It looks like moviegoers still can’t get enough of plumbers, mushrooms and galaxy-hopping adventures. In a year packed with big-budget spectacles and franchise releases, one film has quietly raced ahead
of the competition and achieved a milestone that every studio dreams about.
And no, it wasn’t a superhero movie.
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie has officially become the first film of 2026 to join the coveted $1 billion club, proving once again that Nintendo’s iconic characters remain a box-office force to be reckoned with.
According to a report by The Hollywood Reporter, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie has crossed the $1 billion mark globally, becoming the first release of 2026 to reach the milestone.
The animated adventure has earned $428.5 million (approximately ₹4,097 crore) in North America and another $571.5 million (approximately ₹5,464 crore) from international territories. Together, that takes its worldwide haul beyond $1 billion (around ₹9,560 crore).
The achievement comes despite the film receiving mixed reviews from critics upon release. Audiences, however, clearly had a different opinion.
The latest success also gives Mario another record to celebrate.
The film has now become the second-highest-grossing video game adaptation in cinema history. The only title ahead of it is its predecessor, The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023), which finished its theatrical run with an impressive $1.36 billion worldwide.
The result further strengthens what has become one of Hollywood’s most reliable modern franchises.
With two blockbuster films now under its belt, the Super Mario franchise has generated a combined $2.3 billion at the worldwide box office. According to Deadline, that total places the franchise among the biggest animated properties ever created, ranking ninth on the all-time list.
The animated franchise leaderboard is currently led by Despicable Me, which has amassed $5.64 billion across six films.
It is followed by Shrek with $3.98 billion from six movies, while Toy Story occupies third place with $3.28 billion from five films.
Further down the list are Ice Age ($3.22 billion), Zootopia ($2.89 billion), Frozen ($2.73 billion), Inside Out ($2.56 billion), Kung Fu Panda ($2.37 billion), and Super Mario ($2.30 billion). Completing the top 10 is Madagascar, which has earned $2.26 billion from seven films.
While Mario currently holds the title of 2026’s biggest box-office winner, another major release is beginning to close the gap. The Michael Jackson biopic Michael, backed by Lionsgate and Universal, has reportedly collected $888 million worldwide and is steadily moving towards the billion-dollar milestone.
Whether it can join Mario in the elite club remains one of the biggest box-office questions of the year.
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie reunites Universal Pictures, Illumination and Nintendo following the enormous success of their previous collaboration.
This time, Mario and his friends embark on an intergalactic mission involving Luigi, Yoshi, Princess Peach and Bowser. The adventure revolves around rescuing Princess Rosalina, voiced by Brie Larson, from Bowser, voiced by Jack Black, and Bowser Jr., voiced by Benny Safdie.
Chris Pratt returns as the voice of Mario, while Anya Taylor-Joy reprises her role as Princess Peach. The voice cast also features Glen Powell as Fox McCloud and Donald Glover as Yoshi.
Directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic from a screenplay by Matthew Fogel, the film is once again based on Nintendo’s hugely popular Mario video game universe.
