Super Mario, Project Hail Mary Fend Off Horror Release

Lee Cronin's The Mummy fails to impress critics and audiences in its debut weekend.

Apr. 19, 2026 at 11:09pm

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An abstract close-up image of shimmering, backlit popcorn kernels, capturing the high-stakes glamour and spectacle of the movie theater experience.The box office battle between blockbuster franchises and new horror releases reflects the evolving tastes of moviegoers.Normal Today

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie and Project Hail Mary continued their box office dominance, finishing first and second respectively, while Lee Cronin's new horror film The Mummy debuted in third place with a lackluster performance.

Why it matters

The box office results highlight the ongoing popularity of established franchises like Super Mario and science fiction films like Project Hail Mary, while also suggesting that audiences may be growing tired of traditional horror movies, at least for the moment.

The details

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie earned $35 million in its third weekend, bringing its worldwide total to $747.5 million. Project Hail Mary dropped only 15% in its fifth weekend, earning $20.5 million and reaching a domestic total of $285.1 million globally. In contrast, Lee Cronin's The Mummy, which opened in 3,404 locations, pulled in just $13.5 million, failing to resonate with critics (45% on Rotten Tomatoes) or audiences (a C+ CinemaScore).

  • The Super Mario Galaxy Movie has spent all of its first three weekends in the first-place spot.
  • Project Hail Mary is in the midst of another run on IMAX screens, after ceding them to Mario for two weeks.
  • Lee Cronin's The Mummy opened wide on April 19, 2026.

The players

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie

The sequel to the popular Super Mario video game franchise, which has dominated the box office in its first three weekends.

Project Hail Mary

The science fiction film that has maintained a strong presence at the box office, earning $573.1 million worldwide.

Lee Cronin's The Mummy

The new horror film directed by the filmmaker behind Evil Dead Rise, which failed to impress critics and audiences in its debut.

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What they’re saying

“Horror movies had their biggest year in 2025. So far that's not happening in 2026.”

— Paul Dergarabedian, Comscore

What’s next

The Michael Jackson biopic Michael is set to arrive in theaters next weekend, which could shake up the box office rankings.

The takeaway

The box office results suggest that audiences may be gravitating towards established franchises and science fiction films, while traditional horror movies are struggling to find the same level of success. This could indicate a shift in audience preferences and the need for filmmakers to adapt their strategies to meet changing viewer demands.