Super Mario Galaxy Movie Moves Up US Release To April 1

I see the release date for the upcoming Super Mario Galaxy Movie has been adjusted for the United States. The film will now debut stateside on April 1, 2026. This change brings the US release forward by two days from its original April 3 date. The new schedule aligns its premiere with dozens of other markets, including the UK, France, and Germany, creating a more simultaneous global launch.

Japan, however, will maintain its later release date of April 24, 2026. This sequel follows the massive financial success of 2023’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie, an adaptation from animation studio Illumination that grossed over $1 billion worldwide and became the biggest video game adaptation ever in terms of worldwide gross. Nintendo surely hopes this follow-up, heavily inspired by the Super Mario Galaxy games, will achieve similar results.

Nintendo officially detailed the schedule change in a news release.

"The Super Mario Galaxy Movie will move from April 3, 2026, to April 1, 2026 in the US and many additional markets globally, and will be released on April 24, 2026, in Japan, with select territories releasing throughout April."— Nintendo (as spotted via VGC)

During a recent Nintendo Direct live stream, Illumination’s Chris Meledandri also provided a production update. He confirmed that all animation work on the film is now fully complete. The project has officially moved into the post-production phase, which involves finalizing sound, music, and visual effects ahead of its April release. This indicates the project is well on track to meet its new, earlier deadline without issue.

The latest news arrived alongside a new two-minute trailer, which was personally introduced by Nintendo’s own Shigeru Miyamoto. In the footage, I watched Mario and Luigi pull up to investigate what was described as a "troubled pipe". More significantly, the preview gave fans their first official look at Yoshi, confirming the character’s appearance after it was leaked earlier on Pilsbury cookie packaging. The green dinosaur was not the only new face, as the trailer also showcased Birdo for the first time. This follows a previous full trailer released in November 2025, which served to introduce two other major characters to the film’s universe: the cosmic heroine Rosalina and the primary antagonist, Bowser Jr.

The voice cast for the sequel is expanding with some notable talent. Rosalina, a central character from the Super Mario Galaxy source games, will be voiced by Brie Larson. Larson is widely known for playing Captain Marvel but is also an Academy Award winner for her role in Room and has been described as a long-time Nintendo fan. Bowser Jr. will be played by Benny Safdie, an actor and filmmaker who co-directed and wrote acclaimed films like Uncut Gems and The Smashing Machine. To build anticipation for the movie, Nintendo recently released ports of the Wii classics Super Mario Galaxy 1 + 2 on the Switch and Switch 2 consoles. It marks the first time the second game has been available on the Switch platform, though the ports do feature some compromises on their original control schemes.

Read also, I played Super Mario Galaxy 2 on Switch 2. Nintendo has officially brought Super Mario Galaxy 2 to Switch 2, making one of the most celebrated 3D platformers in the Mario franchise available beyond the Wii. This re-release preserves the inventive space-based platforming that made the original a standout while offering enhanced visuals and additional gameplay options, including full Yoshi control and IR pointer support.