Super Mario Galaxy Movie Is About to Hit $1 Billion — 2026's First Blockbuster Milestone

Super Mario Galaxy Movie Is About to Hit $1 Billion — 2026's First Blockbuster Milestone

If you needed more proof that video game movies are no longer a gimmick, look no further than The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. Nintendo and Universal Pictures' latest animated sequel is on track to become Hollywood's first $1 billion movie of 2026, having already grossed over $897 million worldwide in just over a month of release.

A Franchise That Keeps Growing

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie isn't just riding on nostalgia. It's actively rewriting the rulebook for video game adaptations. The first film, The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023), already proved the concept by pulling in over $1.36 billion globally. But this sequel has managed something even more impressive — it's closing in on the $1 billion mark faster than many anticipated, and it's already surpassed Minions: The Rise of Gru to become the 7th highest-grossing animated film of the post-COVID era.

Directors Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic returned from the first film, bringing the same vibrant energy that made the original a global phenomenon. Voice cast favorites like Chris Pratt as Mario, Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach, and Charlie Day as Luigi all reprise their roles, giving fans the comfort of familiar characters in an entirely new cosmic adventure inspired by the beloved Super Mario Galaxy game.

Box Office Breakdown and What's Next

The film is tracking to earn between $5.5 million and $7 million at the domestic box office in its sixth weekend — numbers that most movies would kill for at any point in their run. Internationally, the film has been an absolute juggernaut, with particularly strong performances in Japan, South Korea, and Latin America.

Once it crosses $1 billion, the Mario film franchise will have earned over $2.3 billion combined from just two movies. That's territory normally reserved for Marvel, Star Wars, and the biggest Pixar titles. For Nintendo, it's validation of a strategy that many skeptics doubted just a few years ago.

With a third Mario film already in early development and spin-off concepts reportedly being discussed at Universal and Illumination, the Mushroom Kingdom isn't slowing down anytime soon. If you haven't seen it yet, now's the time — before it becomes the latest member of the billion-dollar club.