The animated Nintendo sequel has become a dominant global box office force, nearing the three-quarter-billion-dollar mark with weeks still remaining in its theatrical run.
———————
LOS ANGELES — The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is proving to be one of the year’s most formidable box office performers, pushing toward $750 million in worldwide ticket sales and showing no signs of slowing down as it continues to dominate multiplexes across the globe.
The film, directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic — the duo behind the 2023 original — stars the returning voice cast of Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Day, Keegan-Michael Key, and Jack Black. The sequel was inspired by the beloved Nintendo Wii game Super Mario Galaxy and was unveiled to audiences via a teaser during a Nintendo Direct broadcast in September 2025.
The Mario film franchise has now officially crossed the $2 billion cumulative mark with the release of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, a milestone that underscores the extraordinary commercial durability of Nintendo’s most recognizable mascot on the big screen.
In the United Kingdom and Ireland alone, the film is approaching £33 million in ticket sales, placing it firmly among the top performers of the spring season. Its opening weekend domestically was reported by Rotten Tomatoes to have soared to $300 million — a staggering figure that placed it among the highest-grossing opening weekends in recent animated film history.
Illumination’s partnership with Nintendo, which produced the first film — a global phenomenon that earned over $1.3 billion worldwide — has clearly evolved into one of Hollywood’s most lucrative ongoing franchises. The sequel expands Mario’s universe into cosmic settings, with the story following the beloved plumber through galactic worlds far removed from the familiar Mushroom Kingdom.
Critical reception has been warm if not rapturous, with most reviewers praising the film’s visual invention and kinetic energy while noting that it plays squarely to existing fans. Family audiences have responded enthusiastically, with multiple reports of repeat viewings driving the film’s sustained theatrical performance.
The result puts significant pressure on other major studio releases heading into the summer season, including Disclosure Day, Toy Story 5, The Odyssey, and the long-awaited Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu — all of which will need to find their own audience in a marketplace where animated family fare has claimed early territory with unusual authority.
Industry analysts are now watching closely to see whether The Super Mario Galaxy Movie can sustain its momentum long enough to challenge the original film’s final total, particularly as international markets, including Japan and South Korea, continue to deliver strong numbers.
