A New Nintendo Direct is Airing Next Week, But There's a Big Catch

A new Nintendo Direct has been officially announced for March 9, though it comes with a big catch: it will be exclusively focused on The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. Nevertheless, Nintendo’s track record indicates that one of the company’s general-purpose showcases may also be happening in the near future.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie premiered in April 2023 to historic success, becoming the fourth highest-grossing animated film of all time. Nintendo formally confirmed a sequel was in the works in March 2024. The project was unveiled as The Super Mario Galaxy Movie the following year, and even received a dedicated Nintendo Direct in November 2025.

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie Is Getting Its 3rd Nintendo Direct in 4 Months

Nintendo Direct Super Mario Galaxy Movie March 9 2026 Announcement Banner — A banner Nintendo used to announce The Super Mario Galaxy Movie Nintendo Direct scheduled for March 9, 2026.

Yet another Nintendo Direct focused on The Super Mario Galaxy Movie has now been announced for Monday, March 9, beginning at 2 p.m. PT / 5 p.m. ET / 11 p.m. CET. This will be the second such broadcast of the year, following the January 2026 Nintendo Direct that unveiled the film’s second trailer. The upcoming livestream will feature The Super Mario Galaxy Movie‘s third and final trailer. No game information of any kind will be part of the early March showcase, Nintendo said in a prepared statement.

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Since the start of 2026, Nintendo has held a Partner Showcase Direct and an Indie World broadcast, as well as one focused on Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream. That’s on top of the usual February 27 Pokemon Presents and the soon-to-be-two Directs focused on The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. At the same time, almost nothing is known about Nintendo’s own first-party game schedule for the coming months. The most recent general-purpose Nintendo Direct was held in September 2025, yielding announcements centered on over half a dozen games, including Pokemon Pokopia, which was just released worldwide on March 5. With Pokemon Pokopia officially out, Nintendo has just one remaining first-party game with a confirmed release date—Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream, scheduled for launch on April 16.

GameRant | Image sources via Nintendo

Given those circumstances, there is a plausible chance that the next Nintendo Direct will be happening in the near future. September has historically been the most reliable window for a general-purpose Nintendo Direct. Outside of that anchor slot, the company has frequently used February and June for its larger showcases, while March and April appearances have been comparatively rare and typically tied to disruptions in its usual schedule. However, with Nintendo’s currently confirmed release roadmap effectively ending on April 16, the company may have reason to provide an earlier update rather than waiting until June 2026 to outline its next slate of titles.

Upcoming First-Party Switch (2) Games Likely to Be Featured in the Next Nintendo Direct

Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave
Rhythm Heaven Groove
Splatoon Raiders
Yoshi and the Mysterious Book

Looking at the current slate of announced Switch 2 titles, several projects appear likely to feature in the next Nintendo Direct, whenever it occurs. Chief among them is Nintendo’s puzzle platformer Yoshi and the Mysterious Book, which was unveiled in September 2025 with a spring 2026 release window. The game follows Yoshi as he explores a magical encyclopedia, befriending its many creatures and using their abilities to solve puzzles and navigate a range of traversal challenges.

Three additional Switch 2 titles are also broadly targeting a 2026 launch: Rhythm Heaven Groove, Splatoon Raiders, and Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave. With none of them yet assigned a firm launch date, each stands as a plausible candidate for the next general Nintendo Direct. As for The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, the film is scheduled to hit the silver screens on April 1, 2026. Chris Pratt (Mario), Anya Taylor-Joy (Princess Peach), Charlie Day (Luigi), Jack Black (Bowser), and Keegan-Michael Key (Toad) are all reprising their roles from The Super Mario Bros. Movie.