Illumination and Universal’s The Super Mario Galaxy Movie continues to dominate the domestic and global box offices.
The film, the second in the series, has crossed $600 million worldwide in its second weekend, becoming the first Hollywood film of 2026 to surpass both $300 million domestically and $600 million worldwide.
The animated sequel is expected to pull down $70 million in North American ticket sales through Sunday, bringing its domestic total to $308.1 million, while delivering another $90 million from 81 international markets, bringing its foreign total to $327 million.
Record-Breaking Second Weekend Performance
On Friday, the animated feature raked in $18.7 million, a 46 percent week-over-week drop, while playing in 4,284 theaters across North America.
According to Deadline, Super Mario Galaxy Movie now has the seventh-best second weekend for an animated movie, behind Inside Out 2 at $101.2 million, the original Super Mario Bros at $92.3 million, Frozen 2 at $85.9 million, Incredibles II at $80.3 million, Finding Dory at $72.9 million, and Shrek 2 at $72.1 million.
The 2023 Super Mario Bros had the second-best second weekend for an animated movie with a 37 percent hold.
The sequel’s domestic total of $308 million through Sunday puts it on track to potentially match or exceed the original film’s final North American run of $574.9 million.
That’s great news for Mario fans who are likely very excited to see the new movie in the series, which we already know will introduce at least one more Nintendo character into the mix, thanks to a big reveal in the movie’s end credits.
What’s Next For The Animated Blockbuster
With another princess coming our way and a second movie only 12% behind the original film’s box office at the same point in time, it looks like Nintendo fans are excited to keep following along on the journey put in front of Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Princess Rosalina, and the rest of the crew.
The original Super Mario Bros. finished its theatrical run with $574.9 million domestically, a benchmark the sequel appears poised to challenge based on its current pace and a relative short-term lull in new children’s animated features that would otherwise compete against the movie.
I took my four children, ages 4, 8, 11, and 14, to see the movie last weekend, and it was a huge hit among all of us. They’re already asking when it will be available to stream and when the next movie will be released. We’re a gaming family and likely the core demo for the movie, but it’s a good sign for the franchise’s future.
Now go check out our list of the best Nintendo Switch 2 games for kids, where you’ll also find some Mario titles to enjoy away from the big screen.
