The Super Mario Bros. Movie

The Super Mario Bros. Movie is an animated movie produced by Nintendo in collaboration with and Illumination, co-produced by Mario franchise creator Shigeru Miyamoto and Illumination co-founder Chris Meledandri. It was first announced during a financial briefing on January 31, 2018, and was released on April 5, 2023 in North America and many other regions, on April 28, 2023 in Japan, and on various other dates in April in other parts of the world, and will be released in Poland on May 26, 2023. It is the third feature film to be based on Mario, following the Japan-only animated film Super Mario Bros.: Peach-hime Kyūshutsu Dai Sakusen! (1986) and the largely unsuccessful Super Mario Bros. live-action film (1993). In the film, Mario and Luigi, two struggling plumbers, work underground in Brooklyn to fix a water main, but they end up being separated after being sucked into the Warp Zone via a mysterious pipe, with Mario ending up in the Mushroom Kingdom while Luigi ends up in the Dark Lands. Mario then teams up with Princess Peach and Toad, and the three of them go on an adventure to stop Bowser from taking over the world and rescue Luigi from him.

A teaser trailer for the film was broadcasted in the form of a Nintendo Direct presentation online and at on October 6, 2022 at 16:00 ET. A second trailer was released in a dedicated Nintendo Direct on November 29, 2022 at 17:00 ET. An official clip and commercial were revealed at. A third Nintendo Direct featuring the film's final trailer premiered on March 9, 2023 at 17:00 ET, one day before Mario Day in western countries like the United States and on Mario Day in eastern countries like Japan.

The film has received mixed reviews from critics, but has been received more positively by general audiences. It has also been a commercial success, setting numerous box office records for animated features within several countries and grossing over 1 billion USD. Additionally, the movie holds the record for being the highest-grossing video game film adaptation of all time.

Plot
The evil Koopa king Bowser, accompanied by his army, invades the Snow Kingdom, captures its penguin inhabitants, burns their palace to the ground, and steals a powerful Super Star. Meanwhile, in New York City, brothers Mario and Luigi have started their own plumbing service: Super Mario Bros. Plumbing, a small business servicing Brooklyn and Queens. Having spent their life savings to produce a commercial for it, the brothers are struggling to get the business off the ground. Most of their family, especially their father, disapproves of their decision to leave their steady job to start the business, with only their mother approving of this decision. Their antagonistic former boss, Spike, also derides them for making this choice.

Mario and Luigi go to do their first plumbing job at a Brooklyn couple's house, but due to the interference of the couple's dog Francis, this ends in the destruction of their bathroom. While they are disheartened, the brothers see a newscast reporting about a significant leak in manholes throughout the Brooklyn streets, and they take it upon themselves to attempt to fix the broken water main. However, while exploring the sewers, Luigi stumbles into a mysterious Warp Pipe and disappears, with Mario being pulled in soon after. The two end up in the Warp Zone and are separated in the process, with Mario finding himself in the Mushroom Kingdom.

Upon landing in the Mushroom Kingdom, Mario meets Toad, who informs him that his brother has landed in the Dark Lands, which are under the control of Bowser, who Toad calls "the most evil, wretched creature" he knows of due to being an enemy to the Mushroom Kingdom. Toad suggests asking for help from the kingdom's ruler, Princess Peach, and takes Mario through the kingdom's town to lead him to her. Meanwhile, Luigi briefly searches for Mario in the Dark Lands, where he is chased by a swarm of Dry Bones and tries to escape, only to end up being captured by a group of Shy Guys. During this time, he remembers that Mario has always been there for him, recalling a moment in his and Mario's infancy when Mario stood up to protect his brother from a bully who was abusing him.

In Peach's Castle, Peach explains to her Toads that Bowser is coming to invade her kingdom. Knowing of what happened to the Snow Kingdom, Peach reveals that she plans to form an alliance with the Jungle Kingdom to stop him. The princess and Mario meet shortly afterward, with the former being surprised to encounter another human. Seeing how determined Mario is to save his brother, Peach tests his skill with a Training Course full of obstacles and agrees to take him with her if he can finish it. When Mario asks how he can clear the course, Peach explains that he can use power-up items such as Super Mushrooms to gain the upper hand. Mario fails the course on many attempts, but eventually comes close enough to completing it that Peach takes him along anyway, with Toad joining as well due to his desire to protect the princess.

Meanwhile, Bowser rallies the Koopa Troop to announce that he has become the world's most powerful creature by stealing the Super Star and plans to arrive in the Mushroom Kingdom to marry Peach; he also states that if she refuses his hand in marriage, he will destroy the kingdom. He later sings a brief song secretly expressing his obsessive love for the princess, but is interrupted when Kamek comes to inform him about Mario's arrival in the Mushroom Kingdom; however, Bowser says he is not concerned about this. Other members of the Koopa Troop alert Bowser of Mario's association with Peach, causing Bowser to see him as a rival for Peach's affections. Afterward, he has Luigi brought before him and interrogates him on Mario's whereabouts. Luigi resists at first, but eventually confesses after Bowser loses his patience; Bowser subsequently orders his Shy Guy guards to imprison him in order to blackmail Mario. Luigi is placed in a cage above a pit of lava, where others, such as the penguins and a demented Lumalee, have also been caged.

Mario, Peach, and Toad are seen journeying through several locales, such as Bob-omb Battlefield, the Sand Kingdom, Yoshi's Island, and the High Cliffs, on their way to the Jungle Kingdom. At one point in their trek, the trio set up camp in Fire Flower Fields, where Peach shares her backstory: she discovered the Mushroom Kingdom by walking through a Warp Pipe as a baby, then was taken in by the Toads and eventually crowned as the princess of the Mushroom Kingdom. However, she has no memory of where she is originally from. This leads Mario to speculate that Peach may be from the same world as him.

Upon arriving at the Jungle Kingdom, Peach consults their king, Cranky Kong, and asks for his army of Kongs to support them in fighting Bowser. He initially refuses to join Peach's cause, but the princess tells him that if the Mushroom Kingdom is destroyed, the Jungle Kingdom will be attacked next, and Mario insists that he and his friends will not leave unless the Kongs are on their side. Cranky accepts on the condition that Mario defeats his son, Donkey Kong, in a duel at the Great Ring of Kong. Mario struggles at first, but after remembering what Peach said about power-ups, he uses one of the boxes in the arena to transform into Cat Mario. He then goes on to dodge Donkey Kong's barrels and scratch him until he is ultimately defeated, at which Cranky agrees to help the Mushroom Kingdom.

Cranky suggests that Mario, Peach, and Toad (joined by the Great Kong Army) use karts to return to the Mushroom Kingdom through a secret passage that leads to Rainbow Road. As they drive back, Bowser's army learns about their plans and decides to ambush the heroes as they traverse Rainbow Road. The Koopa General chases Mario with a bulldozer and fires two Bullet Bills, destroying his kart, but Mario hijacks one of the Koopa soldiers' karts, tosses the driver's shell into another soldier's armored car, and has it explode on the bulldozer. The general then gets up, locks himself in his winged, spiky Blue Shell, and crashes into Mario and Donkey Kong, destroying the latter's kart and a part of the road. The two plummet to the ocean below, much to Peach, Toad, and Cranky's despair, and all of the Kongs besides DK are captured and sent to Bowser's dungeons. Peach and Toad, however, successfully make it back to the Mushroom Kingdom, where Peach warns the citizens of Bowser's imminent arrival and orders them to evacuate.

Mario and Donkey Kong are later revealed to be alive in the ocean, but a Maw-Ray quickly appears and consumes them both. After Bowser arrives aboard his ship and proposes to marry Peach, she rejects him, but after he has Kamek torture Toad, she reluctantly agrees to marry him. Meanwhile, Mario and Donkey Kong, after attempting to bond over their issues with their respective fathers, escape the Maw-Ray using one of the Rocket Barrels from Donkey Kong's kart and hurry to Bowser and Peach's royal wedding. In the process, Mario uses multiple power-ups, including the Super Mushroom and the Super Leaf, while Donkey Kong makes use of a Fire Flower.

At the wedding, Bowser reveals that he intends to execute all of his prisoners by burning them in lava in Peach's honor; Kamek calls this a "ritualistic sacrifice". Toad smuggles an Ice Flower into Peach's bouquet, with which she freezes Bowser and holds down his army. Despite her best efforts, she fails to save Luigi and the other prisoners, but Mario and Donkey Kong arrive in time to complete the rescue, leading to the Mario brothers being reunited. As Donkey Kong and Toad work together to fight off the Koopas, Bowser gives the order for a Bomber Bill to be fired to finally destroy the Mushroom Kingdom. Mario diverts the Bomber Bill away from Peach's Castle and into the pipe that sent him to the Mushroom Kingdom. However, the resulting explosion in the Warp Zone causes objects from the Mushroom Kingdom to be sucked into the pipe and transported to Brooklyn, including Bowser's ship, much to the shock of Spike and the rest of the borough's populace.

Enraged, Bowser pounces on Mario and nearly knocks him out, despite Peach and Donkey Kong's efforts to protect him. A discouraged Mario hides behind cover, but after seeing a damaged television play the Super Mario Bros. Plumbing commercial, he regains his resolve and runs back into the fray. Luigi manages to use a manhole cover to protect himself and Mario against Bowser's fire breath. This gives Mario and Luigi the chance to obtain the Super Star, which Bowser dropped. They reach the Super Star just as Bowser's fire breath reaches them and use its powers to turn invincible just in time. Using the Super Star's powers, the Mario brothers work together to defeat Bowser and his army. Upon his defeat, Bowser is shrunk to miniature size with a Blue Mushroom force-fed to him by Peach, and he is placed in a jar. In the end, the Mario brothers are celebrated and hailed as heroes by not only their new friends in the Mushroom Kingdom, but also the residents of Brooklyn, including Spike and the brothers' father, the latter saying he is now proud of them. The story concludes with the victorious brothers taking up residence in the Mushroom Kingdom, with a Warp Pipe enabling them to return to their original world when needed.

In a mid-credits scene, Bowser is shown singing another verse of his love song while imprisoned. A Toad guard interrupts and silences Bowser, who complains before the door is closed on him mid-sentence. In a post-credits scene, a Yoshi's Egg that was originally given as a wedding gift for Bowser and Peach is seen sitting in the Brooklyn sewers. The egg suddenly begins to hatch as the film cuts to black, followed by the creature shouting "Yoshi!"

Production
Reports on the supposed existence of an animated Mario film circulated as early as November 24, 2014, following the, when it was revealed in leaked emails sent by , , , and Michelle Raimo Kouyate that was trying to secure the film rights to Mario for years, though Arad has denied that such a deal was made.

In November 2017, more reports about the film's existence began to arise. Nintendo's then-president, Tatsumi Kimishima, stated in January 2018 that a deal had not been finalized, but that an announcement would come soon. By the end of January 2018, Nintendo affirmed that the film would indeed be moving forward, having closed a deal with Illumination. This marked Illumination's first film based on an existing intellectual property to not be an adaptation of a book.

Several days after the deal was made, Shigeru Miyamoto explained why Illumination was chosen for the project over other animation companies, saying he had been interested in producing an animated film for quite some time and, contrary to popular belief, making a movie and making a game are completely different procedures. Miyamoto wanted someone with experience in the film industry to co-produce the film, and after talking with numerous directors and producers, he was introduced to Illumination through, with whom Nintendo was making a theme park. Miyamoto also stated that when he began talks with Chris Meledandri, the latter read numerous interviews about him and felt that they had a similar approach in creation. Miyamoto described Meledandri as having experience in the field of animation beyond Illumination, having been executive producer of  and other animated projects for, as well as being "extremely cost-conscious and time-conscious in his quest to make successful movies." Miyamoto also mentioned that Nintendo and Illumination had mutually agreed to call the deal off if neither company could come up with an interesting premise, but also noted that the screenplay had been hashed out a number of times and discussions were in progression, hoping to provide more information once the schedule had been ironed out. Miyamoto would later state in early 2020 that the idea for the film came from bringing Nintendo's legacy content to services such as the Virtual Console; such transitions took time for the company, and Miyamoto viewed that as an opportunity to develop Nintendo's content business even further by combining its long-beloved software with video assets.

On November 6, 2018, Meledandri said that he was glad the 1993 film Super Mario Bros. was not well-received, citing the primary reason being that the producers did not involve Nintendo, whereas Illumination was "embracing" Miyamoto and keeping him "front and center" in the film's creation. He said that Illumination's Mario film was in "priority development," and hoped that it would be released by 2022. Meledandri also noted that developing a Mario film is "an ambitious task," citing the challenge of adding depth to Mario that would simultaneously compromise generations of fans and feel organic to his iconography as well as supporting a three-act structure. By February 1, 2019, production of the film had formally begun; according to Nintendo, the funds for the production process were being jointly supplied by it and Universal.

Before details on the film's cast were formally announced, Sebastian Maniscalco offhandedly mentioned in a YouTube podcast uploaded on August 5, 2021 that he would be voicing the character Spike from the 1985 game Wrecking Crew in the movie, who would be portrayed as the "boss" of Mario and Luigi.

The September 23, 2021 Nintendo Direct presentation featured an appearance from Shigeru Miyamoto, in which he announced the movie as being scheduled for release in the 2022 holiday season (with a planned release date of December 21, 2022 in North America) and revealed its English cast list. On the same day, the press release announced Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic as directors, with Matthew Fogel writing the screenplay. On April 25, 2022, a post on Nintendo of America's Twitter account announced that the movie's release would be delayed to spring 2023 and revealed the North American and Japanese release dates.

On October 28, Khary Payton, who voices the Penguin King, described Chris Pratt’s voice for Mario at the time as a “New York, Italian guy” and similar to the “Sopranos”. However, Pratt stated that the accent was rejected during production for sounding too similar to the character Tony Soprano.

On January 26, 2022, Charlie Day revealed that he was recording his lines for the movie, plot details were being hidden from him, and he knew nothing about the film. Day stated that his original voice for Luigi was similar to the New York mobster-themed film Goodfellas, but the directors wanted "less Goodfellas". Day responded to the change saying, “Alright! I think you’re wrong, but fine!” Day later expressed interest in doing a Luigi's Mansion spin-off film in an interview on February 18, 2022.

Ed Skudder, the creator of animated series ' and ', revealed himself to be the head of story for the film on his profile.

In The Super Mario Bros. Movie Direct on October 6, 2022, it was announced that Brian Tyler would compose the score for the film, which includes themes from the Mario games, in collaboration with game composer Koji Kondo.

Prior to its release, The Super Mario Bros. Movie was revealed to have some short songs. On October 6, 2022, Jack Black announced that Bowser would have a "musical side" in the film, and on October 12, 2022, Keegan-Michael Key revealed to  that he improvised a song as Toad, calling it "an absolute blast".

On February 28, 2023, it was announced on the movie's social media accounts that the release date for the film would be moved to April 5, 2023 in the United States and more than 60 other countries, two days ahead of the initial release date.

On March 23, 2023, it was announced that press screenings of the movie had officially begun.

Following the film's release, concept art for the film was leaked online on April 22, 2023. The various art shows some characters, such as Toadsworth and Toadette, who were planned to appear but ultimately cut, while others showed more of the Snow Kingdom and its land, as well as some power-ups that did not make the final film.

Foreign translations
In addition to English, the movie is confirmed to be dubbed into the following languages:
 * Arabic
 * Bulgarian
 * Hong Kong Cantonese
 * Catalan
 * Croatian
 * Czech
 * Danish
 * Dutch
 * Estonian
 * Finnish
 * Flemish
 * Canadian French
 * European French
 * Georgian
 * German
 * Greek
 * Hebrew
 * Hindi
 * Hungarian
 * Icelandic
 * Italian
 * Japanese
 * Korean
 * Latvian
 * Lithuanian
 * Taiwanese Mandarin
 * Norwegian
 * Polish
 * Brazilian Portuguese
 * European Portuguese
 * Romanian
 * Russian
 * Serbian
 * Slovak
 * Slovenian
 * European Spanish
 * Latin American Spanish
 * Swedish
 * Thai
 * Turkish
 * Ukrainian
 * Vietnamese

Additionally, a version of the movie in English with Japanese subtitles will be released. The movie will also be available in English as an option in many other territories where English is not a native language, with locally translated subtitles.

Soundtrack
A soundtrack album for the film was released via Back Lot Music (' in-house record label) digitally and on physical. The album features 37 tracks, all of which were composed by Brian Tyler with original Nintendo themes by Koji Kondo; with the exception of "Peaches", which was co-written and performed by Jack Black; and the "Mario Brothers Rap", which was originally composed by and, and covered by Ali Dee. The album is available to stream on Spotify and Apple Music.

The film also features several licensed songs which are not in the soundtrack album, including two songs from games in the Mario franchise. Below is a list of these songs, in the order they appear in the film:

McDonald's
On October 6, 2022, a Happy Meal promotion with toys based on The Super Mario Bros. Movie was leaked. In December 2022, McDonald's launched the promotion and released two distinct lines of toys, each one in a specific set of countries that differs from the other's.

SMBPlumbing.com
A promotional website with the URL "SMBPlumbing.com" went live in February 2023. It acts as the official website of the fictional Super Mario Bros. Plumbing service operated by Mario and Luigi in the movie. The site's home page opens with a statement that Super Mario Bros. Plumbing is family-owned and operated, followed by the tagline "Fixing pipes is our game!" and an embed of a commercial for the service. On March 9, 2023, the page was redesigned with additional content. The page continues with the following sections: The website has various links and graphics the user can interact with. The website, outside of its real life legal notice, is shown as copyrighted in 2023 and built by Mario and Luigi. Since the redesign, attempting to access the site with the smbplumbing.com address from non-English speaking countries will automatically redirect the user to their local equivalent.
 * About Us: Features an overview of Super Mario Bros. Plumbing signed by Mario and Luigi. In it, the brothers introduce themselves enthusiastically, stating that they "aim to one-up the competition with [their] expert white-glove service". Additionally, they claim to have opened the service because they "were tired of dealing with spiky bosses", a nod to Spike and inadvertent foreshadowing of their encounter with Bowser in the movie.
 * Testimonials: Features nine written reviews of Super Mario Bros. Plumbing by former customers. Three of them, penned by users SpikeIsCool (Spike), BrKLnCouple, and dunnadunnadunna, are negative, with the first calling the brothers disloyal and subpar, the second stating that "SMBP left my house an absolute MESS!", although conceding that their dog "absolutely loved" Mario and Luigi, and the third stating that they did not hear from the brothers after they went underground. The other six reviews are positive and praise the brothers for their service. One review is written by the brothers' mother, under the username "BrosMom", who describes them in an affectionate light and notes that they treated her "like family". Another review by a user named "Pipe_Dreamz" praises their "amazing looking water," referencing MARIO WiiU, a Miiverse user known for constantly praising the water effects in various Wii U games. A positive review was left by someone with the username "jump.man", a reference to "Jumpman", what Mario was called in instructions for the arcade version of Donkey Kong. On April 3, 2023, a testimonial by a user named "CollegeHoopsters" was added whose message contains a video link. In the video, several college basketball players endorse the business, including, , , Jared McCain, , Meechie Johnson, , , , and (referred to as "Emmanuel" in the video).
 * Careers: A listing of various job positions at Super Mario Bros. Plumbing, namely dispatcher, bookkeeper, marketing manager, and driver.
 * Service Area: A graphic of the two regions of New York the business operates in, Brooklyn and Queens. The user must first solve a fake to access this section.
 * Van Tour: The actual tour of the Super Mario Bros. Plumbing van. This section is not present on the website outside of the United States. The van visited the following locations at these times:
 * Austin, Texas: March 10
 * New York, New York: March 10, March 30
 * Boston, Massachusetts: March 24-26
 * Los Angeles, California: April 1
 * San Francisco, California: March 20-24
 * Live Chat: A chatbot where the user can ask and respond with pre-written messages.
 * In the website's header, the "Call or Text Us At 929-55-MARIO" tag plays the Nintendo GameCube start-up jingle when clicked on. By calling the provided number, Luigi tells the caller to text the same number for service and to visit the website. Texting the number causes Super Mario Bros. Plumbing to give the option to sign up for updates on the film; if the texter sends "ON THE DOUBLE" after signing up, it causes Super Mario Bros. Plumbing to send their business card. Booking an appointment leads to the movie's Fandango page or the official website in other regions. If a text is sent containing one of the available careers in the message, the business responds by saying that the texter got their chosen career and sending an image relating to that career.
 * In the opening section, when clicked on, the "Certified Super!" seal of approval plays an enhanced version of the power-up sound effect from Super Mario Bros.; the "" sign plays the race countdown sound effect from Mario Kart 8 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe; and the manhole under the Super Mario Bros. Plumbing van used to lead the user to a poster of The Super Mario Bros. Movie featuring Bowser and Kamek overlooking the Koopa Troop. After the site's update, it leads to a link to the final trailer.
 * In the "About Us" section, when clicked on, the "24/7 Emergency Services!" sign plays the jumping sound effect from Super Mario Bros., immediately followed by the same sound effect slowed down.
 * In the "Testimonials" section, when clicked on, the invalid file icon leads to a page showing three Warp Pipes. Each pipe plays a different enhanced version of the pipe entrance sound heard in the Mario games; clicking on the middle pipe, right pipe, and left pipe in that order causes the page to play an arrangement of the Ground Theme from Super Mario Bros. Clicking on the middle pipe, left pipe, and right pipe in that order makes Mario jump out of the middle pipe and plays the Underground Theme. Inspecting the website's console output after visiting the 404 error page shows an  version of a Lumalee.
 * In the "Careers" section, when clicked on, the "Apply Now" button used to lead the user to a web page informing them that the application process is still being worked on prior to the site's redesign. After the redesign, the button leads to a clickable list of jobs. Clicking on any of them leads back to the main page.
 * In the "Service Area" section, failing the CAPTCHA plays the sound of Bowser breathing fire while completing it plays the item roulette sound from Mario Kart 8 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Clicking the Brooklyn portion of the map plays audio from the Donkey Kong arcade game while clicking the Queens portion plays audio from the Family Computer Disk System version of Kid Icarus. Booking an appointment leads to the movie's Fandango page or the official website in other regions.

Brazilian carnival
On February 18, 2023, Bloco Happy, one of the s in, promoted the film by giving The Super Mario Bros. Movie-branded Mario and Luigi caps and inflatable tubes. A  decorated with posters of the film was also present.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie Social Show
On March 1, 2023, a contest by Italy, entitled "Super Mario Bros. Il Film Social Show" (The Super Mario Bros. Movie Social Show), began. To enter, participants had to upload a photo or video showing their passion for the franchise on the contest's website at SMBsocialcontest.it, or post the content on or  with a mention to Universal Pictures Italy's account and the hashtag #mammamiachemario. The first prize was an invitation for two people to a fan screening of the film on April 5, 2023 in, while the second prize were two tickets for the convention which took place from March 30 to April 2, 2023. Merchandise promoting the film could also be won. The contest ended on March 23, 2023 and the winners were decided on March 24, 2023.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie Giveaway
On March 8, 2023, a giveaway sponsored by began. To enter, participants must go to the giveaway's webpage, press on the ? Block, and fill in the form. Completing the form shows a clip from the movie. For each day that the promotion is active, entrants can redeem one more chance to win a prize. 50 grand prize winners will be given two tickets to, ten first prize winners will be given a 50 dollar Amazon gift card, and 20 second prize winners will be given the "7-inch Feature Bowser with Fire Breathing Effects". The giveaway ends on April 30, 2023.

Fandango The Super Mario Bros. Movie Sweepstakes
On March 9, 2023, a sweepstakes sponsored by began. To enter, a participant had to purchase a ticket to The Super Mario Bros. Movie using Fandango's website or fill in the form at supermariosweepstakes.com. Doing either of these actions gave one sweepstakes entry; up to ten entries could be obtained per person. The prize of the sweepstakes was four tickets to the Los Angeles premiere of the movie, a round airline trip to and from Los Angeles, a 500 USD check, and two nights at a hotel. The sweepstakes ended on March 24, 2023.

Princess Peach's Radical Saturday
On March 11, 2023, an event sponsored by in Brazil took place in, in , to promote the film. The event, entitled "sábado radical da Princesa Peach" (Princess Peach's Radical Saturday), featured the Brazilian skateboarder and a life-size replica of Mario's kart for attendees to take a picture with.

Lush
On March 24, 2023, a collection of skin care products promoting the film, labeled Lush × The Super Mario Bros. Movie, was released by Lush.

Lollapalooza Brazil
The 2023 edition of the Lollapalooza festival in Brazil, which took place on March 24–26, featured a promotion of the movie sponsored by. Once again, the life-size replica of Mario's kart was displayed, among other attractions, like a Piranha Plant and a ? Block.

Early viewing contest in Portugal
From March 24 to March 29, 2023, a contest was held in Portugal for an early screening. Winners were allowed to watch the film one night ahead of the general release in and  at 7 p.m. on April 4, 2023. To enter, contestants had to like PressStart gaming outlet's and Universal Pictures Portugal's Instagram feeds and share them with two friends.

Publications
The following books released simultaneously on April 11, 2023 to promote the movie. is listed as the publisher for all following titles.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie Official Storybook
The Super Mario Bros. Movie Official Storybook is a 32-page hardcover picture book written by Michael Moccio. The book follows the first half of the movie's plot, ending shortly before the heroes embark on Rainbow Road. The abrupt ending of the book has caused it to receive low ratings from customers on store websites, including Amazon and Target.

Mario's Big Adventure
Mario's Big Adventure is a full color paperback 24-page entry into Random House's Step Into Reading series, aimed at younger kids. The title is written by Mary Man-Kong. The book's reading level is listed at a level 3 "Reading On Your Own", aimed at a kindergarten level. Like The Super Mario Bros. Movie Official Storybook, the book omits the entire third act and as such, the book title has received negative feedback on online listings.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie Official Activity Book
The Super Mario Bros. Movie Official Activity Book is a full color 48-paged paperback written by Michael Moccio. The book contains mazes, word searches, removable cardstock characters and a background to create a playset and other various activities.

A Hero Like No Other
A Hero Like No Other is a 24 page full color paperback storybook that retells and follows the events from the film.

Release
The film had its premiere on April 1, 2023 in Los Angeles. Much of the cast and crew were present including Chris Pratt, Charlie Day, Anya Taylor-Joy, Jack Black, Seth Rogen, and Sebastian Maniscalco. The red carpet itself featured a mushroom theme to it, some of the cast wore outfits corresponding to the characters they voice, and the life size Super Mario Bros. Plumbing van was also shown, being driven by Pratt with Day as a passenger.

Box office
Prior to the movie's release, it was initially projected to gross at least $85 to $90 million in the domestic box office over the opening 5-day period - a projection that is considered to be on the conservative side. Later, projections were increased to $125 million in the domestic box office and $225 million in the worldwide box office over the same period. On opening day, the movie grossed $66.4 million worldwide, surpassing the lifetime global box office gross of the live-action film.

The film has set several box office records; it currently ranks as the highest grossing film of 2023, has surpassed ' to become the highest-grossing film adapted from a video game, and has surpassed ' for the biggest opening weekend for an animated film.

Critical reception
The Super Mario Bros. Movie has received mixed reviews from film critics. It has been praised for its visuals, score, and faithfulness to the video games, while the screenplay and plot have received criticism. Some critics have found the plot to be lacking in substance and sidelined in favor of the amount of fan service. Jack Black's performance has additionally been a subject of praise.

Audience reviews were strikingly more positive, acclaiming the film for the same reasons as the critics, but some have criticized the pacing and the film's length.

John Leguizamo, who portrayed Luigi in the live-action film, criticized The Super Mario Bros. Movie for a lack of Latin representation in its cast (despite Anya Taylor-Joy and Fred Armisen having Latin heritage), and stated that he did not intend to watch the animated film.

Home release
The film is set to be released on DVD, Blu-ray, and 4K Ultra HD, with the 4K version also being sold as a SteelBook depicting a Super Mushroom on the front and as a limited collectable Super Star tin. In Australia, the film is set for retail release on July 5, 2023, with the SteelBook version being made exclusive to stores.

References to other media

 * Nintendo: Two roads shown in Queens on the map in the Super Mario Bros. Plumbing commercial, located where Cross Island Parkway and Northern Boulevard would be in real life, are respectively named 1889th Street and Hanafuda Avenue. These are references to the company's founding date and its origins as a hanafuda card company, respectively.
 * Game & Watch series: A sign at a construction site depicts a Game & Watch character using a shovel.
 * Donkey Kong: Pauline appears as the mayor of New York City. Giuseppe resembles Mario's original design from the game and is seen playing the "Jump Man" arcade machine at Punch-Out Pizzeria, a game that directly parodies the original game in sounds, artwork, and level design. In the Great Ring of Kong, the platform Mario and Donkey Kong stand on is a red girder. Barrels and blue ladders can also be seen in the same scene. The sound that plays when Donkey Kong obtains a Fire Flower is the same one that plays when a barrel is broken with a hammer in the NES version of the game. "Opening" is arranged in the track "Drivin' Me Bananas". As Mario beats Donkey Kong, an arrangement of the tune that plays when Donkey Kong climbs 25m is heard. Cranky Kong's guards have hammers for weapons. Audio from this game is played on the Super Mario Bros. Plumbing website. Donkey Kong's design in the movie is slightly based on Miyamoto's design of Donkey Kong from this game.
 * Donkey Kong Jr.: Similarly to what happens in this game, Cranky Kong is locked up in a cage and is later rescued by his son.
 * Mario Bros.: The Mario Bros. go into a manhole and attempt to fix a big overflowing water main in the New York City sewers. They go even deeper into the sewer when both stumble upon a warp pipe that transports them to the Mushroom Kingdom. In the preceding newscast, scrolling text repeatedly mentions sightings of "giant underground crabs" in the area.
 * : The game's boxart is seen in a poster in Mario's room.
 * : The ducks and environment from this game appear as paintings in Punch-Out Pizzeria, and a duck appears on a wooden sign in Brooklyn when the Mario Bros. run to the Brooklyn couple's building. A painting of the dog is briefly seen hanging in the Brooklyn couple's apartment, before the Mario Bros. enter the bathroom. While the Mario Bros. are navigating Brooklyn, a French restaurant in Brooklyn named Chasse au Canard, the French translation of the game's title, can be seen.
 * Golf: The game's boxart is seen in a poster in Mario's room.
 * : The game's title appears in the ticker text during the news broadcast.
 * : Artwork of the Balloon Fighter appears as a sign in Brooklyn.
 * : The game's title appears in the ticker text during the news broadcast. The Polar Bear appears on one of the signs in Brooklyn.
 * Wrecking Crew: Foreman Spike appears in the film, with "Wrecking Crew"-branded work clothes. Arranged music from the game is also heard when he appears.
 * : A poster featuring sprites from this game appears in Mario's room.
 * Nintendo Entertainment System: Mario owns the actual console and is seen playing Kid Icarus on it in the beginning of the film. The Toad at the antique store asks about an NES cartridge, to which the clerk tells them to blow into it, referencing a popular real-life method to make a cartridge work properly.
 * Super Mario Bros.: The sprites of Mario, Luigi, and a ? Block (albeit in their modern colors) are featured in Nintendo's opening title with the original Ground Theme and the "Course Clear" jingle playing. A broken wall of bricks resembles the silhouette of Mario's head from this game. Various sound effects from this game are used in the score, and the Warp Pipe sound can be heard several times throughout the film. The bridge over a sea of jumping Cheep Cheeps that Mario, Princess Peach and Toad walk across is very similar to World 2-3 from this game. A screenshot of the exterior of a fortress can be seen inside the antique store, and a nearby barrel contains axes. The store's "open" sign is styled after this game's in-game logo. The Ground Theme, Underground Theme, Underwater Theme, Castle theme, Super Star theme, Ending BGM, "Hurry Up" jingle, "Lost a Life" jingle, and "Course Clear" fanfare are arranged in the film's score. One of the reviewers on the Super Mario Bros. Plumbing website is named "anothercaserole", a reference to the mushroom retainers' quote, "Thank you Mario! But our princess is in another castle!" The same quote is said in the film by a blue Toad while trying to dissuade Mario from entering Peach's Castle. Another Super Mario Bros. Plumbing reviewer is named "dunnadunnadunna", a vocal interpretation of the main melody of the Underground Theme. The positioning of the building number, the crates and cans on the scaffolding, and the vent above them in the construction site Mario and Luigi run through resembles that of the first group of blocks encountered in World 1-1. After running through the construction site, Mario slides down Castle Burger's sign as if it was a Goal Pole, complete with the sound effect. The Castle Burger building resembles the fortress from this game. The hole Mario and Luigi make after crashing into the underground brick wall is in the shape of Small Mario's head. The mysterious pipe system in which Mario and Luigi find the Warp Pipe is in an area labeled as "Level 1-2".
 * Family Computer Disk System: A shop named "Disk-kun Hardware Co.", which features the character in its logo, appears in Brooklyn.
 * The Legend of Zelda series: On the map in the Super Mario Bros. Plumbing commercial, a road in Queens (which is actually supposed to be a block of the real-life Hollis Avenue) is named "Link Street", after the franchise's main character. Mario's father bears a strong resemblance to Talon, a Mario lookalike from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.
 * : A poster featuring the two wrestlers from the game, Starman and Fighter Hayabusa, is seen in Mario's room.
 * Kid Icarus: Audio from the Family Computer Disk System version of the game is played on the Super Mario Bros. Plumbing website. Mario is seen playing the game in his room at the beginning of the film. The NES cartridge is seen during the credits.
 * On the map in the Super Mario Bros. Plumbing commercial, a location in Brooklyn named "Punch Out" is shown. A restaurant named Punch-Out Pizzeria appears in the film, with the logo harkening back to the NES Punch-Out!! logo. On the Brazilian and French versions of the website, one of the testimonials mentions eating mac and cheese at the restaurant, making reference to Little Mac. Pictures of various opponents from the franchise can also be seen in the restaurant.
 * Super Mario Bros.: Peach-hime Kyūshutsu Dai Sakusen! : The scene where Mario is playing with his NES is similar to the one in the 1986 film where he plays with a Famicom.
 * Super Mario Bros. 2: The design of the poster featuring Toadette is based on the title screen of this game. Magical Potions can be seen in the antique store. The opening notes of the Ground Theme are arranged in the credits theme, "Level Complete". After Peach shows Mario how to complete the Training Course, she floats down the Goal Post using her skirt, much like her special skill in the game.
 * Super Mario Bros. 3: The Brooklyn couple's house features a framed piece of artwork resembling the green triangular texture patterns used for hills in this game. Music Boxes, P Switches, P-Wings, Lakitu's Clouds, anchors, treasure chests as they appear in this game's Toad Houses, and a hammer can be seen in the antique store. On the back wall of the store is a picture of Princess Peach as she appears in this game's letters. The Tanooki Suit, which debuted in this game, also appears. The sign above the vertical lift Mario and Toad use resembles the world maps from this game. The Ground Theme, Athletic Theme, Toad House/P Switch music, Spade Panel minigame music, Airship Theme, and Hammer Bro mini-boss music are arranged in the film's score. The Koopa Troop's territory is the Dark Lands. The P-Meter sound effect and the drum sample are used in the track "Press Start". The piano Bowser plays has Ludwig von Koopa's name on it. The pixelated map Peach uses makes the "world map start" sound effect while it forms.
 * The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!: The Mario Rap is used for the Super Mario Bros. Plumbing ad campaign. Two posters for the film use lyrics from the rap.
 * Dr. Mario series: "Chill" is arranged in the track "Fighting Tooth and Veil".
 * Super Mario World: The game's coin sound effect plays when the first Toad hits a Coin Block. A Dragon Coin, ! Blocks, Power Balloons, keys, and Trampolines styled after the ones from this game can be spotted in the antique store. Cape Feathers appear in the teaser poster. The Super Mario Bros. Plumbing commercial in the film depicts the brothers wearing capes. Rotating Blocks appear in the Training Course. The map of Peach's Castle and its surrounding areas shown by Cranky Kong resembles the world map from this game. The Ground Theme, Athletic Theme, Ghost House theme, and Castle theme are arranged in the film's score. The sound effect of Yoshi spitting out an object is used in "Press Start".
 * F-Zero: A poster in Mario's room resembles the North American and European boxart of this game.
 * Mario Kart series: The opening logo for Illumination features a in a kart at a starting line, with the letters of the logo lighting up similar to the countdown lights held by Lakitu from Mario Kart: Double Dash!! onwards (in order: "ILLU", "MINA", and "TION"). The Minion revs the engine before the second set of lights are lit, causing his kart to backfire, as a reference to failing a Rocket Start. Rainbow Road appears, which Mario, Peach, Toad, and the Kongs drive karts on (or, in Peach and Cranky Kong's case, bikes). Mario's vehicle resembles a mix of the Standard Kart M and the Pipe Frame, Peach's vehicle resembles the Mach Bike, Toad's vehicle resembles the Tiny Titan, and one of the Koopa Troop's vehicles resembles the Bullet Bike. Additionally, Peach wears her biking outfit in the film. The Koopa General has a winged Spiny Shell, which he uses to blast Mario and Donkey Kong off of Rainbow Road, just like in these games.
 * Super Mario Kart: The title theme and the Rainbow Road theme are arranged in the track "Buckle Up".
 * Super Mario Bros. (film): Some of the story is adapted from the original film, notably the brothers stumbling into the other world while dealing with a flood under Brooklyn and later returning during the final battle when the other world begins intruding upon it. Mario and Luigi are sometimes seen posing with a wrench and plunger respectively, similar to certain promotional images for the film.
 * Donkey Kong Country series: The Jungle Kingdom is based on Donkey Kong Island. Diddy Kong, Dixie Kong, and Swanky Kong appear in a brief cameo. "DK Island Swing" is arranged in the tracks "Courting the Kongs" and "Drivin' Me Bananas", while "Theme" (the title theme), which in turn is an arrangement of "Opening" from Donkey Kong, is arranged in the latter.
 * Star Fox series: A model Arwing rests on top of Mario's television while he plays Kid Icarus.
 * Super Mario All-Stars: Various signs around the Mushroom Kingdom use sprites from this game.
 * Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island: Yoshi's Island appears on the model of the surrounding land masses in Peach's Castle, and it is briefly walked through on the way to the Jungle Kingdom.
 * Super Mario 64: A cannon from this game appears. The Main Theme and "Inside the Castle Walls" are arranged in the film's score. Bob-omb Battlefield appears in the film. King Bob-omb appears at Bowser and Peach's wedding. A Maw-Ray appears. Bowser's laugh is used in "Press Start". One of the attacks used by the Mario Bros. against Bowser in the final battle involves grabbing him by his tail, spinning him, and tossing him upwards, similar to the attack used to defeat Bowser from this game.
 * Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!: Swanky Kong is in his attire from this game.
 * Yoshi's Story: At the construction site are crates that have pictures of grapes and bananas on them which resemble their depictions from this game. Later, watermelons with zig-zag lines appear on a fruit stand, resembling the watermelons from this game.
 * Mario Party: Wario's Battle Canyon is arranged in the track "Blue Shelled."
 * Donkey Kong 64: Part of the DK Rap is played when Donkey Kong is introduced. Chunky Kong also makes a small cameo in the film.
 * Super Smash Bros. series: During a fight with Donkey Kong and against a wooden cutout of Bowser, Mario does an overhand punch in midair, which resembles his forward aerial from Super Smash Bros. Melee onwards. When the Mario Bros. use this attack against Bowser in the final battle, it sends him downwards, referencing the move's meteor-smash qualities. Additionally, many of Donkey Kong's attacks during his fight with Mario resemble several of his attacks in the games, notably his forward smash and forward aerial. Luigi and Peach also use moves from this series.
 * Paper Mario: The Koopa Troopa rock band members with red and purple mohawks playing Fury Bowser's theme in the film wear spiked arm bands (with the latter wearing pointed sunglasses) like the Koopa Troopas in this game.
 * Nintendo GameCube: The console's startup jingle plays when clicking the phone icon on the Super Mario Bros. Plumbing website. It is also used in the film as Luigi's phone call ringtone.
 * Luigi's Mansion series: Luigi uses a flashlight and calls Mario's name in a similar fashion to this game series. In the Super Mario Bros. Plumbing voicemail, Luigi mentions (and puts emphasis on) a mansion when listing examples of residences customers may own. On the map shown in the Super Mario Bros. Plumbing commercial, a street in Queens (located where Farmers Boulevard would be in real life) is named "Mansion Street". Notes from the Main Theme are arranged in the track "The Darklands". King Boo (in his Super Mario design) appears at Bowser and Peach's wedding.
 * Pikmin series: A statue of a Pikmin appears in the Brooklyn couple's residence.
 * Super Smash Bros. Melee: Bowser's back-up plan upon Peach rejecting him is to launch an explosive Bomber Bill onto the roof of her castle, like the stage from this game.
 * Super Mario Sunshine: While the Mario Bros. are attempting to drive their van, a travel agency called Super Sunshine Travel Agency, complete with a sign and decor featuring the "Sunshine" part of the logo, dolphins resembling Isle Delfino, and suns that resemble Mario's life meter can be seen. This is also one of the images on the Super Mario Bros. Plumbing website. The shower bottles found in the Brooklyn couple's shower are from a brand called Shine.
 * Mario Kart: Double Dash!!: Asking about the business' background on the Super Mario Bros. Plumbing website informs the user that they specialize in their "patented Double Dash Drainage".
 * Mario Party 5: A Wiggler sound can be heard right before Mario meets Toad, though the sound is very faint.
 * New Super Mario Bros. series: The "Super Mario Bros." part of the series' logo is used in the logo for Super Mario Bros. Plumbing. A "paah" and the P Switch music are incorporated in the track "Welcome to the Mushroom Kingdom". A fortress, as it appears in the series, can be seen in the background when Mario lands in the Mushroom Kingdom for the first time. The Mini Mushroom appears with its design and behavior carried over from the series, also making the same sound effect from the games when used.
 * : The chef from this game appears on the salt and pepper shakers in Punch-Out Pizzeria.
 * Wii: The icon for the unknown caller on Luigi's phone resembles a faceless Mii.
 * Super Mario Galaxy: The husband of the Brooklyn couple is seen reading a book entitled "GALAXY", featuring the Gateway Galaxy's primary planet on the cover. A Lumalee makes an appearance and makes a Luma sound in the scene where he is introduced and before the credits. Bats from this game make an appearance. Mario's landing position in the Mushroom Forest mimics his position in the Mushroom Kingdom at the ending cutscene. The whistle heard in the Toad Brigade theme from this game is used in "Level Complete", as well as an arrangement of Gusty Garden Galaxy's theme. An arrangement of the Toad Brigade theme itself is used in the track "Strange New World", which plays when Toad is introduced in the film. An arrangement of Deep Dark Galaxy's music plays when Luigi is first seen in the Dark Lands. The track "King Bowser" is arranged in "Welcome to the Mushroom Kingdom".
 * New Super Mario Bros. Wii: The hills and Mushroom Platforms surrounding Peach's Castle resemble those from this game. Two Bramballs appear. This game's coin sound can be faintly heard when the second Toad hits a Coin Block while the sound that Yoshis make when stomping on enemies can be heard when Toad squashes a Goomba with his frying pan in an advertisement. During the scene where Donkey Kong and Mario defend the Mushroom Kingdom from the Koopa Troop, the power-up sound effect from this game plays when Mario eats a Super Mushroom. Multiple Koopa Clown Cars use cannons in their mouths to spit cannonballs, akin to the spiked bombs from this game. Kamek is shown dressed as Peach in a scene where Bowser is practicing his proposal to her. The Fire Flower bobs in promotional artwork as it does in this game. The Ice Flower also makes an appearance with the ability to freeze enemies. The Ghost House theme is arranged in the film's score.
 * Super Mario Galaxy 2: Bowser is shrunken to a small size after his defeat, much like his appearance during the credits of this game.
 * Donkey Kong Country Returns: A pair of Rocket Barrels, as originally seen in this game, appears as part of Donkey Kong's kart. Mario and Donkey Kong ride a Rocket Barrel to escape the Maw-Ray's mouth. This game's specific arrangement of "Opening" from Donkey Kong and "Theme" from Donkey Kong Country, used on the title screen, is rearranged in "Drivin' Me Bananas". Rambi's emblem from this game can be seen on the kart of the Kong that drives Mario, Peach, and Toad to Cranky's temple.
 * Super Mario 3D Land: A Boomerang Flower can be seen in the antique store. Biddybuds and little birds appear. One of the Mushroom Platforms in the second teaser poster is purple with magenta spots, just like the Poison Mushrooms in this game.
 * Mario Kart 7: Mario, Peach, and Toad arrive at Cranky's lair via a kart with a glider. On the machine that builds vehicles are reels that resemble the vehicle parts menu.
 * New Super Mario Bros. U: Rocky peaks that resemble the formations seen at Rock-Candy Mines appear. Two Stone-Eyes appear in the background of the Sand Kingdom scene.
 * Mario Kart Arcade GP DX: In one of the posters, the pose Mario is in resembles a pose he takes in this game's key artwork.
 * Super Mario 3D World: Toad and Mario travel through a Clear Pipe, which debuts in this game, to reach Peach's Castle. Mario briefly runs like how he does in this game after reaching the top of the construction site. Voxel Super Bells can be seen at the front of the antique store. Cat Mario appears during the fight with Donkey Kong. Some trees resemble those from this game. Diamond-patterned blocks from this game appear. Upon his defeat, Bowser is shrunken down and sealed inside a glass bottle, similar to his fate shown in the credits for this game.
 * Mario Kart 8 / Mario Kart 8 Deluxe: The countdown sound from this game is used for the Illumination logo. The menu music from this game is arranged in the track "Karts!" A design on the vehicle-building machine references the Wii U GamePad's functionality as a horn. The item roulette sound from the game is heard when the characters spin the rolls in the machine. The sound of Toad's horn is directly from this game. Anti-gravity is used in the Rainbow Road scene.
 * Super Mario Maker: The custom cursor on the Super Mario Bros. Plumbing website is the same as the one found in this game's Course Maker. Mario and Luigi's Mystery Mushroom costumes from this game appear for Nintendo's logo. Builder Toads can be seen when Toad and Mario travel across lifts. The Training Course is a reference to this game.
 * Super Mario Odyssey: A Crazy Cap store appears. Patches designed after the Fossil Falls, Tostarena, and Peach's Castle stickers from this game appear on Toad's backpack. The Sand Kingdom is actually visited in the film. Also, Bowser and Peach are seen wearing the same wedding outfits that originated from this game. As Bowser practices his proposal, he holds a bouquet of Piranha Plants. The Maw-Ray's design is the same from this game. The food bowls in the Mario Bros.'s apartment have a similar pattern to the Inverted Pyramid from the game. Furthermore, a book named  and figure of a sheep wearing a sombrero from that game are both seen on a shelf in the same location. The music tracks "Fossil Falls" and "Mount Volbono: Town" are arranged in "Welcome to the Mushroom Kingdom" and "The Mushroom Council" respectively.
 * Mario Tennis Aces: In the scene when Mario and Luigi greet their family, a photo of Mario in his tennis outfit and resembling from this game is seen.
 * Super Mario Maker 2: A Super Hammer appears on a sign at the construction site.
 * Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury: Fury Bowser's theme plays when Bowser rallies his army for his plan to destroy the Mushroom Kingdom.

Quotes

 * "I've finally found it. And now no one can stop me!!" - Bowser
 * "Mushroom Kingdom, here we come!" - Mario (Teaser trailer only)
 * "Alright... Let's-a go." - Mario (Official trailer only)
 * "There's a huge universe out there... with a lot of galaxies." - Princess Peach
 * "Thank you for calling Super Mario Bros. Plumbing! It's-a me, Luigi! Ah, if you need service, please-uh text us the same number you just called! 929-55-MARIO! That's 929-556-2746! Message us about any issues wherever you live! House, condo... mansion? And we'll be sure to text you back right away, because at Super Mario Brothers Plumbing, we don't say, 'Let's-a wait'; we say, 'Let's-a go!' Oh, and uh, check out our website smbplumbing.com! We're still working on it, so.... more updates to come. Buh-bye!" - Luigi (Super Mario Bros. Plumbing voicemail)
 * "DO NOT TOUCH THAT MUSHROOM, YOU'LL DIE!" - Toad
 * "That is but a taste of our fury. Do you yield?" - Penguin King

Trivia

 * The Universal Pictures logo in this film runs shorter than its usual appearances.
 * The Super Mario Bros. Plumbing commercial is presented in pillarboxed widescreen, and as the camera pans to show the Mario Bros., the aspect ratio widens to the cinematic anamorphic aspect ratio.