The Super Mario Galaxy Movie Just Became the First $1 Billion Hit of 2026 — Here's How It Got There

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie Just Became the First $1 Billion Hit of 2026 — Here's How It Got There

It's official: The Super Mario Galaxy Movie just crossed the $1 billion mark at the global box office, becoming the first film of 2026 to hit that milestone. The animated sequel from Illumination, Universal Pictures, and Nintendo has been crushing it since its April 1 release, and it's showing zero signs of slowing down.

By its second weekend alone, the film had already rocketed to $629 million worldwide — $308 million from North America and $320 million from international markets. Top-performing territories include Mexico ($47.8 million), the UK and Ireland ($37.4 million), Germany ($29 million), and France ($23.9 million). That's the kind of global domination you don't see every year.

The Mushroom Kingdom Is Bigger Than Ever

Directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic (the duo behind 2023's The Super Mario Bros. Movie), the sequel ups the ante by taking Mario — once again voiced by Chris Pratt — beyond the Mushroom Kingdom and into space. Anya Taylor-Joy returns as Princess Peach, Charlie Day as Luigi, Jack Black as Bowser, and Keegan-Michael Key as Toad. The voice cast is stacked, and audiences have responded accordingly.

The 2023 original ended its theatrical run at $1.3 billion globally, making it the second-highest-grossing movie that year. Galaxy is on pace to potentially match or even exceed that number — especially with summer vacation moviegoing still in full swing.

What's Challenging Mario Next?

Mario won't have the crown to itself forever. A massive slate of blockbusters is lining up for the rest of 2026, including Spider-Man: Brand New Day (July 31) starring Tom Holland and Zendaya, Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey (July 17) with Matt Damon and Anne Hathaway, Toy Story 5, and of course, Avengers: Doomsday. Any one of those could give Mario a serious run for its coins.

For now though, Mario, Luigi, Peach, and the whole crew are sitting comfortably at the top. Not bad for a plumber from Brooklyn.

Have you caught The Super Mario Galaxy Movie yet? Let us know what you think in the comments!