The Super Mario Galaxy Movie Shines at the 2026 Box Office

The film The Super Mario Galaxy Movie stands as the first movie in 2026 to surpass the $1 billion mark at the box office. Released on April 1, 2026, this collaboration among Illumination, Nintendo, and Universal reached this milestone in its tenth week. Currently, it is the year’s top-grossing film, surpassing others by over $100 million. Following it are the Michael Jackson biopic Michael with $888 million, and Project Hail Mary with $679 million, according to Box Office Mojo.

This isn’t the only notable feat for the film. It ranks as the second-highest-grossing film adapted from a video game, only trailing The Super Mario Bros. Movie, and this holds true both globally and domestically. The success of the 2023 predecessor, which grossed $1.3 billion worldwide, set new records for video game adaptations and was the first to pass the billion-dollar milestone.

Combined, both films have pushed The Super Mario franchise into a lucrative position in the industry. Together, they have grossed $2 billion, placing them ninth among global animated franchises, overtaking Madagascar‘s seven-film earnings of $2.26 billion with just two films. For Illumination CEO Chris Meledandri, this marks his third franchise in the top ten since the company’s inception in 2007.

Biggest Animated Franchises of All Time

Below are the top ten highest-grossing animated franchises based on total box office revenues for all series films released:

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

Universal’s impressive year continues as more major releases are on the horizon. Steven Spielberg’s sci-fi drama Disclosure Day and Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey are scheduled, with the latter expected to reach $1 billion. Another collaboration with Illumination, Minions & Monsters, is set for a July 1, 2026 release. Anticipation is high for a third Super Mario Bros movie, expected in 2028.

Top 10 Highest-Grossing Films of 2026

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is leading the box office in 2026 with $1,000,028,930 earned globally. The top ten for the year includes:

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

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie Cast

The star-studded cast of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie includes Chris Pratt and Charlie Day, who play Mario and Luigi. Anya Taylor-Joy returns as Peach, along with Keegan-Michael Key as Toad and Jack Black as Bowser. The complete cast lineup is as follows:

• 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