A new Nintendo and Illumination animated movie is scheduled for release in April 2028.
That’s according to the newly updated release schedule on the movie studio’s Spanish website, which was updated on April 23 to add, among other things, a new Nintendo collaboration.
According to the schedule, an “untitled Illumination / Nintendo event film” will release on April 12, 2028. Unsurprisingly, the movie is listed as an animation project.
Considering the huge success of the Super Mario movies, which have now earned more than $2 billion at the global box office, it would not be a surprise to see the collaboration between the two companies continue well into the future.
However, copyright filings and the closer proximity of the newly listed film to The Super Mario Galaxy Movie – which released three years after its predecessor – could suggest the start of a wider Nintendo cinematic universe taking shape with Illumination.
Last summer, it was discovered that Nintendo and Universal had filed copyright information for an untitled Donkey Kong movie. The animated version of the character, voiced by Seth Rogan, did not appear in the sequel, and it’s long been speculated that a spin-off movie is in the works.
Notably, Nintendo has greatly pushed the Donkey Kong IP since the character’s appearance in 2023’s Super Mario Bros. Movie.
Following the release of the first film, DK became the star of the first major expansion to the Super Nintendo World theme parks, Donkey Kong Country, which opened in Japan and Florida.
The character also underwent a major redesign as part of the transition to the Nintendo Switch 2, which was debuted in Mario Kart World. Most significantly, Donkey Kong starred in his first new solo game in 11 years with last year’s Donkey Kong Bananza.
Like its predecessor, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is on course to gross more than $1 billion at the global box office and is already the 10th highest-grossing animated feature film series of all time (the top being the Despicable Me / Minions franchise).
VGC’s Super Mario Galaxy Movie review says the film “knows exactly what it is – big silly fun” suggesting that Nintendo fans will enjoy it even though it won’t win over any naysayers.
