One would think that the infamous failure of 1993’s Super Mario Bros. would have left the franchise untouched by Hollywood forever. But sometimes what doesn’t quite work in live-action works wonderfully in animation, as proved by 2023’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Despite some mixed reviews from critics, it was a hit with fans and smashed through a brick ceiling to box-office success, yet another example of how successful our new age of video game adaptations is (just look at the increasing returns of each Sonic the Hedgehog film).
Now, Illumination and Nintendo are looking to continue that upward momentum with The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, based on the highly acclaimed Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Galaxy 2 games. Judging by trailers and first looks, it seems like the film is massively expanding the world of the first movie by introducing characters from the wider Mario universe, including Benny Safdie as Bowser Jr., Donald Glover as Yoshi, and Brie Larson as Princess Rosalina. However, it was recently confirmed that another character is joining the movie, and this one isn’t known for the Mario games, but another beloved space-faring Nintendo property.
