The Super Mario Galaxy Movie Becomes First 2026 Movie To Hit This Major Box Office Milestone

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Since 2010, Illumination has consistently delivered successful animated films. While known for Despicable Me and the Minions, the studio has created several popular franchises, including Sing and The Secret Life of Pets. They’ve also adapted Dr. Seuss books, like The Grinch, and recently found huge success with video game movies. The Super Mario Bros. Movie became their biggest hit ever, breaking box office records and earning a sequel. The follow-up, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, released this spring, was another major success and has already reached a significant milestone as a 2026 release.

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie has officially surpassed $1 billion in worldwide ticket sales, according to Deadline. This makes it the fourth Illumination film to reach this milestone, following The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Minions, and Despicable Me 3. Currently, it’s the highest-grossing movie of 2026, both in the United States and around the world.

What Other 2026 Releases Could Hit $1 Billion?

As a movie critic, I have to admit I was a little surprised, though pleased, to see The Super Mario Bros. Movie cross the billion-dollar mark at the box office. It was a huge hit from the start, but reaching this milestone now, after its digital release in mid-May on platforms like Apple and Amazon, is impressive. Typically, when a film becomes available to rent or buy at home, you’d expect ticket sales to drop off. But this one continued to pull in a solid amount of money in theaters over the last few weeks, proving its lasting appeal.

Currently, The Super Mario Bros. Movie is the only film from 2023 to earn over $1 billion, but several upcoming releases this summer could join it. Toy Story 5 is coming out in a few weeks, and with the franchise already having two billion-dollar successes, it’s a strong contender. Then, in July, Illumination will release Minions & Monsters. It will be fascinating to see how these two family-friendly films perform – they seem different enough that they shouldn’t take away from each other’s audience. By the time Toy Story 5 has had its run, Minions & Monsters will be poised to capitalize on the Fourth of July holiday weekend.

Marvel’s films could see a resurgence after a weaker 2025, potentially ending the year strongly with Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which is expected to be the summer’s biggest hit. While the Marvel Cinematic Universe isn’t as dominant as it was in the 2010s, Spider-Man remains incredibly popular and seems to consistently attract large audiences. Plus, Avengers: Doomsday is poised to be a major event during the busy holiday season. Given that the previous four Avengers films each earned over $1 billion, that’s the level of success Doomsday will be aiming for.

It will be fascinating to see if any films reach $1 billion at the box office and potentially surpass The Super Mario Bros. Movie as the year’s highest-grossing film. While Mario is expected to be among the lower-earning billion-dollar movies, films like Toy Story 5 or Despicable Me 4 could have a chance to earn more. Regardless, Illumination and Universal are thrilled with the results. The Mario franchise has already earned over $2 billion with just two movies, suggesting many more sequels are on the way.

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2026-06-07 22:14