Summary

  • NBCUniversal possibly leaked the Super Mario Bros. Movie sequel title "Super Mario World"
  • Fans speculate if the leaked title is authentic, aligning with the post-credits scene.
  • Sequel taking place in Super Mario World could expand the universe, offering new story elements.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie is getting a sequel. However, NBCUniversal may have just inadvertently announced its official title.

The animated film The 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.

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NBCUniversal published a press release announcing the films from Universal Pictures, Focus Features, DreamWorks Animation and Illumination, including Meghan 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, Shrek and Minions. 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 mentioned Super Mario World. The change sparked rumors that it accidentally announced the official title of The Super Mario World Bros. Movie sequel and 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 that Super Mario was not the only title removed from the original announcement; the updated copy also did not include Shrek and Minions. The upcoming movies from the two franchises are Shrek 5 and Minions 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 for The Super Mario Bros. Movie 2.

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 anticipated The Super Mario Bros. Movie sequel because it sounded right. Also, it aligns with the first film's post-credits scene, which hinted at the introduction of Yoshi, a dinosaur who is also Mario and Luigi's sidekick. Yoshi is a fan-favorite character in the franchise who debuted in Super Mario World in 1990. So, yes, the rumors that NBCUniversal accidentally leaked the title of the sequel were plausible.

Also, Super Mario World is a fitting continuation of the franchise. Aside from Yoshi's presence in the post-credits scene, Super Mario World is 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 the Mushroom Kingdom. Taking the story into Super Mario World suggests 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 2 is set for release on April 3, 2026.

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Source: Wario64/X