Despite making the jump to video-on-demand on digital platforms last month, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is still holding its theatrical position in cinemas in some locations. Now, it’s finally pushed its global box office haul past the $1 billion mark.
Deadline shared the update on 7th June, a little over two months after its original debut. It’s an impressive feat that makes it 2026’s first film to cross the big milestone, and while it’s likely its theatrical run will extend for a while still, 2023’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie currently has the lead with $1.36 billion. Nonetheless, this means Nintendo, Universal Pictures, and Illumination have the two highest-grossing big-screen video game adaptations of all time now.
Domestically, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie also has the crown, with $428.5m making it the biggest film of 2026 in the United States so far. The overseas haul has reached $571.5m, which makes it the top Motion Picture Association title. Chinese sports comedy film Pegasus 3 reigns supreme in the international box office with $655m, made almost entirely in China alone.
Though critics weren’t very kind to The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, it’s clearly landed a critical hit on its target audience, which half-explains why Shigeru Miyamoto has been fiercely batting for Illumination’s work on the sequel. A third instalment seems guaranteed, but Illumination’s next Nintendo flick – set to be released in 2028 – could be Donkey Kong starring Seth Rogen.
Eurogamer’s two-star review of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie pointed out that, despite some dazzling visuals and bursts of imagination, there’s “little else beneath the spectacle”. It gave us the glorious return of Star Fox before the new game was announced, though.
