The Super Mario Galaxy Movie becomes the biggest film of 2026

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie has secured its place on the global box office charts by becoming the number one film of 2026. The Nintendo animated film has now grossed $752 million worldwide, making it the year’s standout hit. That puts it ahead of the previous number one, Pegasus 3, which finished with a total of $641 million.

Competition from Pegasus 3

Pegasus 3, which was released in China in February 2026, generated a staggering 99.8% of its revenue from the Chinese market, with a modest $1.37 million from the United States. The film, which remains largely unknown outside China, earned $638.5 million from that market alone. The contrast highlights the global appeal of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, which has performed strongly across multiple major territories.

Worldwide success of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie

With $358.7 million from North America, $49.6 million from Mexico, $38 million from the United Kingdom, $30 million from Germany, $17.4 million from Spain, and $12.7 million from France, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie has been a major worldwide success. That makes it one of the biggest hits of the year.

Timeline

April 22, 2026: The Super Mario Galaxy Movie passes Pegasus 3 to become the year’s number one film.
February 2026: Pegasus 3 is released in China and posts impressive numbers, but misses out on the international market.
2026 (so far): Amazon’s Project Hail Mary follows in third place with a worldwide gross of $575 million.

Upcoming releases and expectations

Big releases are still on the way over the coming months, including Avengers: Doomsday, Toy Story 5, Spider-Man: Brave New World, Minions & Monsters, and The Odyssey. Despite weaker reviews from professional critics, audience scores for The Super Mario Galaxy Movie have been significantly better. Shigeru Miyamoto, the creator of Mario and producer on the films, has expressed surprise at the low critical scores.

Nintendo has also announced that it is working on a follow-up project, The Legend of Zelda, which is expected in 2027 in collaboration with Sony Pictures. Nintendo has also said it plans to keep a steady stream of game-based films coming in the future. Recent Circana research shows that the Switch 2 is the best-selling console in the United States in 2026, both in units and revenue.

At a time when the battle for box office dominance is becoming increasingly intense, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie shows that the Nintendo brand can maintain its relevance and appeal across different media.