Universal Reportedly Reveals Release Date for Third Mario Movie

The Super Mario Bros. Movie and its sequel, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, have officially surpassed a combined $2 billion at the global box office. Following this immense success, the release of a third installment is widely considered to be just a matter of time.

Thanks to an updated release schedule from Universal Pictures, we now have a rough timeline for the next project. According to Universal's Spanish division, an "Untitled Illumination and Nintendo Project" is slated to premiere on April 12, 2028. This date lands exactly two years after the upcoming sequel, which is expected to set the stage for further adventures.

While a third Mario movie hasn't been officially confirmed, the ending of Galaxy strongly hints at more interplanetary travels for the Mushroom Kingdom heroes. However, there’s a chance the 2028 slot belongs to Donkey Kong rather than the famous plumber. In 2025, Nintendo Studios and Universal Pictures filed a trademark for an "Untitled Donkey Kong Project." Seth Rogen's character played a major role in the 2023 original but was relegated to a brief cameo in the sequel. Rumors of a solo DK movie have been circulating since 2021, and Rogen himself expressed interest in returning to the role during an interview with Collider.

As for Nintendo’s other big-screen ventures, the live-action Legend of Zelda movie remains the next major milestone. Directed by Wes Ball and co-produced with Sony Pictures, the film is scheduled to hit theaters on May 7, 2027.

In case you missed it, the digital release date for The Super Mario Galaxy Movie was recently announced.

You can also find our review of the April sequel right here.

Have you seen the second movie yet? Did it live up to the hype or fall short? Let us know in the comments!