The Super Mario Galaxy Movie blasts off with $372.5M global box office debut

The animated sequel scores the biggest Hollywood opening of 2026 so far.

Apr. 5, 2026 at 9:33pm

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The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, a co-production between Illumination and Nintendo, earned $130.9 million over the weekend and $190.1 million in its first five days in North American theaters. Globally, the film earned $182.4 million from 80 overseas markets, resulting in a $372.5 million debut. While the film had mixed reviews, audiences were enthusiastic, giving it strong scores.

Why it matters

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie's massive global debut is a significant win for the film industry, marking the biggest Hollywood opening of the year so far. It demonstrates the continued drawing power of major franchises and the ability of family-friendly animated films to attract large audiences, even in the face of mixed critical reception.

The details

The Illumination and Nintendo co-production had a massive footprint, playing in 4,252 theaters in the U.S. and Canada, including 421 IMAX and 1,345 premium large format screens. It made $15 million from IMAX screens alone. The film cost around $110 million to make, not including marketing and promotion expenses. While it had a Rotten Tomatoes score of 40%, audiences were more enthusiastic, giving it strong scores in exit polls.

  • The Super Mario Galaxy Movie was released globally on Wednesday, capitalizing on kids' spring break vacations in the week leading up to the Easter holiday.
  • The first Super Mario Bros. Movie opened to $204 million domestically during the same five-day time frame in 2023.

The players

Illumination

An American animation studio that co-produced The Super Mario Galaxy Movie with Nintendo.

Nintendo

A Japanese multinational consumer electronics and video game company that co-produced The Super Mario Galaxy Movie with Illumination.

Chris Pratt

An American actor who voices a returning character in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.

Jack Black

An American actor and comedian who voices a returning character in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.

Anya Taylor-Joy

An American-Argentine actress who voices a returning character in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.

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What they’re saying

“It's exactly the kind of broad, crowd-pleasing release that brings people into theatres.”

— Adam Aron, AMC Chairman and CEO

“These kind of audience reaction scores just point to a ridiculously strong run, not only throughout the spring, but likely into the summer as well.”

— Jim Orr, Universal's president of domestic distribution

“There's no better opening act for a great summer than a huge month of April powered by a mega blockbuster like the 'The Super Mario Galaxy Movie'.”

— Paul Dergarabedian, Comscore's head of marketplace trends

What’s next

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie will open in Japan later this month, which could further boost its global box office performance.

The takeaway

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie's record-breaking global debut demonstrates the continued appeal of major franchises and the ability of family-friendly animated films to draw large audiences, even in the face of mixed critical reception. This success sets the stage for a strong summer box office season.