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
Hollywood Chamber of Commerce Expands Into Luxury Hospitality20.7.2026 19:30:00 EEST | Press release
The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, known for the iconic Hollywood Sign® and Hollywood Walk of Fame®, is expanding into luxury hospitality through a strategic partnership with The Scene Hotels & Resorts to launch Hollywood Hotels & Residences. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260720026178/en/ The Scene Hotels & Resorts, with 40+ years of combined expertise in hospitality, travel, and brand development, will lead the brand’s development and management. The partnership will bring the Hollywood lifestyle to luxury hotels and branded residences around the world, creating immersive destinations inspired by the world's entertainment capital. "This partnership represents far more than an expansion of the Hollywood brand—it reflects our vision of Hollywood as the world's premier hub for entertainment, creativity, and commerce," said Ron Frierson, President & CEO of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. "By deepening our in
Epic Flight Academy Agrees to Purchase up to 50 Pipistrel Voyager Aircraft, Supplementing Its Fleet of Trainers as It Supports Continued Pilot Training20.7.2026 18:38:00 EEST | Press release
Pipistrel, a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company and an affiliate of Textron Aviation Inc., today announced Epic Flight Academy as the launch customer for the Pipistrel Voyager during Textron Aviation’s press conference at EAA AirVenture 2026. The company has signed a purchase agreement for up to 50 Voyager aircraft, with an order for 10 initial deliveries beginning in 2027, and options for up to 20 additional aircraft in 2028 and 20 in 2029, supporting the continued expansion of its training fleet and growing demand for pilot training. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260720003143/en/ Epic Flight Academy agrees to purchase up to 50 Pipistrel Voyager aircraft, supplementing its fleet of trainers as it supports continued pilot training (Photo Credit: Pipistrel, a Textron Inc. company and an affiliate of Textron Aviation Inc.) Epic Flight Academy is a Florida-based flight training provider offering FAA Part 141 and
New Pipistrel Voyager Brings Next Generation Training Capabilities and Access to Flight Schools20.7.2026 16:00:00 EEST | Press release
Pipistrel, a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company and an affiliate of Textron Aviation Inc., today introduced the Pipistrel Voyager, a next-generation training aircraft designed to expand capability for flight schools while maintaining the efficiency and simplicity owners and operators expect from Pipistrel. Purpose-built for evolving pilot training requirements, the Voyager is designed to align with anticipated Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certification (MOSAIC) regulations. This positions the aircraft to support broader training missions while improving access to pilot development. The aircraft is expected to enter into service in 2027. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260720673571/en/ New Pipistrel Voyager brings next generation training capabilities and access to flight schools (Photo Credit: Pipistrel, a Textron Inc. company and an affiliate of Textron Aviation Inc.) The Voyager is making its world d
Expensify Launches Corporate Card in Europe20.7.2026 16:00:00 EEST | Press release
Expensify, Inc. (Nasdaq: EXFY), the easiest way to manage expenses, corporate cards, and travel, today announced that the Expensify Card is available to businesses of all sizes in the UK and select European markets, including Spain, Ireland, Poland, and the Netherlands. “The Expensify Card works quietly in the background to keep your business spend controlled, compliant, and ready for accounting,” said David Barrett, founder and CEO of Expensify. “It’s a preaccounting assistant that eliminates hours of reconciling transactions, chasing receipts, and reimbursing employees. One of our US customers, Pivot Bio, cut down on their expense report audit times by 90%. We can’t wait to share that same time savings with millions of businesses in the UK and EU.” Key benefits of the Expensify Card include: Real-time spend visibility: Transactions appear instantly in Expensify, so finance teams aren't waiting until month-end to see what was spent. Auto-categorization and receipt matching: Concierge
86% Of Enterprises Have Deployed AI Agents. Just 34% Trust Them, Boomi Study Finds.20.7.2026 16:00:00 EEST | Press release
Boomi, the data activation company for AI, today announced new research conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Boomi showing that despite rapid enterprise adoption of AI agents, trust hasn't kept pace with ambition. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260720652115/en/ Boomi-commissioned independent study finds integration, not smarter models, separates enterprises that trust their AI agents from those stuck in “agentic chaos” The Forrester survey of 409 director-and-above IT and technology decision-makers across North America, Europe, and APAC found that 86% of organizations have moved beyond the AI agent pilot stage, yet just 34% say they trust the actions their AI agents are taking. Among organizations in a state of "agentic chaos" (the bottom quartile for operational readiness across governance, integration, API/MCP management, and other categories), 77% are moving into production anyway, exposing thems
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