Highlights
- "Michael" opened to $97 million domestically, ending the Mario sequel's three-week run at No. 1.
- "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie" added $21.2 million in its fourth weekend, pushing its worldwide total to about $831.4 million.
- The animated film has now passed the lifetime global grosses of "Deadpool" and "Deadpool 2" and is tracking toward $1 billion.
"The Super Mario Galaxy Movie" lost its grip on the U.S. box office over the April 24-26 weekend, ending a three-week run at No. 1 that began with its April 3 release. Universal and Illumination's animated sequel was overtaken by "Michael," Lionsgate's biopic of Michael Jackson, which opened to $97 million domestically and $217 million worldwide — the biggest debut ever for a music biopic.
The Mario film added $21.2 million in its fourth weekend in North America, a 42% drop, according to Deadline. Domestic receipts now stand at $386.4 million, with another $444.9 million from international markets, for a worldwide total of about $831.4 million.
Mario film holds momentum as Nintendo broadens screen strategy
Even with "Michael" entering the market, the Mario sequel held up reasonably well in its fourth frame, supported by a Japan release earlier in April. The film has now passed the lifetime worldwide grosses of "Deadpool" ($782.8 million) and "Deadpool 2" ($785.9 million), per Box Office Mojo. Industry tracking points to a final global haul of $1 billion to $1.1 billion, short of the $1.3 billion benchmark set by 2024's "Deadpool & Wolverine."
The pattern echoes 2023's The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which drew mixed reviews but strong audience scores on its way to $1.36 billion. Together, the two animated films have now grossed more than $2 billion globally.
Nintendo is widening its theatrical pipeline. The live-action "The Legend of Zelda," directed by Wes Ball and co-financed with Sony Pictures, has wrapped filming in New Zealand and is scheduled for May 7, 2027. In a February investor briefing, Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa said the company is "continuing to prepare for the ongoing release of movies in the future" and is exploring video content beyond theatrical features as a way to expand IP exposure beyond its console base.
The wider industry slate now includes more than 50 video game adaptations in development, among them a live-action Call of Duty film from Paramount, dated for June 30, 2028.
Not everyone in the games business is sold on the trend. Voice actor Ben Starr, known for Final Fantasy XVI and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, told Dexerto at the BAFTA Games Awards last week that games "don't need adaptations to justify them," pushing back on the assumption that screen versions are necessary for franchises like God of War and Street Fighter.
