Super Mario Galaxy Movie Smashes $830M Worldwide — But Will It Hit $1 Billion?

Nintendo and Illumination's Sequel Is an Absolute Box Office Juggernaut

When The Super Mario Galaxy Movie hit theaters on April 1, 2026, everyone expected it to do well. Nobody expected this. Universal Pictures and Illumination's animated sequel has now crossed $830 million at the global box office, officially making it the highest-grossing film of 2026 so far — and it's not even done yet.

From $629M to $830M: The Numbers Are Insane

The film's second weekend alone pulled in a massive $69 million from 4,284 theaters across the U.S. and Canada, according to studio estimates. That kind of legs is rare even for the biggest blockbusters. Chris Pratt returns as Mario, alongside Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach and Jack Black as Bowser, reprising roles that fans clearly can't get enough of.

For context, the first film — The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) — finished with around $1.36 billion globally. The sequel is on pace to challenge that number, though its momentum finally slowed this past weekend when it was dethroned by the Michael Jackson biopic Michael, which earned a bigger domestic haul. Still, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie's international performance remains absolutely dominant, particularly in Japan, Latin America, and Southeast Asia.

Why This Sequel Is Outperforming Expectations

Critics and audiences alike have praised the film for expanding the Mario universe beyond the Mushroom Kingdom — drawing inspiration from the beloved Super Mario Galaxy video games with stunning cosmic visuals and inventive level designs brought to the big screen. The addition of new characters like Rosalina and the Lumas has given the story emotional depth that the first film was sometimes criticized for lacking.

Director Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic clearly learned from the feedback on the first movie, delivering a sequel that balances spectacle with genuine heart. And with Nintendo and Universal already planning further entries in the animated Mario franchise — including a rumored Donkey Kong spinoff — this is just the beginning of what could become the most lucrative animated franchise since Despicable Me.

Will it cross $1 billion? At this rate, it's not a matter of if — it's a matter of when. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is proof that when you respect the source material and invest in quality animation, audiences will show up — again and again.