This week at the box office, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie turned heads in a big way with a massive debut. Universal and Illumination’s animated sequel earned $130 million in its opening weekend and reached a total of $190 million in its first five days of release.
These numbers mark the biggest domestic opening of the year, surpassing Project Hail Mary, which previously held the record with $80.5 million. However, it slightly trails 2023’s “The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which made $204 million in its first five days. That film went on to earn $1.3 billion worldwide.
Internationally, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie also showed up big overseas. It collected $182.4 million from 78 markets, bringing its global total to $372.5 million. In comparison, the first Mario movie made $375 million worldwide in the same timeframe.
According to box office analyst David A. Gross, these are insane numbers, and the film has so far held onto most of the OG fanbase. It also stands as the second-biggest domestic opening ever for Illumination.
With a production budget of $110 million, the film is expected to be highly profitable. Directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic, the sequel takes Mario and Luigi from Brooklyn on a new adventure into outer space. Audiences loved it, although its “A-” CinemaScore is slightly lower than the original film’s “A.” Critics, however, have been less enthusiastic.
While The Super Mario Galaxy Movie ran the box office this weekend, it wasn’t the only new release turning heads. A24’s The Drama, starring Zendaya and Robert Pattinson, debuted in third place with $14.4 million. This opening is stronger than A24’s “Materialists” and close to Zendaya’s previous film “Challengers,” which earned $15 million.
The Drama also earned $13.6 million overseas, bringing its global total to $28 million. With a budget of around $28 million, this is honestly a win for a movie like this. Directed by Kristoffer Borgli, the movie follows an engaged couple whose wedding week goes completely sideways after an unexpected revelation.
Look, this weekend straight-up slapped at the box office — one of the strongest performances of the year. According to Comscore, ticket sales are up 23% compared to the same point in 2025. Theater owners are encouraged by the fact that multiple films — not just one blockbuster — are drawing audiences to cinemas.
AMC CEO Adam Aron noted that films like The Super Mario Galaxy Movie bring large crowds to theaters, while other titles such as Project Hail Mary, The Drama, Scream 7, and Hoppers are also keeping people coming back to theaters.
Project Hail Mary landed in second place, earning $30 million in its third weekend. So far, the Ryan Gosling-led space adventure has made $217 million domestically and $420.7 million worldwide — and yeah, that’s a massive W for Amazon MGM.
Meanwhile, Hoppers took fourth place with $5.8 million in its fifth weekend. The film has earned $149.6 million in North America and $332 million globally.
Rounding out the top five, Reminders of Him earned $2.3 million in its fourth weekend. Made on a $25 million budget, the film has grossed $45 million domestically and $79 million worldwide.
Think “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” has what it takes to beat the first one? Drop your take in the comments!
