Did you catch The Super Mario Bros. Movie back in 2023?
That film crossed over $1.3 billion at the global box office, landing at #2 for the year — just barely behind the Barbie movie, which edged it out with $1.36 billion. Two pop culture giants sitting side by side at the top of the charts
Now, the official sequel — The Super Mario Galaxy Movie — is hitting theaters on April 1st
🎬 Who Is Illumination?
The studio behind both Mario films is Illumination, founded in 2007 by Chris Meledandri. Standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Pixar and DreamWorks, Illumination’s films have averaged an extraordinary $711 million at the worldwide box office. Their lineup includes the Despicable Me franchise, Minions, Sing, and The Secret Life of Pets
What really sets them apart is their efficiency. While Pixar spent upwards of $200 million on Inside Out 2, Illumination has built its entire reputation on delivering massive box office returns on relatively modest budgets. In Hollywood, that’s basically a superpower
🚀 So What’s This One About?
Bowser is being held captive inside a tiny miniature prison at Peach’s castle, and his son Bowser Jr. is determined to free him — making himself the new threat to reckon with. Mario, Luigi, Peach, Toad, and Yoshi head into outer space, cross paths with Princess Rosalina, and find themselves swept into a galaxy-spanning adventure
The returning cast is stacked: Chris Pratt (Mario), Anya Taylor-Joy (Peach), Jack Black (Bowser), and Keegan-Michael Key (Toad) are all back. Joining them are some exciting new faces — Brie Larson as Rosalina, Donald Glover as Yoshi, and Benny Safdie as Bowser Jr
And then there’s the big surprise. Glen Powell will be voicing Fox McCloud — the beloved Star Fox hero — making his big-screen debut alongside the Mario crew. Powell made the announcement via Instagram, captioned simply “Born to Barrel Roll.” The internet, predictably, lost it
🔍 That Mystery Character From the Trailer
If you watched the final trailer and spotted a character wielding a paintbrush — body changing colors mid-scene — that’s Bowser Jr. Originally from Super Mario Sunshine, he wields a Magic Paintbrush that lets him coat himself in paint and transform. He’s set up as the main villain of this film, and honestly, that paintbrush transformation scene is one of the most visually striking moments in the trailer. Definitely one to watch
🌟 Why This One Feels Worth Watching
Game-to-film adaptations have a rough track record — but the 2023 Mario movie proved it didn’t have to be that way. It was just fun, plain and simple
This time around, the world expands into outer space, the cast gets even bigger, and Bowser Jr.’s transformation sequences look like they were made to be seen on a big screen. The Fox McCloud reveal alone has fans theorizing about a full Nintendo Cinematic Universe down the line — and honestly, at this point, anything feels possible
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie opens in theaters April 1st. See you there
