Mario, Luigi and friends have leveled up for an out-of-this-world sequel that expands on the Nintendo video game world.

In The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, the titular plumber and his brother follow Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy) on an intergalactic adventure to save Princess Rosalina (Brie Larson), who’s been kidnapped by the vengeful Bowser Jr. (Benny Safdie).

The sequel gets right to the fun with limitless nods to the game, after the 2023 movie set up the rules of the game—which fans have known for decades—while introducing Mario and Luigi (Charlie Day) to the magical world just beyond their Brooklyn existence.

As the name might suggest, this outing also sees multiple worlds blending, which allows for countless familiar characters from the game. And with skillful animation from the folks at Illumination, there are several visual nods to the gamer POV that will have you reaching for a controller.

Yoshi (voiced by Donald Glover) proves to be the standout of this movie after Mario and Luigi stumble upon the friendly dinosaur during a plumbing call. Even the most avid of Childish Gambino fans won’t recognize the performer, who must have had the time of his life in the recording booth.

Glen Powell also provides a fun addition to the onscreen franchise as the voice of Fox McCloud, a furry animated manifestation of his own rising action star.

Meanwhile, Chris Pratt still seems to be forgetting that he’s voicing a character. It’s understandable that the movies wanted to temper the Italian stereotypes perpetuated in the game and go for a more Brooklynite version of the character. But has Pratt ever been to Brooklyn? Was Adam Sandler not available? Or even Nick Kroll?

Overall, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is a fun sequel full of nostalgic references, all-star voices and epic animation, grounded by the father-son story of redemption for Bowser (Jack Black) and a sisterly origin story Princess Peach, both of which pave the way for more video game adaptation fun.

Producers are Chris Meledandri and Shigeru Miyamoto.

Title: The Super Mario Galaxy Movie
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Release Date: April 1, 2026
Directors: Aaron Horvath, Michael Jelenic
Screenwriter: Matthew Fogel
Cast: Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Day, Jack Black, Keegan-Michael Key, Benny Safdie, Donald Glover, Issa Rae, Luis Guzmán, Kevin Michael Richardson, Brie Larson, Glen Powell
Rating: PG
Running Time: 1 hour and 39 minutes