Overview
- The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, which trackers on Thursday put above $755 million worldwide, now ranks as 2026’s highest-grossing release.
- Deadline reports the two Illumination–Universal Mario films have collectively earned more than $2 billion globally, placing the series among the top animated franchises by revenue.
- Critic and audience reactions remain far apart, with the sequel at about 43% from reviewers on Rotten Tomatoes versus roughly 89% from audiences.
- Ahead of Friday’s launch in Japan, Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto said he was baffled that critics judged the sequel even more harshly than the 2023 film.
- Miyamoto said Nintendo rewrote a distinct Japanese script rather than simply localizing the English version, and industry estimates suggest the film could ultimately approach $1 billion worldwide as its run continues.