Universal Pictures 'The Super Mario Galaxy Movie' Dominates Easter Weekend With Massive $190 Million USD Debut
The animated sequel blasts off to a staggering global opening, virtually guaranteeing another billion-dollar run for Nintendo and Illumination.
Summary
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Universal and Illumination’s The Super Mario Galaxy Movie easily took the No. 1 spot at the domestic box office, earning an incredible $190 million USD over its five-day opening weekend
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Globally, the intergalactic video game adaptation scored an estimated $372.5 million USD, already recouping its reported $110 million USD production budget
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The blockbuster sequel features returning stars like Chris Pratt and Jack Black, while introducing massive new cast additions including Brie Larson, Donald Glover, and Glenn Powell
The battle at the Easter holiday box office has officially begun, and a familiar Italian plumber is absolutely crushing the competition. Unsurprisingly, Universal and Illumination‘s highly anticipated animated sequel, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, easily soared to the No. 1 spot on the domestic charts with a staggering $190 million USD haul across its five-day opening window. Leaving the rest of the theater entirely in the dust, the blockbuster video game adaptation is already proving to be an unstoppable cinematic force.
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie‘s immediate box office dominance hardly comes as a surprise to the industry. The 2023 original, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, was a cultural phenomenon that earned a final worldwide total of $1.3 billion. Following in those massive, record-breaking footsteps, the newly released sequel has already scored an estimated $372.5 million globally in just five days. Against a reported production budget of $110 million, the animated feature has essentially broken even right out of the gate, virtually guaranteeing a long, highly profitable future for the rapidly expanding Nintendo cinematic universe.
The ambitious sequel shifts the setting entirely, tracking the adventures of Mario, Luigi, and their friends into outer space as they fight to save Princess Rosalina. It brings back the core of the original beloved voice cast, including Chris Pratt as Mario, Charlie Day as Luigi, Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach, Keegan-Michael Key as Toad, and Jack Black as Bowser.
Expanding the massive, star-studded roster, the movie also introduces several major new additions to the franchise. Academy Award winner Brie Larson makes her debut as Princess Rosalina, alongside Donald Glover stepping in to voice fan-favorite dinosaur Yoshi, Benny Safdie taking on Bowser Jr., and Glenn Powell making a surprise crossover appearance as Fox McCloud.
With the Easter holiday setting the stage for massive theatrical returns, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is officially the undisputed early king of the 2026 box office, heavily tracking to become the first film of the year to successfully cross the coveted $1 billion USD mark.
