Nintendo announced Friday an unprecedented weekend Nintendo Direct, a presentation typically reserved for weekdays. Nintendo Direct is an online presentation series where the gaming company announces news, trailers and release dates for upcoming games, hardware and in this case, movies.
This weekend’s event is scheduled for Sunday, Jan. 25, at 7 a.m. MST. Fans will get an “exclusive look” at the upcoming animated feature “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.”
Those who wish to watch this Sunday’s Nintendo Direct live can tune in to the Nintendo YouTube Channel or watch on a smart device through the Nintendo Today! app, the company detailed.
What we know about ‘The Super Mario Galaxy Movie’
The film is the anticipated sequel to 2023’s “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” which followed Mario’s quest to rescue his brother, Luigi, from Bowser after the pair were transported from Brooklyn to the magical Mushroom Kingdom. The original film earned just over $1 billion at the global box office, per Box Office Mojo.
Directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic, the sequel is set for release April 3, 2026. The story will follow Mario and his allies as they venture into the galaxy far beyond Brooklyn and the Mushroom Kingdom.
“The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” features the return of Chris Pratt and Charlie Day as the voices of Mario and Luigi, respectively, according to IMDb. Also returning are Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach, Jack Black as Bowser and Keegan-Michael Key as Toad.
Joining the cast are Benny Safdie as Bowser Jr. and Brie Larson as Rosalina.
While Illumination and Universal Pictures have kept plot details under wraps, fans are eager for updates.
Fans have heard that the movie will include some Nintendo characters that are “really deep cuts,” and a few fans think the plot may confirm the theory around Peach and Rosalina’s origin stories, according to IGN.
Other Universal and Illumination collaborations in 2026
The Mario sequel isn’t the only project from the two studios arriving in 2026. “Minions 3″ is scheduled to hit theaters on July 1, 2026.
This marks the third installment in the standalone “Minions” franchise, separate from the “Despicable Me” series. The first “Minions” movie debuted in 2015 and earned just over $1 billion in the global box office. Its 2022 successor, “Minions: The Rise of Gru,” grossed approximately $940 million globally.