Summary
The Super Mario Bros. Movieis getting a sequel. However, NBCUniversal may have just inadvertently announced its official title.
The animated filmThe Super Mario Bros. Movie, directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic, was released in 2023. It was produced by Universal Pictures, Illumination, and Nintendo. The movie features voice performances from Chris Pratt (Mario), Anya Taylor-Joy (Princess Peach), Charlie Day (Luigi), Jack Black (Bowser), Keegan-Michael Key (Toad), and Seth Rogen (Donkey Kong). The film received a mixed review with only a 59% rating from critics but a 96% audience score, suggesting strong viewer approval. The first movie was a huge success, grossing over $1.36 billion worldwide. Thus, the sequel was a given. However, NBCUniversal may have accidentally leaked the sequel’s official title.
NBCUniversal published a press release announcing the films fromUniversalPictures, Focus Features, DreamWorks Animation and Illumination, includingMeghan 2.0, Nobody 2, Bad Guys 2, How to Train Your Dragon, Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale, Black Phone 2, HIM, The Phoenician Scheme, Super Mario World, ShrekandMinions.The projects will be released in theaters and on its streaming service, Peacock. However, after just a few minutes, NBCUniversal updated the press release and there was a noticeable change — it no longer mentionedSuper Mario World. The change sparked rumors that it accidentally announced the official title ofThe Super Mario World Bros. Moviesequeland since it was not intentional, they immediately removed it. However, some fans had already taken screenshots of the original press release, including Wario64, who shared the screenshots of the two press releases before and after the changes on X, formerly Twitter.
The apparent alteration raised several eyebrows and received mixed reactions from social media users. Some joked that someone was getting fired for the leak. However, others were not convinced that it was the official title, speculating that it was just made up. One should note thatSuper Mariowas not the only title removed from the original announcement; the updated copy also did not includeShrekandMinions. The upcoming movies from the two franchises are Shrek 5 andMinions 3, so the titles listed were not the official titles for the two films either. Thus, it’s also possible that it did not list the correct title forThe Super Mario Bros. Movie2.
Fans are divided over whether they should take the first announcement as is or just ignore and forget it. It was probably a mistake, hence the alteration. However, many are convinced it was the official title for the anticipatedThe Super Mario Bros. Moviesequel because it sounded right. Also, it aligns with the first film’s post-credits scene, which hinted at the introduction ofYoshi, a dinosaur who is also Mario and Luigi’s sidekick. Yoshi is a fan-favorite character in the franchise who debuted inSuper Mario Worldin 1990. So, yes, the rumors that NBCUniversal accidentally leaked the title of the sequel were plausible.
Also,Super Mario Worldis a fitting continuation of the franchise. Aside from Yoshi’s presence in the post-credits scene,Super Mario Worldis directly connected to the classic game. Also, it takes place in Dinosaur Land, a multi-island environment. The first movie centered on the Mushroom Kingdom. Hence, a sequel set in another location sounds reasonable to give the audience a fresh story without going astray from the franchise. Also, sequels tend to naturally branch out to feature new settings, giving them a broader, more world-sized scale. Also, the first film explains how Mario and Luigi entered theMushroom Kingdom. Taking the story intoSuper Mario Worldsuggests an expansion of their universe, hinting that it is going bigger and broader. However, fans are free to interpret the move as they deem fit. What’s certain is that it remains untitled until NBCUniversal officially announces one.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie 2is set for release on July 03, 2025.
