‘Super Mario Galaxy Movie’ Dominates Easter Box Office with $372M Global Debut

The global box office saw a major Easter revival this year, led by the blockbuster debut of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, which stormed to an estimated $372.5 million worldwide opening—marking the biggest launch of 2026 so far.

The animated sequel delivered a powerful domestic performance, earning $190.1 million over the extended five-day Easter corridor, including $130.9 million over the traditional three-day weekend. Internationally, the film added another $182.4 million across 80 markets, cementing its position as a global hit.

The film’s performance is the strongest since Avatar: Fire and Ash debuted during Christmas 2025, signalling renewed momentum for theatrical releases after a quieter early spring.

While it didn’t surpass the record-breaking debut of its predecessor, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which opened to $204 million domestically over five days, Galaxy still ranks among the biggest holiday openings in recent years.

The sequel has also set multiple benchmarks. It recorded the highest three-day opening of the year across North America, international markets, and globally—briefly overtaking Project Hail Mary in that category. It now stands as the fifth-biggest opening ever for an animated film and the fourth-largest for a Hollywood studio release, behind titles such as Zootopia 2, Moana 2 and the original Mario film.

Within the video game adaptation genre, the film recorded the third-highest domestic opening weekend, trailing A Minecraft Movie and its own predecessor. It also joins an elite group of animated franchises—including Shrek, Toy Story, and Minions—to have multiple films debut above $100 million in a three-day weekend.

“Our opening frame for The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is a powerful result for an iconic franchise and a terrific outcome for the marketplace. Audience reaction scores are pointing to a very long, successful run at the domestic box office,” says Universal domestic distribution president Jim Orr, noting the Meldandri’s extraordinary track record as founder and head of Illumination, also home of Minions.

Despite receiving mixed reviews from critics, the film secured a strong A- CinemaScore from audiences, suggesting sustained box office momentum in the coming weeks.

The film, produced by Illumination in partnership with Nintendo and distributed by Universal Pictures, expands the Mario universe with a galaxy-spanning storyline. It follows Mario, Luigi, and Princess Peach as they confront Bowser and his son, introducing fan-favourite characters such as Rosalina and Yoshi.

Meanwhile, Project Hail Mary, starring Ryan Gosling, continued its strong run in its third weekend. The film crossed two major milestones over Easter, surpassing $400 million globally and $200 million domestically. It added $30.6 million over the weekend, bringing its North American total to $217.2 million.

In third place, The Drama—featuring Zendaya and Robert Pattinson—opened with an estimated $14.1 million from over 3,000 locations. While not positioned as a family-friendly Easter release, the film outperformed some expectations, earning a B CinemaScore and an 81% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Further down the chart, Hoppers from Pixar and Disney continued its steady run, reaching $323.2 million globally. Another animated title, GOAT from Sony Pictures Animation, also crossed the $100 million mark domestically, pushing its global total to $185.2 million.

With multiple animated films dominating the charts, the Easter weekend underscored the continued strength of family-oriented franchises and established IPs in driving box office recovery in 2026.

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