Box-office US: Super Mario Galaxy, Its-a

The Illumination adaptation of the Nintendo game shines over the Easter weekend.

“Super Mario Galaxy” blasts off the American box office. Released on Wednesday to take advantage of spring break, it grosses 190 million dollars (M$) in five days, with 130.9 M$ over the weekend, in 4,250 theaters. While it’s slightly less than the first “Mario” (146.3 M$ in three days in 2023) and “Minecraft, the movie” (157 M$ last year around the same time), it is the first opening above 100 M$ in 2026. A result similar to “Frozen 2” in 2019 (130.26 M$) in its first three days, and superior to DreamWorks Animation’s record, “Shrek the Third” (121.6 M$) in 2007… and this doesn’t even include the merchandising revenue for Mario, especially through Universal Parks subsidiary.

An enormous success internationally as well, where “Super Mario Galaxy” earns 182.4 M$ on over 54,000 screens in 80 countries. Unlike the United States, the revenues surpass those of the first film in 2023, and also represent the best international opening for a film adapted from a video game. The main markets were Mexico (29.1 M$), the United Kingdom (19.7 M$) and Germany (15.75 M$).

“Last Chance Project” remains solidly in second place in the rankings, with 30.65 M$, crossing the 200 M$ mark in the United States (217.18 M$) and 400 M$ internationally (420.7 M$).

It is followed by “The Drama”, presented by A24 as a romantic comedy, succeeding in its release with 14.38 M$ on over 3,000 screens. This result is comparable to “Challengers,” a previous film with Zendaya, which started at 15 M$ in April 2024, before totaling 50 M$ in the United States. Abroad, the film made an impact in some important territories, especially in the United Kingdom and France, with international revenues of 13.6 M$.

Another standout release is “A Great Awakening,” a film with religious themes that rakes in 2.1 M$ over the Easter weekend, taking the 6th place at the box office.

Overall, the weekend’s revenues double compared to the previous week, reaching 195.6 M$. Still slightly below the equivalent weekend of 2025 (-3.46%).

Estimates for April 3-5, 2026:

Source: Boxoffice Pro US