Super Mario Galaxy Movie Shatters Box Office Records

“The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” became the first film of 2026 to cross the $1 billion mark at the box office. Released on April 1, 2026, by Illumination, Nintendo, and Universal, the movie hit this milestone over a span of ten weeks. It currently leads the year’s box office earnings by over $100 million, surpassing the Michael Jackson biopic “Michael” at $888 million and “Project Hail Mary” at $679 million, as reported by Box Office Mojo.

This is not the film’s sole achievement. It ranks as the second-highest-grossing video game adaptation, trailing only “The Super Mario Bros. Movie.” The success of the 2023 film, which earned $1.3 billion globally, set the benchmark as the top-grossing video game-based movie and the first to break the billion-dollar barrier.

The two films, combined, have solidified “The Super Mario” franchise as a significant financial success, amassing $2 billion. This achievement places the franchise ninth among the highest-earning animated franchises worldwide, surpassing the “Madagascar” series, which has seven films earning a total of $2.26 billion. For Illumination CEO Chris Meledandri, “The Super Mario” series becomes his third franchise to earn a spot in the top ten since founding the company in 2007.

Top Animated Franchises by Total Earnings

Ordered by total box office revenue across all films in their series, these are the leading animated franchises:

• Despicable Me: $5.64B (6 films)
• Shrek: $3.98B (6 films)
• Toy Story: $3.28B (5 films)
• Ice Age: $3.22B (5 films)
• Zootopia: $2.89B (2 films)
• Frozen: $2.73B (2 films)
• Inside Out: $2.56B (2 films)
• Kung Fu Panda: $2.37B (4 films)
• Super Mario films: $2.30B (2 films)
• Madagascar: $2.26B (7 films)

Universal is enjoying a financially significant 2026, with further releases on the horizon, including Steven Spielberg’s “Disclosure Day” and Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey,” anticipated to also break the billion-dollar threshold. Another collaboration with Illumination, “Minions & Monsters,” is scheduled for release on July 1, 2026. Considering the profitable collaboration, a third “Super Mario Bros” movie is expected by around 2028.

Top 10 Grossing Films of 2026

Here are the year’s highest-grossing films so far, led by “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” with a global total of $1,000,028,930:

1. “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” — $1,000,028,930
2. “Michael” — $888,066,424
3. “Project Hail Mary” — $679,728,026
4. “The Devil Wears Prada 2” — $663,570,934
5. “Pegasus 3” — $656,459,523
6. “Hoppers” — $372,010,783
7. “Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu” — $293,622,349
8. “Wuthering Heights” — $241,601,072
9. “Obsession” — $224,795,930
10. “Blades of the Guardians” — $215,363,913

Cast of “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie”

The film features Chris Pratt as Mario and Charlie Day as Luigi, alongside Anya Taylor-Joy as Peach, Keegan-Michael Key as Toad, and Jack Black as Bowser. The complete cast includes:

• Chris Pratt — Mario
• Anya Taylor-Joy — Princess Peach
• Charlie Day — Luigi
• Jack Black — Bowser
• Keegan-Michael Key — Toad
• Brie Larson — Rosalina
• Donald Glover — Yoshi
• Benny Safdie — Bowser Jr.
• Glen Powell — Fox McCloud
• Issa Rae — Honey Queen
• Luis Guzmán — Wart
• Kevin Michael Richardson — Kamek