Hollywood Will Officially Get Its First $1 Billion Movie of 2026 This Month With The Super Mario Galaxy Movie

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It’s common for fewer big movies to come out in the first half of the year, since the main movie season begins in the summer. But this year, Hollywood expects to have its first film earn over $1 billion by next month.

While some movies have been successful and others haven’t, The Super Mario Bros. Movie is proving to be a major hit for the film industry. As of today, it’s earned $897.2 million around the world in just over a month, according to The Numbers. Having already made over eight times its production budget, The Super Mario Bros. Movie is on track to become Hollywood’s first billion-dollar film, potentially as early as 2026.

The Super Mario Franchise Is Thriving

The latest animated film continues the adventures of beloved characters with a fresh storyline. While critics weren’t enthusiastic about The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, which is based on the 2009 video game, moviegoers really enjoyed it. Costing $110 million to make, the film is already a financial success for Universal, Illumination, and Nintendo.

It’s no surprise the new movie is doing well, considering the first one was a huge success. Released in 2023, The Super Mario Bros. Movie earned $1.35 billion globally on a $100 million budget – over 13 times its cost. It also made an additional $29.1 million from DVD and Blu-ray sales, becoming a major hit, surpassed only by Barbie.

The new movie is expected to earn over a billion dollars soon, adding to an already incredibly successful franchise. This series is the first based on a video game to reach $2 billion in total earnings, and it’s unique in having two films debut with worldwide box office numbers exceeding $350 million.

While Project Hail Mary has earned a solid $636.4 million globally, it’s unlikely to reach $1 billion. However, the new Michael Jackson biopic, Michael, is quickly becoming a bigger hit, already making $430.2 million in just two weekends. Despite receiving negative reviews, the film’s viral popularity is driving repeat viewings, and it’s expected to soon surpass Project Hail Mary at the box office.

Popular movies also include Disney and Pixar’s Hoppers, which has earned $371.3 million, and Margot Robbie’s Wuthering Heights. A new release also performed well, opening with $233.3 million worldwide.

We have a lot of exciting movies coming out this year, including Toy Story 5, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, Steven Spielberg’s Avengers: Doomsday, The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, and Dune: Part Three.

What’s Next for Super Mario?

Given the huge success of the first two movies, it seems the franchise will grow beyond them. Nintendo has already announced an animated Donkey Kong movie, featuring the character from the 2023 film. Originally planned for 2025, a recent Universal Pictures update now shows the film arriving on April 12, 2028.

Universal hasn’t officially announced whether the next movie will be about Donkey Kong or another sequel, but it seems likely. Jack Black, who stars in the films, hinted that they’re thinking about a Super Mario 3 movie, potentially releasing in 2029 – following the same three-year pattern as the first two films. However, a third movie hasn’t been officially confirmed yet.

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is playing in theaters. Get tickets through .

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2026-05-05 18:06