The Super Mario Galaxy Movie

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is a 2026 animated adventure comedy film based on Nintendo's Mario franchise. The sequel to The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023), it was directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic and written by Matthew Fogel. Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Day, Jack Black and Keegan-Michael Key reprise their roles, with Benny Safdie, Donald Glover, Glen Powell, and Brie Larson joining the cast. It was produced by Illumination and Nintendo. In the film, Mario and Luigi and their friends adventure into outer space, where they meet Princess Rosalina and face off against Bowser and his son, Bowser Jr.

Nintendo's president Shuntaro Furukawa stated in May 2021 that Nintendo was interested in producing more animated films based on its properties if the then-untitled Mario film was successful. Illumination CEO and producer Chris Meledandri was asked about the possibility of a sequel to The Super Mario Bros. Movie before the film's release in April 2023. Following its box office success, a new animated Mario film was announced to be in development at Illumination in March 2024, with Horvath and Jelenic returning as directors and Fogel as screenwriter. It takes inspiration from Mario video games such as Super Mario Galaxy (2007) and Super Mario Galaxy 2 (2010), among other Nintendo games such as the Star Fox series.

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie premiered at Minami-za in Kyoto on March 28, 2026, and was theatrically released in the United States on April 1 by Universal Pictures. It received negative reviews from critics, but became a commercial success, grossing $373 million worldwide against a $110 million budget, becoming the third-highest-grossing film of 2026 and the highest-grossing animated film of the year, while also setting several other box-office records.

Princess Rosalina, the adoptive mother of the Lumas living in the Comet Observatory, is kidnapped by Bowser Jr., who plots to drain her power to create life to fuel a universe-destroying cannon in honor of his father, Bowser, who was defeated by Mario and Luigi and shrunken by Princess Peach. Rosalina sends a Luma to the Mushroom Kingdom, where it enlists Peach and Toad for help. Mario and Luigi are called to inspect a disturbance in the desert town of Tosterena, where they meet and befriend the dinosaur Yoshi, who had hatched in Brooklyn and was pursued back to his home world after breaking a dinosaur skeleton. In Peach and Toad's absence, Mario, Luigi, and Yoshi protect the Mushroom Kingdom and attempt to rehabilitate Bowser.

Bowser Jr. lifts Peach's castle into space in an attempt to free his father, but a battle with the brothers and Yoshi causes his spaceship to drop the castle into the Honeyhive Galaxy. Bowser goads Mario into attacking him, thus unshrinking him, but kindly offers to be arrested in exchange for the brothers and Yoshi, before being abducted by his son, whom he had not seen in years. In the Gateway Galaxy, Peach and Toad try to look for Rosalina after re-obtaining Toad's backpack from the monkey thief Ukiki who works for Wart, a toad-like casino owner from whom they extract Rosalina's location.

Mario, Luigi, and Yoshi reunite with Peach and Toad, who have hired pilot Fox McCloud to transport the group. Fox's spaceship crash lands into Fossil Falls after an attack from Bowser Jr., who turns Mario and Luigi into babies with a Super Scope. Bowser expresses regret over double-crossing the brothers but is inspired to return to his old ways to mend his relationship with his son. Yoshi finds the Super Scope, rescues the brothers from a Tyrannosaurus, and restores their ages. Luigi alerts the Lumas to pick them up in the Comet Observatory, where Peach discovers that she has the same powers as Rosalina, her long-lost older sister; they were born from stardust, and Rosalina sent an infant Peach to the Mushroom Kingdom to protect her from an unidentified attacker.

Fox, Toad, and the Lumas pilot the Comet Observatory to send the other four to the newly-made "Planet Bowser". Mario and Peach confront Bowser, whom Mario drops into the lava moat below, but Bowser survives as a skeletal form. Luigi and Yoshi assist Mario in defeating the Bowsers with power-ups. Peach revives a dying Rosalina, and they transform Planet Bowser into a beautiful world. Mario, Luigi and Yoshi help the sisters, Toads and Lumas rebuild Peach's castle, and Peach kisses Mario as a thanks. Fox sends the Bowsers to prison before heading home to his galaxy.

Back in the Gateway Galaxy, Princess Daisy prevents Ukiki from committing another robbery.

• Chris Pratt as Mario, an Italian-American plumber originally from Brooklyn
• Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach, the ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom, and Rosalina's long-lost younger sister
• Charlie Day as Luigi, Mario's timid younger twin brother
• Jack Black as Bowser, the King of the Koopas
• Keegan-Michael Key as Toad, an anthropomorphic mushroom from the Mushroom Kingdom
• Benny Safdie as Bowser Jr., Bowser's son and the Prince of the Koopas
• Donald Glover as Yoshi, a friendly green dinosaur that Mario and Luigi befriend
• Glen Powell as Fox McCloud, a red fox mercenary space pilot and the protagonist of the Star Fox series
• Brie Larson as Princess Rosalina, Peach's long-lost older sister, a princess from outer space and the adoptive mother of the Lumas
• Luis Guzmán as Wart, a toad crime boss and owner of the Gateway Galaxy's casino
• Issa Rae as the Honey Queen, a large anthropomorphic queen bee who rules the Honeyhive Galaxy
• Kevin Michael Richardson as Kamek, a Magikoopa serving as Bowser's advisor and informant

Reprising their roles from the previous film are Eric Bauza as the blue Toad general in Peach's royal court and Juliet Jelenic, daughter of co-director Michael Jelenic, as Lumalee, a nihilistic blue Luma who was held prisoner by Bowser in the previous film and now works as a prison guard where the Bowsers are sent by Fox.

Story supervisor Ed Skudder cameos as the voice of R.O.B., a robot that works in the Gateway Galaxy. Roxana Ortega voices Ukiki, a monkey-like thief living in the Gateway Galaxy. Co-director Michael Jelenic's two other daughters, Pepper and Virginia Dare, collectively voice the Lumas, Rosalina's star-like adopted children.

In May 2021, Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa said that Nintendo would be interested in producing more animated films based on its intellectual properties if the first Mario film was successful. The post-credits scene hinted at a potential sequel featuring Mario's dinosaur steed Yoshi. Jack Black expressed interest in Pedro Pascal being cast to voice Mario's self-declared arch-rival Wario in the sequel.

Aaron Horvath (left) and Michael Jelenic returned to direct.

In April 2023, following the box office success, Nintendo stated that there would be more films based on their properties, though they did not confirm a Mario sequel. In June 2023, Chris Pratt said a sequel would be announced "soon", but with the caveat that the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike would have an effect on the production. In December 2023, Black expressed interest in the sequel being a musical titled Bowser's Revenge.

In March 2024, during a Mario Day presentation, Meledandri and the Mario creator, Shigeru Miyamoto, confirmed development of a new Mario film with Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic returning to direct and Matthew Fogel returning to write the screenplay. Meledandri said that Illumination's team was in the process of storyboarding and "developing set designs for new environments". In October 2024, Keegan-Michael Key said that the sequel would be "broader in scope" and feature "new folks and old favorites and some folks that [he thinks] are really deep cuts". Producer Chris Meledandri said that, while the games Super Mario Galaxy (2007) and Super Mario Galaxy 2 (2010) games were the core inspiration, it would include "surprises for fans of every Mario era".

Nintendo announced the title The Super Mario Galaxy Movie in September 2025, during a Nintendo Direct presentation. Pratt, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Day, Black, Key, and Kevin Michael Richardson were confirmed to reprise their roles from the previous film, with Brian Tyler returning to compose the score. Two months later, on November 12, a Nintendo Direct presentation for the film trailer was released, and Brie Larson and Benny Safdie were announced to have been cast as Rosalina and Bowser Jr. Larson had previously being a fan of Super Mario Galaxy in 2020. On March 9, 2026, with the release of the final trailer, it was revealed that Donald Glover, Issa Rae, and Luis Guzmán had joined the cast, with Glover voicing Yoshi. Days ahead of the release on March 27, 2026, Glen Powell was revealed to have joined the cast as the Star Fox protagonist, Fox McCloud. Powell and Glover both pitched themselves for their parts after the first film was released. Being in a Star Fox movie was a dream of Powell's and Glover had always wanted to be in a Nintendo film, so Chris Meledandri, the CEO of Illumination, contacted them both back.

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie was animated by Illumination Studios Paris in Paris, France. Production was underway by March 2024, with animation ending in November 2025. In January 2026, Meledandri confirmed that animation had been completed and post-production had begun.

On September 12, 2025, it was reported that Brian Tyler, who composed the score for The Super Mario Bros. Movie, would be returning to compose the score for the sequel. The score is performed by a 70-piece orchestra and features arrangements of themes from the two Super Mario Galaxy games and other installments in the Super Mario series. The soundtrack was released on Back Lot Music and iam8bit on April 1, 2026, coinciding with the film's theatrical release.

Marquee with the film's title at the Moreland Theater in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie was theatrically released in the United States on April 1, 2026, and in Japan on April 24, in RealD 3D and IMAX formats. It was originally scheduled to be released on April 3.

As of April 5, 2026, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie has grossed $191 million in the United States and Canada, and $182 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $373 million. Produced on a budget of $110 million, the film is currently the third-highest-grossing film of 2026 and the highest-grossing animated film of the year; the film also set the record for the biggest global opening at the box office in 2026, the only animated film franchise with two films opening to over $350 million globally, the fifth-biggest global opening for an animated film of all time, the second-biggest global opening for an Illumination film, the second-biggest opening for a film based on a video game, and the fourth-biggest Easter three-day opening of all time.

Before its release, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie was projected to top its predecessor's opening weekend. The film made $34 million on its first day, outperforming its predecessor's $31.7 million, and earned a total of $122.1 million worldwide over its first two days of release. Its three-day opening of $130.9 million made the film the fourth-biggest Easter three-day opening of all time, behind The Super Mario Bros. Movie ($146.4 million), Furious 7 ($147.8 million), and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice ($166 million). Following this, its domestic opening projections were raised to $190 million, while its worldwide opening was raised to $372.5 million.

The film ended up having a debut of $190 million, becoming the fourth biggest five-day opening in the region, behind Moana 2 ($225.4 million in 2024), The Super Mario Bros. Movie ($204.6 million in 2023), and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen ($200 million in 2009).

In its opening weekend from 80 markets, the film grossed $182.4 million, for a global debut of $372.6 million.

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 42% of 177 critics' reviews are positive. The website's consensus reads: "Packed with colorful world-building that's as frenetic as it is weightless, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie's visuals are often out of this world but the threadbare story ultimately loses its Milky Way." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 37 out of 100, based on 45 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable" reviews. Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A−" on an A+ to F scale, down from the first film's "A", while those at PostTrak surveyed that 79% of audiences gave the film a positive review, with 62% saying they would "definitely recommend" it.

Glenn Garner of Deadline Hollywood gave the film a positive review writing, "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is a fun sequel full of nostalgic references, all-star voices and epic animation, grounded by the father-son story of redemption for Bowser (Jack Black) and a sisterly origin story Princess Peach, both of which pave the way for more video game adaptation fun," while also praising the voice performances of Donald Glover and Glen Powell. Barry Hertz of the The Globe and Mail stated: "...whereas a cosmic beast like Cthulhu or Azathoth at least possess all-knowing knowledge in addition to their sanity-breaking powers of terror, a horror like The Super Mario Galaxy Movie retains no vaguely redeeming qualities." In a one-and-a-half out of four review, Eli Friedberg of Slant Magazine said it was "an unpretentiously vapid cocktail of big-budget technical mastery and lack of artistic ambition. The visual language is divorced from reality and referent to the games; even Looney Tunes action is grounded in the real world—the better to subvert it." Tara Brady of The Irish Times said "the dynamic between Bowser and his son, and the Frozen-like sisterhood between Peach and Rosalina, are jettisoned as quickly as they are introduced. Subplots remain half-formed. New additions – especially Glen Powell's inexplicably underused Fox McCloud – barely register. The abrupt conclusion feels like an abandonment. At least it's short." William Bibbiani of TheWrap said, "So lacking in substance and purpose that after a while you can't even hear the dialogue over the incessant sound of Aristotle's ghost punching himself." Kevin Maher gave the film zero out of five in The Times, saying it "provoked periods of actual physical discomfort. I had to stab myself repeatedly in the hand with a pen to distract from the howling distress."

Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian gave The Super Mario Galaxy Movie one out of five, calling it a "bland screensaver of a movie that's actually worse than AI" and "an inert and uninteresting follow-up". Owen Gleiberman of Variety, who praised the previous film, called it a "frenetic and disappointing sequel", while also stating: "...it almost seems like these talented artists have been body-snatched." Clint Worthington of RogerEbert.com gave it one and a half out of four, writing: "This is not a movie to be scrutinised, but to allow beleaguered elder millennial dads to sit their tots down for a precious two hours (if you count the trailers) and get some much-needed rest." Wilson Chapman of IndieWire gave The Super Mario Galaxy Movie a grade of C–, saying that while the video game "is filled with moments of euphoric joy", the film "registers as flat, imagination packed into the most cleanly corporate and focus-group approved form possible." In Screen Daily, Tim Grierson wrote that it had "strained humor and cluttered action sequences ... too often this Illumination production mistakes visual and narrative busyness for genuine excitement." Clarisse Loughrey of The Independent gave the film two out of five, calling it "a joke-free sequel that doubles down on its own blandness." Andrzej Lukowski gave it three out of five, saying it was "not deep, but [is] made with love and it hits the spot".

• List of films based on video games

• List of films featuring dinosaurs

• Official website

• The Super Mario Galaxy Movie at IMDb