MOVIE NEWS – The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is tracking as a potential first billion-dollar hit of 2026, with Universal and Illumination looking ready to repeat – and possibly outdo – what they pulled off in 2023.
The baseline is hard to ignore: 2023’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie delivered an enormous $1.36 billion worldwide. Critics were split, but the audience response was overwhelming – a 95% approval score and sustained family turnout sent a very clear message about just how valuable Mario and company are at the box office.
The sequel leans deeper into the franchise’s mythology, and the marketing has already lit up social media. Trailers are being dissected frame by frame as fans debate which new faces are joining the familiar cast, and which characters are being kept out of the promotional spotlight on purpose so the reveal lands harder in theaters.
Box Office Theory argues the release window is close to ideal: the Easter corridor and a relatively quiet competitive landscape could leave a clear runway through late May, right up until the next Star Wars film arrives. The nostalgia factor and the “first time” novelty won’t be as fresh as they were in 2023, but the brand weight, the promise of bigger adventures, and the spectacle-driven appeal still look like a recipe for a major win.
(The Super Mario Galaxy Movie – Hungarian release date: April 1, 2026.)
Source: UIP Dunafilm
