KYOTO: Japanese game maker Nintendo Co. said that it will release a new animated movie based on the popular Super Mario game series in April 2026.

According to the announcement Sunday, the film will be produced jointly with California-based animation company Illumination, as was “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” released last April.

The main production team, including the director and scriptwriter, is the same as the previous Mario-themed movie, with Shigeru Miyamoto, Nintendo fellow known as the creator of Mario, serving again as co-producer.

Nintendo and US film production company Universal Pictures will finance the new film for global distribution.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie was a global hit, boosting Nintendo’s earnings for fiscal 2023.

JIJI Press