Super Mario Galaxy Movie Blasts Off With $372M Global Debut
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie opened to $372.5 million worldwide in its first five days, becoming 2026's highest-grossing animated film and the third-biggest earner of the year despite mixed critical reviews.
A Galactic Launch at the Box Office
Nintendo and Illumination's The Super Mario Galaxy Movie has rocketed to the top of the 2026 box office charts, collecting a staggering $372.5 million worldwide in its first five days of release. The animated sequel, which hit U.S. theaters on April 1, earned $190.1 million domestically and $182.4 million across 78 international markets — cementing itself as the year's biggest animated film and its third-highest-grossing release overall.
Numbers That Power Up the Franchise
The film's domestic haul includes a best-of-2026 opening day of $34.5 million at 3,821 theaters — the strongest Wednesday opening day ever recorded in April, according to Variety. Its five-day domestic total of $190 million easily surpassed the previous 2026 leader, Project Hail Mary, which opened to $80.5 million in March.
However, the sequel trails slightly behind its 2023 predecessor, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which debuted to $146 million over a traditional three-day weekend and $204 million across five days. That first installment went on to gross $1.36 billion globally, setting an extraordinarily high bar for the follow-up.
Produced on a $110 million budget, the Galaxy sequel is already deep in profit territory, with analysts projecting strong legs through April given limited animated competition.
Space Adventure, Star-Studded Cast
Directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic, with a screenplay by returning writer Matthew Fogel, the film sends Mario into outer space to rescue Princess Rosalina from Bowser Jr.'s universe-threatening scheme. Chris Pratt returns as Mario alongside Anya Taylor-Joy (Peach), Charlie Day (Luigi), and Jack Black (Bowser). New additions include Brie Larson as Rosalina, Donald Glover voicing Yoshi, and Glen Powell as Fox McCloud — a surprise Star Fox crossover that delighted Nintendo fans.
Shigeru Miyamoto and Chris Meledandri again served as producers, with animation handled by Illumination Studios Paris and a 70-piece orchestral score composed by Brian Tyler.
Critics Lukewarm, Audiences Enthusiastic
Despite its commercial dominance, the film has received mixed critical reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds a 42% approval rating from 172 reviews, with a Metacritic score of just 36 out of 100. The critical consensus describes the sequel as "packed with colorful world-building that's as frenetic as it is weightless" — praising its visuals while finding the story lacking in substance.
Audiences, however, have been far more receptive. The film earned an A- CinemaScore — slightly below the original's A grade — and a 79% positive PostTrak score, suggesting solid word-of-mouth that could sustain its theatrical run well into May.
What Comes Next
The Galaxy Movie's performance confirms that Nintendo's cinematic universe remains a box office juggernaut, even when critics are unimpressed. With major April releases still ahead — including the Michael Jackson biopic Michael on April 24 — Mario faces limited direct competition in the animation space. The question now is whether the sequel can approach the first film's extraordinary $1.36 billion lifetime gross, or whether slightly softer audience scores signal a quicker theatrical decline.
Either way, Nintendo and Universal have another certified blockbuster on their hands — and further proof that gaming's most famous plumber prints money on the big screen.
