Highlights
- The Super Mario Galaxy Movie has crossed $800 million globally following its Japan release.
- The film's release timing during Japan's Golden Week made it the biggest opening for an American film in Japan in 2026.
- Industry projections point to the film crossing the $1 billion mark.
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie recorded an $11 million opening in Japan, the biggest debut for an American film in the country in 2026. As of April 26, the Nintendo and Illumination film has crossed $800 million in global theatrical revenue following its Japan premiere on April 24, 2026, according to box office tracking data.
The Japan opening was timed to coincide with the country's Golden Week holiday window, a high-traffic period for theatrical releases. Universal Pictures released the film globally on April 1, targeting spring break audiences in North America.
The Super Mario Galaxy's Global Footprint and Domestic Milestone
According to Box Office Mojo, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie has grossed $831.47 million globally, including $386.49 million from the domestic market and $445 million from international markets. The film's $34.5 million opening day topped the original Super Mario Bros. Movie's $31.7 million debut day from 2023.
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie's five-day domestic total reached $190 million, the best domestic five-day opening of 2026 and the fourth-biggest five-day domestic opening in history, behind Moana 2 ($225.4M), The Super Mario Bros. Movie ($204.6M), and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen ($200M). The film is also the only animated franchise to have two installments open above $350 million globally.
AMC Chairman and CEO Adam Aron said the film drove the highest-grossing Easter holiday weekend ever for both AMC and ODEON theatres. "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie brought families, younger audiences, and longtime fans to our theatres in impressive numbers," Aron said in a statement.
The film is currently the highest-grossing release of 2026 and the highest-grossing animated film of the year. It follows the commercial success of The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which grossed over $1.36 billion globally and ranks among the highest-grossing video game adaptations of all time.
The success of the franchise is fuelling discussions of a Nintendo Cinematic Universe, with industry speculation pointing to a third Mario film in development. Box office trackers including Koimoi project The Super Mario Galaxy Movie's revenue to cross the $1 billion mark in the coming weeks, with the potential to surpass its predecessor.
The film now faces competition from the newly released biopic Michael, based on Michael Jackson's life. Michael opened as the second-biggest global debut of 2026 with $217 million worldwide and stands as the first scripted feature-length biopic based on the King of Pop.
