The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is bringing a much-needed spring bloom to the box office, where the family pic is now on course to collect a record $370.7 million in its global debut from 80 markets, the biggest showing since James Cameron’s Avatar: Fire and Ash opened over Christmas 2025. And it is by far the top opening of 2026 among Hollywood titles.
Universal’s Saturday estimates shows the sequel on course to open to a mammoth $188.6 domestically, including a three-day weekend gross of $129.4 million, one of the best showings of all time for the Easter corridor, not adjusted for inflation. Overseas, it is headed for estimated foreign opening of $182 million, including previews, for a mammoth global launch not that far behind the first film.
Opening over the same Easter corridor in 2023, the first Mario Bros. Movie posted a five-day domestic debut of $204 million, including a three-day gross of $147 million, one of the best showings of all time for the holiday, not adjusted for inflation. Galaxy also joins the upper reaches of that list.
Super Mario Galaxy is achieving a number other milestones, including delivering the year’s biggest three-day opening of the year so far, a record held briefly by sleeper hit Project Hail Mary.
Other records and milestones: both the biggest global and domestic debut of the year to date for a Hollywood movie and the biggest worldwide opening ever for an animated film and the fourth-biggest among Hollywood titles alongside Zootopia 2, Moana 2 and Super Mario.
Worldwide highlights include having now delivered the two biggest global openings ever for a video game adaptation, as well as marking Universal’s fifth-biggest global opening ever behind Super Mario.
Among domestic achievements: it scored the third top-grossing weekend for a video game adaptation behind A Minecraft Movie and Super Mario; the only animated franchise to have two titles open to more than $100 over a three-day weekend besides Shrek, Toy Story and Minions; and the biggest five-day domestic launch since Disney’s Moana 2.
Super Mario Galaxy was graced with an A-CinemaScore from audiences despite being snubbed by many critics. The 2023 pic received an A and quickly became a box office sensation on its way to topping out at $1.36 billion globally and delivering a marquee new franchise for Universal, Illumination and Nintendo.
The Universal-owned Illumination partnered with Nintendo in bringing the adaptation of the family friendly video game to the big screen. The follow-up tells the story of Mario, Luigi and Princess Peach once again taking on the evil Bowser (this time along with his son, Bowser Jr.) in an adventure that spans the galaxy and introduces new characters including Princess Rosalina and Nintendo icon Yoshi.
Amazon MGM’s Project Hail Mary, now in its third weekend, is continuing to do remarkable business despite losing Imax and premium-large formats to Super Mario Galaxy. The Ryan Gosling-led sleeper blockbuster is expected to fall another scant 40 percent in its third outing to $32.6 million from 3,902 cinemas as it rockets past the $200 million milestone to finish Sunday with a domestic cume of $219.1 million in the first major theatrical win for Amazon MGM.
Zendaya and Robert Pattinson’s edgy The Drama — definitely not an Easter offering for families — is expected to report a third-place finish north of $13 million from 3,097 locations, somewhat behind expectations for the A24 title, the storyline of which was kept closely guarded for as long as possible. It earned decent scores but a B CinemaScore.
Numbers will be updated Sunday morning.
