Illumination and Universal’s The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is already smashing records out of the gate, with the animated sequel amassing an impressive US$34 million opening box office and marking the best film opening of 2026 so far.
As reported by Deadline, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie’s accomplishments surpass even that of Amazon MGM’s Project Hail Mary, which raked in an already impressive US$33.1 million when it launched on 19 March.
Furthermore, the earnings for the sequel have already soared past that of the 2023 original, The Super Mario Bros Movie, which made US$31.7 million on its first day, no small feat for the humble plumber adventurer and his friends.
According to Universal, the studio is forecasting a respectable US$128.2 million three-day and US$186 million five-day haul, a cautious prediction considering The Super Mario Bros Movie’s record-breaking run, which saw it amass a worldwide box office total of US$1.248 billion and making it the third-biggest animated film of all time.
Early audience and critic opinions are in, and the scores are currently divided. Much like its predecessor, the film didn’t resonate with critics, with critic reviews on Rotten Tomatoes sitting at a measly 42%, down from The Super Mario Bros Movie’s 59%. Audience scores, however, paint a much different picture at 91%, although this still fares a little lower than its predecessor’s 95%.
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is directed by returning helmers Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic, and takes Mario (Chris Pratt) and friends on an adventure across the galaxy after the Mushroom Kingdom gets sucked up by a contraption created by Bowser Jr. The sequel also stars a returning cast of Charlie Day (Luigi), Anya Taylor-Joy (Princess Peach), Jack Black (Bowser), Keegan-Michael Key (Toad), and Kevin Michael Richardson (Kamek), alongside new faces like Brie Larson, Benny Safdie, Donald Glover, and Glen Powell, as Rosalina, Bowser Jr., Yoshii, and Fox McCloud, respectively.
Kevin is a reformed PC Master Race gamer with a penchant for franchise “duds” like Darksiders III and Dead Space 3. He has made it his life-long mission to play every single major game release – lest his wallet dies trying.
Si Jia
