‘Super Mario Galaxy Movie’ Ignites to Biggest Opening Day of 2026

Universal and Illumination’s animated adventure “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” is off to a super start at the domestic box office, igniting to $34.5 million on opening day.

Those ticket sales mark the largest opening day of the year, above Amazon MGM’s “Project Hail Mary” with $33.1 million. They also rank above the first day of its predecessor, 2023’s “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” which collected $31 million. The rollout for the “Mario” movies are unique because they both debuted on a Wednesday, whereas most films (including “Project Hail Mary”) land in theaters on Fridays.

“The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” is now aiming for $186 million in its first five days of release, though exhibitors and independent tracking services have maintained that initial ticket sales will power to $190 million to $200 million. The film is expected to generate at least $175 million overseas, bringing its global tally to somewhere around $350 million to $375 million. It will easily rank as the biggest debut of 2026, ahead of “Project Hail Mary” with $80.5 million in North America and $140 million globally over the traditional three day weekend.

More to come…