The Super Bowl is traditionally a major event for blockbuster movie trailers, and this year’s event delivered with teasers for highly anticipated sci-fi films: Project Hail Mary, Disclosure Day, and The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. While the NFL championship game between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots saw Seattle dominate in a defensive victory, the real action for genre fans unfolded in the advertising breaks.
Disclosure Day : Spielberg’s UFO Spectacle
Steven Spielberg’s Disclosure Day, starring Emily Blunt and Josh O’Connor, is set to arrive in theaters on June 12, 2026. The latest trailer reveals a world on the brink of revelation, with unsettling visuals reminiscent of Spielberg’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Crop circles, intense reactions to an unknown announcement, and an ominous alien spaceship breaking through the clouds all hint at a monumental extraterrestrial reveal. The film is penned by David Koepp (Jurassic Park ) with a score by John Williams, promising a classic cinematic experience.
Why this matters: The concept of a global announcement confirming alien contact taps into decades of speculation and cultural obsession. Spielberg’s involvement adds weight to the project, suggesting a serious and potentially groundbreaking take on the UFO phenomenon.
Project Hail Mary : A Race Against Time in Deep Space
Ryan Gosling stars in Project Hail Mary, scheduled for release on March 16, 2026. The new trailer showcases the film’s central peril: a fading sun and a desperate mission to save Earth. Gosling’s character, astronaut Ryland Grace, encounters an alien creature dubbed “Rocky”—a stone-skinned being who accompanies him on an interstellar rescue mission to the Tau Ceti system.
The film is based on Andy Weir’s bestselling novel, known for its blend of hard science and gripping adventure. Project Hail Mary is expected to be a major blockbuster release from Amazon MGM Studios.
Why this matters: Weir previously wrote The Martian, which was adapted into a critically and commercially successful film. His knack for realistic sci-fi, combined with the directing duo Phil Lord and Chris Miller (Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs ), suggests a smart, engaging space adventure.
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie : Back to Outer Space
The 2023 Super Mario Bros. Movie was a massive success, and Universal and Illumination are capitalizing on that momentum with a sequel loosely based on the 2007 Super Mario Galaxy video game. Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Day, Jack Black, and others reprise their roles in this animated adventure.
The story follows Mario and Luigi as they team up with Yoshi and Princess Peach to battle Bowser Jr. in a colorful voyage across space and exotic planets. The film hits theaters on April 1, 2026.
Why this matters: The original Super Mario Bros. Movie proved the enduring appeal of Nintendo’s franchise on the big screen. This sequel expands the universe with a spacefaring twist, ensuring continued audience interest in the beloved characters.
The trailers released during Super Bowl LX showcase a strong lineup of sci-fi and animated entertainment, promising a diverse range of experiences for audiences in 2026. These films demonstrate Hollywood’s continued investment in imaginative, visually stunning storytelling, from the grounded realism of Project Hail Mary to the fantastical escapism of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.
