Illumination and Nintendo Announce Theatrical Release Date and Voice Cast for the Super Mario Bros. Animated Film
24.9.2021 02:46:00 EEST | Business Wire | Press release
Illumination (HQ: Santa Monica, CA, USA; Founder and CEO: Chris Meledandri) and Nintendo Co., Ltd. (HQ: Kyoto, Minami-ku, Japan; Representative Director and President: Shuntaro Furukawa, “Nintendo” hereafter) today announced that their new animated film based on the world of Super Mario Bros. will be released worldwide during the 2022 holiday season. Universal Pictures will release the film in North America on December 21, 2022, with the release schedule for additional countries and regions to be announced at a future date. The film will be co-financed by Universal Pictures and Nintendo.
In addition, the two companies announced the voice actors for the characters Mario (Chris Pratt), Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy), Luigi (Charlie Day), Bowser (Jack Black), Toad (Keegan-Michael Key), Donkey Kong (Seth Rogen), Cranky Kong (Fred Armisen), Kamek (Kevin Michael Richardson) and Spike (Sebastian Maniscalco). Each voice actor was cast for their ability to capture the unique spirit of their character.
This new animated film will be produced by Chris Meledandri of Illumination and Shigeru Miyamoto of Nintendo, directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic, who previously collaborated on the animated series Teen Titans Go! and the film Teen Titans Go! To the Movies. The screenplay of the film will be written by Matthew Fogel, whose writing credits include The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part and the upcoming Illumination film Minions: The Rise of Gru.
“Mario and Luigi are two of the most beloved heroes in all of popular culture, and we are honored to have the unique opportunity to work so closely with Shigeru Miyamoto and the widely imaginative team at Nintendo to bring these characters to life in an animated movie, unlike any film Illumination has made to date,” said Chris Meledandri, Illumination’s Founder and CEO, and outside director of Nintendo.
“We are collaborating with Chris and his experienced team to not just create a character licensed film, but a new piece of entertainment which brings Super Mario Bros. to life on the screen, and allows everyone to enjoy whether or not they know about the game. The production so far is constructive and going very well, and both parties are learning a lot from each other. We humbly ask that fans wait just a little longer for the premiere, and we hope they look forward to seeing the unique characters from Super Mario Bros. on the big screen,” said Shigeru Miyamoto, Representative Director, Fellow of Nintendo.
- Voice cast
Mario – Chris Pratt
Princess Peach – Anya Taylor-Joy
Luigi – Charlie Day
Bowser – Jack Black
Toad – Keegan-Michael Key
Donkey Kong – Seth Rogen
Cranky Kong – Fred Armisen
Kamek – Kevin Michael Richardson
Spike – Sebastian Maniscalco
??? – Charles Martinet
- About the Super Mario Bros. animated film
This Super Mario Bros. animated film, which will be produced by Chris Meledandri of Illumination and Shigeru Miyamoto of Nintendo, is scheduled to be released during the 2022 holiday season. It will premiere on December 21, 2022, in North America. The release schedule for additional countries and regions will be announced at a future date. The film will be co-financed by Universal Pictures and Nintendo, released worldwide by Universal Pictures.
- About Illumination
Illumination, founded by Academy Award® nominee Chris Meledandri in 2007, is one of the entertainment industry's leading producers of event-animated films. The company's franchises include two of the top-four animated films of all time, and its iconic, beloved brands infused with memorable and distinct characters, global appeal and cultural relevance have grossed more than $6.25 billion worldwide. Illumination was honored by Fast Company as one of the world's most innovative companies.
- About Nintendo
Nintendo Co., Ltd., headquartered in Kyoto, Japan, has created franchises that have become household names worldwide, including Mario™, Donkey Kong™, The Legend of Zelda™, Metroid™, Pokémon™, Animal Crossing™, Pikmin™ and Splatoon™, through its integrated hardware and software products. Nintendo aims to deliver unique, intuitive entertainment experiences for everyone, manufacturing and marketing video game devices such as the Nintendo Switch™ family of systems, developing and operating applications for smart devices, and collaborating with partners on a range of other entertainment initiatives like visual content and theme parks. Nintendo has sold more than 5.1 billion video games and over 800 million hardware units globally. From the launch of the Nintendo Entertainment System™ more than 30 years ago, through today and into the future, Nintendo’s continuing mission is to create unique entertainment that puts smiles on the faces of people all over the world.
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210923006003/en/
Contact information
For Illumination
Sarah Levinson Rothman
sarah.rothman@ledecompany.com
917-623-6060
For Nintendo
Eddie Garcia
egarcia@golin.com
213-335-5536
or
Cindy Gordon
cindgo02@noa.nintendo.com
650-226-4040
About Business Wire
For more than 50 years, Business Wire has been the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure.
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
Venture Global Announces Closing of $2.25 Billion of Senior Secured Notes12.6.2026 00:00:00 EEST | Press release
Venture Global LNG, Inc. (“Venture Global”) announced today that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Venture Global LNG, Inc. (the “Issuer”) has closed its offering of $1.125 billion aggregate principal amount of its 6.375% senior secured notes due 2034 (the “2034 Notes”) and $1.125 billion aggregate principal amount of its 6.625% senior secured notes due 2036 (the “2036 Notes” and, together with the 2034 Notes, the “Notes”). The Issuer used the gross proceeds from the offering to redeem all of the Issuer’s outstanding 8.125% senior secured notes due 2028 (the “Existing 2028 Notes”) and used cash on hand to pay the redemption premium and related fees and expenses for the offering and the redemption. The 2034 Notes will mature on December 15, 2034, and the 2036 Notes will mature on June 15, 2036. The Notes were issued at par. The Notes will initially not be guaranteed by any of the Issuer’s subsidiaries. In the future, certain of the Issuer’s subsidiaries that incur or guarantee certain amount
Venture Global and Atlantic-SEE Announce Expansion of Long-Term LNG Sales and Purchase Agreement with Greece11.6.2026 23:30:00 EEST | Press release
Today, Venture Global, Inc. (NYSE: VG) and ATLANTIC – SEE LNG TRADE S.A. of Greece announced an expansion of their existing Sales and Purchase Agreement (SPA) for the purchase of U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Venture Global for twenty years starting in 2030. Under the deal, Atlantic-SEE is doubling their existing contract with Venture Global from a minimum of 0.5 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) to 1.0 million tonnes per annum (MTPA). Atlantic-SEE LNG is a newly formed joint venture announced in November at the 6th Partnership for Transatlantic Energy Cooperation (PTEC) conference hosted in Athens, Greece between Greek companies AKTOR Group and DEPA Commercial. The announcement of this expanded supply agreement follows Venture Global’s previously announced investment in regasification capacity at the Alexandroupolis LNG import terminal in Greece, which currently accounts for approximately 25% of the terminal’s total capacity. The Alexandroupolis LNG FSRU receiving terminal and S
Merrithew ® Expands Global Mindful Movement Leadership with Acquisition of the GYROTONIC ® Organization11.6.2026 18:30:00 EEST | Press release
Merrithew®, a global leader in mindful movement education and equipment and creator of internationally recognized programs including STOTT PILATES®, ZEN•GA®, Halo® Training and Total Barre®, today announced the acquisition of the GYROTONIC® organization, creator of the globally respected GYROTONIC® and GYROKINESIS® methods. Founded by Juliu Horvath, the GYROTONIC® and GYROKINESIS® methods are internationally recognized for their distinctive approach to movement, combining fluidity, strength, mobility, coordination, and rehabilitation through specialized equipment and movement sequences. Practiced in studios and wellness centers worldwide, the methods have cultivated a deeply loyal global community of instructors, trainers, therapists, and movement professionals. The acquisition marks a significant milestone in Merrithew International Inc.’s growth strategy and reflects Merrithew’s commitment to growing the rapidly expanding global mindful movement category. The addition of the GYROTONI
GigaDevice Expands Optical Communication Portfolio with New GD32E512 and GD32E252 Series MCUs for Optical Modules11.6.2026 17:00:00 EEST | Press release
GigaDevice, a leading semiconductor company specializing in Flash memory, 32-bit microcontrollers (MCUs), sensors, and analog products, has introduced the new GD32E512 and GD32E252 series MCUs specifically designed for optical module applications. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260611850679/en/ Empowering Optical Interconnect Innovation, GigaDevice Unveils Dedicated MCUs for Optical Modules. As a leading supplier of MCUs for optical module applications, GigaDevice has maintained a strong focus on the optical communication market, continuously aligning its product development with evolving industry requirements and next-generation optical interconnect technologies. Leveraging years of expertise in optical module control solutions, GigaDevice has established a strong position in the market through continuous innovation and close collaboration with industry partners. To further support the advancement of high-sp
Saudi Arabia at the Center of the Global Water Industry as IDWS 2026 Reshapes the Future of Water11.6.2026 16:47:00 EEST | Press release
In an increasingly resource-constrained world, water has become critical to both economic growth and national security, driving demand for global leadership in sustainability, innovation, and water solutions. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260611388456/en/ Saudi Arabia at the Center of the Global Water Industry as IDWS 2026 Reshapes the Future of Water (Graphic: AETOSWire) The Saudi Water Authority has announced the return of the Innovation Driven Water Sustainability Conference (IDWS), taking place from 7 to 9 December 2026 at The Ritz-Carlton, Jeddah, as the Kingdom consolidates its position at the center of the global water conversation. As home to one of the world’s most advanced and rapidly evolving water management ecosystems, Saudi Arabia currently operates more than 500 water production facilities across the Kingdom with total water production capacity exceeding 16.2 million cubic meters per day. The
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom