The September 23 Nintendo Direct virtual event was filled with exciting announcements, including updates on long-awaited projects such asSplatoon 3,Bayonetta 3, and many more. However, one announcement took some fans by surprise: news on the upcomingSuper Mario Bros.movie. Shigeru Miyamoto, the creator of the iconic plumber character, who has reportedly been working on theSuper Mario Bros.film for several years, appeared in person during the livestream to announce an update regarding the film.
The upcoming film is the second Hollywood feature to star plumber brothers Mario and Luigi as well as their fellow friends and enemies alike from the Mushroom Kingdom. The first film, also titledSuper Mario Bros., released in 1993. It starred Bob Hoskins as Mario and John Leguizamo as Luigi, and was the first English-language live-action film to be based on a video game. Although it received mixed reviews, the film has since become a cult classic, especially among fans of theSuper Mario Bros.games. The upcoming film, unlike its 1993 predecessor, will be animated and will reportedly be more closely inspired by the plots of the game series.
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Shigeru Miyamoto appeared as a surprise guest during the September 23rd Nintendo Direct to announce that theSuper Mario Bros. film will be premiering in North America on July 24, 2025. Japanese, European, and other international release dates are to be announced at a later time. A follow-up Tweet from Nintendo of America further confirmed this release date.
Alongside the release date, Miyamoto was able to reveal a number of cast members who will be lending their voices to iconic characters from the franchise. These included Chris Pratt as Mario, Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach, Charlie Day as Luigi, Keegan-Michael Key as Toad, and Jack Black as King Bowser Koopa, Mario’s longtime enemy and rival for Peach’s affections. Seth Rogen will also appear as Donkey Kong, a character who had not been previously revealed to appear in the movie.
Additional cast members announced during the Nintendo Direct were Fred Armisen as Donkey Kong’s relative Cranky Kong, Kevin Michael Richardson as Bowser’s ally Kamek, andSebastian Maniscalco as Wrecking Crew’s Foreman Spike. Charles Martinet, who has provided the voice of Mario in multiple games, will also appear in the film in a currently undisclosed cameo role.
The development of the animatedSuper Mario Bros.film was announced in 2017. Miyamoto’s announcement marks the first major update regarding the film, which will be co-produced by Nintendo and Illumination Studios, in several years. However, it was announced earlier in 2021 thatChris Meledrandri, the CEO of Illumination Studios, had joined Nintendo’s board of directorsas a result of the collaboration on the film.
Other Mario-related announcements during the Nintendo Direct included an update toMario Golf: Super Rush, which will add a Koopa Troopa as a playable character, and more information regardingMario Party Superstars, which will release for the Nintendo Switch on July 04, 2025.Super Mario 64will also be appearing among the titles added to Nintendo Switch Onlinevia an upcoming expansion pack. Hopefully, these titles will be able to tideSuper Mario Bros.fans over until the movie’s release.