Illumination and Nintendo Announce New Animated Film Based on the World of Super Mario Bros.

SANTA MONICA, Calif. & KYOTO, Japan–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Illumination (HQ: Santa Monica, CA, USA; Founder and CEO: Chris Meledandri) and Nintendo Co., Ltd. (HQ: Kyoto, Minami-ku, Japan; Representative Director and President: Shuntaro Furukawa, “Nintendo” hereafter) today announced that they are producing a new animated film based on the world of Super Mario Bros.
This new animated film based on the world of Super Mario Bros. is planned to be released on April 3, 2026 in the US and many additional markets globally with select territories releasing throughout the month of April.
The film will be produced by Chris Meledandri, Founder and CEO of Illumination and Shigeru Miyamoto, Representative Director, Fellow of Nintendo, directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic, and written by Matthew Fogel. The film will be co-financed by Universal Pictures and Nintendo and distributed theatrically worldwide by Universal Pictures.
By getting deeply involved in the movie production with the aim to put smiles on everyone’s faces through entertainment, Nintendo will continue its efforts to produce unique entertainment and deliver it to as many people as possible.
Illumination is excited to continue its partnership with Nintendo, bringing its signature mix of joy and discovery to worldwide audiences of all ages, allowing them to connect with the beloved characters and stories from one of the world’s most popular franchises.

About Illumination

Illumination, founded by Chris Meledandri in 2007, is one of the entertainment industry’s leading producers of event-animated films, including Despicable Me-the most successful animated franchise in cinematic history-as well as the record breaking The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax, Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch and The Secret Life of Pets and Sing films. Illumination’s library includes three of the top 10 animated films of all time. Illumination’s iconic, beloved franchises-infused with memorable and distinct characters, global appeal and cultural relevance-have grossed more than $9 billion worldwide. Illumination has an exclusive financing and distribution partnership with Universal Pictures. Illumination’s next film is Despicable Me 4, which will be released in theaters on July 3, 2024.

About Nintendo

Nintendo Co., Ltd., headquartered in Kyoto, Japan, has created franchises that have become household names worldwide, including Mario™, Donkey Kong™, The Legend of Zelda™, Metroid™, Pokémon™, Animal Crossing™, Pikmin™ and Splatoon™, through its integrated hardware and software products. Nintendo aims to deliver unique, intuitive entertainment experiences for everyone, manufacturing and marketing video game devices such as the Nintendo Switch™ family of systems, developing and operating applications for smart devices, and collaborating with partners on a range of other entertainment initiatives like visual content and theme parks. Nintendo has sold more than 5.6 billion video games and over 800 million hardware units globally. From the launch of the Nintendo Entertainment System™ more than 30 years ago, through today and into the future, Nintendo’s continuing mission is to create unique entertainment that puts smiles on the faces of people all over the world. Contacts
Sarah Rothman – sarah.rothman@ledecompany.com