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Illumination Entertainment and Nintendo announced on March 10, that they will be releasing a sequel to the popular “The Super Mario Bros. Movie.” The first movie, which was released on April 5, 2023, was marketed as a movie for children and families. 

It was also quite the hit with college aged students, including SAU students, who grew up playing games like “Mario Kart,” “Mario Party,” and “Super Mario Land.” According to NBC.com, the sequel will not be released until April 2026, but some Bees are already buzzing with anticipation. 

SAU junior and business major, Sergio Marchizza was not aware of the announcement, but was excited to hear the news. “I went and saw ‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie’ with a group of my closest friends last spring. We actually played ‘Mario Party’ a lot together as kids. Going to watch the movie kind of felt like a blast from the past. It’s almost like we were kids again.”

Marchizza also shared some thoughts on the first movie, and whether or not he plans to see the sequel when it releases. “The first movie was actually surprisingly good. Everyone I know who has seen it, including myself, enjoyed it. I’ll definitely go see the sequel when it comes out. I’ll probably go with that same group of friends. Hopefully it’ll be like reliving a little bit of our childhoods again.”

(Photo courtesy of Trusted Reviews)

Marchizza was not the only SAU student who got a nostalgic feeling from “The Super Mario Bros. Movie.” SAU senior and biology major, Cade Meek had a unique realization during the first film. “I’ve been a fan of cars and racing games since I was a little kid. When I went and saw the first movie, I realized that ‘Mario Kart’ was one of the first video games I ever played. I had never thought about it, but that game had probably shaped my personality more than I had ever imagined. The ‘Mario Kart’ scene in the first movie was my favorite part. I liked how they were able to incorporate parts of the game into the scene.” 

The feeling that realization created is what will bring Meek back to watch the sequel. “I will undoubtedly be back to watch the sequel when it releases. The first movie was really good, and I think they will do an even better job with the second one. The first one took me back to being a kid again, and I am sure the sequel will do the same thing.”

The first movie received an audience score of 95% on Rotten Tomatoes. People of all ages were able to enjoy it. The popularity of “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” with college-aged students was not planned, but should come as no surprise. After the success of the first film, children, parents, and college-aged students, including many here at SAU, will wait with excitement for the sequel.