The 2026 Super Mario Galaxy Movie

Written by: Sitara Nair

The Super Mario Galaxy movie is scheduled to release this Wednesday on April 1st, 2026! Let’s take a look at the Super Mario franchise, the hype about this movie, and what the future of the Super Mario Bros might be!

A Little Bit About The Super Mario Franchise

The hit movie we are covering today has a long history and a strong background. Launched in 1985 with Super Mario Bros., the Super Mario series is a highly successful video game and media franchise developed by Nintendo. At its core, it features the well-loved Italian plumber, Mario, as he goes on some adventures. These often involve insane quests to rescue Princess Peach from the villain Bowser, all set in the wonderful Mushroom Kingdom. It was created by Shigeru Miyamoto, and this franchise has achieved remarkable success, becoming the best-selling gaming franchise of all time with over 950 million copies sold!

The New Highly-Anticipated Movie

The movie is expected to do incredibly well, predicted to be one of the biggest releases of 2026 (tracking for a $160M+ five-day domestic opening). It is directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic (who directed the first film), and, apart from Super Mario, they are best known for co-developing the animated series Teen Titans Go! (2013). It’s produced by Illumination’s Chris Meledandri and Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto. Regarding the cast, the returning members include the following: Chris Pratt (Mario), Anya Taylor-Joy (Peach), Charlie Day (Luigi), Jack Black (Bowser), and Keegan-Michael Key (Toad). However, be excited to see some new faces like Brie Larson joining as Princess Rosalina, Benny Safdie as Bowser Jr., or even Donald Glover as Yoshi!

In this highly-anticipated movie, the story centers on a major threat from Bowser Jr., who kidnaps Princess Rosalina, setting the plot in motion. Princess Rosalina is very special because she takes care of the Lumas, magical star-like creatures important to the universe. To rescue Rosalina, Mario teams up with his brother Luigi, like the other films. Together, they go on an adventure through many imaginative worlds full of stars and cosmic themes. These worlds are super beautiful and absolutely packed with action, humor, and fun! Along the way, they are joined by Yoshi who becomes a loyal friend and companion, helping Mario and Luigi on their quest. At the same time, the movie also dives into the relationships within the Bowser family. We see a different side of Bowser who appears smaller in size but still has a big personality. He struggles with his son, Bowser Jr., who really wants to be close to him and seize control of the galaxy. This film takes inspiration from the Super Mario Galaxy video games, so you can expect lots of amazing visuals that will grab the audience's attention and make them feel like they're part of the adventure.

What might The Future of the Super Mario Franchise Look Like?

After this movie, it’s difficult to tell exactly how the Super Mario Franchise will do in the movie universe, but fans are confident this won’t be the last time you see the two plumber brothers on the big screen. Charlie Day (Luigi) has often expressed how he’d really be up to working on a Luigi's Mansion Spinoff, which would be the first side-story, potentially introducing King Boo; so fans consider this to be a top contender for the next Mario-based movie. Rumors are also circulating about a film in development that centers around Donkey Kong, stemming from a Nintendo trademark for a standalone feature. In addition, there is speculation regarding potential sequels in the Mario franchise, suggesting that future films could take cues from games like Mario Sunshine, Mario Odyssey, or Super Mario Wonder, with particular focus on incorporating elements such as Wonder Seeds, as indicated by fan predictions.

All in all, are you going to watch the new movie? What’s your guess as to what might be next for the Mario world?