauntlet and an encounter with Bowser, who is dipped in lava and turns into the skeletal Dry Bowser, Mario, Luigi, and Yoshi fight and defeat Bowsers Sr. and Jr. It's left to Peach to rescue Rosalina, who are revealed to be sisters in a major shake-up to Mario lore. Not only that, but they were born from stardust and can harness the power of the cosmos when they touch hands, allowing Peach to bust Rosalina out of containment.
Back in the Mushroom Kingdom, Rosalina and the Lumas help the Mushroom Crew rebuild Peach's Castle where it originally stood. In two post-credits scenes, we learn that Fox intends to return home after getting his warp drive fixed, that Bowser and Bowser Jr. are in prison, and we meet Princess Daisy, who stops a thieving monkey in at the Gateway Galaxy's busy transport hub.
For everything else coming soon, check out our guide to all the upcoming movies in the works.
