The Super Mario Bros. Movie release date has been moved up a few days. The release date change comes from Universal Pictures just shy of a month before the movie’s planned release date and will reportedly affect the US and more than 60 other international markets.
Created for Nintendo in 1981 by Shigeru Miyamoto as the titular character for his video game franchise, Mario became the company’s undisputed mascot, spawning an entire universe of odd and colorful characters within his franchise, the most popular of which is undeniably his brother Luigi. Together, the Super Mario Bros. have had a whole litany of adventures across video games, animated features, comic adaptations, an ill-fated live-action '90s movie, and more. In 2018, Nintendo took to Twitter to announce a new animated Super Mario movie in conjunction with Despicable Me makers Illumination Studios to much fanfare and celebration that spanned generations in typical Nintendo fashion.
After the Super Mario Bros. Movie release date was set for a 2022 release by Nintendo, the film was pushed forward to 2023, with an April 7th release date for the American and most international markets. However, an announcement from the movie’s official Twitter account has amended the planned release date from the 7th to the 5th of April, bringing the movie forward by two days for a Wednesday premiere. The exact wording of the tweet reads, “Wahoo! The #SuperMarioMovie is moving from April 7 to April 5 in the US and more than 60 markets around the world. The movie hits theaters in additional markets in April and May, with Japan opening April 28.”
The tweet contained no additional information or explanation, with some speculating that the move was meant to help ensure some degree of parity across markets to manage spoilers and have a more uniform release. However, fans have taken to the replies to express enthusiasm about the company shaving two days off of what has become a 5-year wait. While the Super Mario Bros. Movie reportedly has a short runtime even by animation standards, anticipation for it couldn't be higher among fans, who are above the regular target demographic for an animated feature like this one.
While there were some complaints in the initial lead-up to the Super Mario Bros. Movie, such as the beloved voice of Mario Charles Martinet not being contacted to voice the character, the film seems set to receive a warm welcome from fans across all demographics. How this will play out and reflects in the earnings and rankings figures will have to be seen after the film debuts.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie will be out in theaters on April 5th, 2023.
Source: The Super Mario Bros. Movie