'The Super Mario Galaxy Movie's' Name Has an Iconic Origin From Nintendo's History
Chris Pratt and Jack Black will reprise their roles from 'The Super Mario Bros. Movie', the billion-dollar smash hit from 2023.
Published Sept. 12 2025, 3:25 p.m. ET
Throughout the history of major blockbusters, Hollywood studios have been able to surprise audiences with the projects they place in development. Some sequels, such as The Lost World: Jurassic Park, were the next logical step for their respective franchises.
However, adventures such as Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice genuinely surprised fans who were expecting to see something else after a successful first installment.
When The Super Mario Bros. movie earned more than $1 billion for Nintendo and Illumination Entertainment, the world expected a sequel to be produced. Not a lot of people could have predicted that the second installment was going to be called The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.
Why is the highly anticipated animated feature called The Super Mario Galaxy Movie? Here's what we know about the origins of the video game adaptation's name.
Why is the sequel called 'The Super Mario Galaxy Movie'?
The reason why Illumination Entertainment's animated sequel is called The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is that a 2007 video game launched by Nintendo used the name first. Super Mario Galaxy was released right as the Nintendo Wii was taking flight.
The Nintendo Wii included a dynamic controller that allowed players to navigate through games via a motion sensor. Nintendo wanted to explore the technology's potential through a new story involving its most famous character, Mario.
Super Mario Galaxy saw the iconic Nintendo plumber making his way through outer space. The point of the game was to collect Power Stars. The valuable objects were given to players after they defeated bosses or reached hidden areas.
According to an archived Nintendo sales report, more than 12 million copies of Super Mario Galaxy were sold around the world. The game turned out to be a massive success.
What will 'The Super Mario Galaxy' Movie' be about?
While it could have been safe for fans to assume that The Super Mario Galaxy Movie will be based on the premise of the video game, that might not be the case. Back when Illumination Entertainment announced that it would bring Nintendo's properties to the big screen, no one knew what to expect.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie used several elements from across different video games in order to tell the story of Mario (Chris Pratt) and Bowser (Jack Black).
As of Sept. 12, 2025, Nintendo hasn't released a plot synopsis for The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. The studio decided to leave viewers speculating about what the hero would be up to once he returned to cinemas.
Nintendo announced that Chris Pratt, Jack Black, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Charlie Day would all be reprising their voice roles from the first installment for the sequel. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie was set to be distributed by Universal Pictures, the film studio behind Five Nights at Freddy's.
Universal Pictures announced that The Super Mario Galaxy Movie will be released in theaters on April 3, 2026. According to Variety, the sequel was scheduled to arrive three years after the release of The Super Mario Bros. Movie.