The Super Mario Bros. Movie gets an earlier release date

Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment have announced that the animated feature The Super Mario Bros. Movie is getting an earlier release date… but only slightly earlier. Previously scheduled to reach theatres on April 7th, The Super Mario Bros. Movie now has a release date of April 5th in the United States and in more than sixty other markets around the world (including China, Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Brazil, Mexico, the U.K., and Ireland). The film will reach additional markets in April and May, with its Japan release set for April 28th.

Directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic (collaborators on Teen Titans Go!, Teen Titans Go! To the Movies) from a screenplay by Matthew Fogel (The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part, Minions: The Rise of Gru), the film has a voice cast that includes Chris Pratt as Mario, Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach, Charlie Day as Luigi, Jack Black as Bowser, Keegan-Michael Key as Toad, Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong, Fred Armisen as Cranky Kong, Kevin Michael Richardson as Kamek, and Sebastian Maniscalco as Spike.

Illumination founder and CEO Chris Meledandri produced The Super Mario Bros. Movie with Shigeru Miyamoto of Nintendo. The film has been co-financed by Universal Pictures and Nintendo.

As we have noted before, Nintendo acquired Dynamo Pictures in July of 2022 to establish a CG animation company, Nintendo Pictures. The studio plans to adapt more of Nintendo’s IPs. Nintendo has yet to reveal what properties the studio intends to adopt. If you’re unfamiliar with Dynamo Pictures, they’ve worked on projects like Ghost in the Shell, Studio Ghibli’s Earwig and the Witch, Nier Replicant, Mega Man, Death Stranding, and titles in the Resident Evil franchise. While Nintendo has yet to reveal any potential plans for the studio, fans may eventually see adaptations of The Legend of Zelda, Metroid, Animal Crossing, or Luigi’s Mansion.

Are you looking forward to The Super Mario Bros. Movie, and are you glad it has an earlier release date? Let us know by leaving a comment below. I have fond memories of playing several of the Mario games (and not-so-fond memories of watching the 1993 Super Mario Bros. movie), so I will be watching this movie at some point.