Super Mario Movies Cross Into Elite Box Office Territory

Let's talk about the Super Mario movies—because, in news that shouldn't shock anyone who's seen the crowds at a weekend matinee, Illumination has managed to squeeze over $2 billion out of just two films. And no, that isn't a typo or a fever dream. The franchise isn't just riding the nostalgia train; it's lapping the whole track.

Mario, Luigi, and... $2 Billion

Here's the bottom line: Between The Super Mario Bros. Movie and this year's The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, Illumination has already raked in a combined box office haul north of $2.1 billion. To be accurate, that's $2.115 billion, and that number’s still climbing since Galaxy is still in theaters and going strong.

Just for context:

• The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023): $1.36 billion globally
• The Super Mario Galaxy Movie (opened April 1, 2026): $755 million worldwide (as of April 23), split about 50/50 between the U.S. ($361M) and everyone else ($393M)

Where Does That Stack Up?

For two movies, Mario's sitting pretty high up the money charts:

- 12th highest-grossing animated franchise or film series. It's nestled between Madagascar ($2.266 billion) and Finding Nemo ($1.97 billion). If Galaxy cracks the $1 billion mark—almost a sure thing—the franchise will boot Kung Fu Panda ($2.366 billion) out of the top 10. Not bad for only two entries.

- US/Canada earnings: Together, the Mario films have pulled in $936 million domestically. That puts them in the Top 40 franchises by domestic box office, even though those lists usually include franchises with three, four, or seven movies padding the stats. And if you’re wondering about two-movie franchises specifically, Mario is second only to Inside Out ($1B) and ahead of Frozen ($878M).

Box Office Momentum: What's Helping Mario?

All this money didn't just fall out of a pipe. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie has been running the table for three weeks straight at the box office, both in the States and internationally. (Maybe the only thing with enough power to oust it soon is the Michael Jackson biopic, Michael.)

But the international box office is where Mario is about to get another Power Star. The movie is finally launching in Japan on April 24—just in time for their Golden Week, which is basically a national excuse to go see movies. Then South Korea gets the film on April 29. For a sense of what that could mean: the Bros. movie brought in about $101 million in Japan and $18 million in South Korea when it opened there in 2023. So, expect a late-April, early May rocket boost to those international numbers.

Is There Even Any Competition?

In terms of family movies, Mario is more or less stomping around uncontested—at least until late May, when The Mandalorian & Grogu arrives (May 22) and Toy Story 5 lands (June 19). So the window for this movie to make coin is still wide open.

Not All Reviews Are Cheery

Here's the only real rain cloud: Galaxy isn't getting quite the universal love/critical adoration that Bros. did, which seems to have even surprised Nintendo legend Shigeru Miyamoto a bit. Will this stop it from hitting a billion? Probably not. But if you're keeping score at home, this is one sequel where critics are less impressed than audiences, which is pretty much the Mario movie way at this point.

What's Next for Movie Mario?

With money like this, don't expect Nintendo and Illumination to slow down. The movie's world-hopping, galaxy-themed story is basically a license to print spin-offs. Word is, they're already eyeing expanding the animated Nintendo universe—and don't be shocked if we get a Fox McCloud (yep, Star Fox) solo adventure or the proper introduction of Princess Daisy in the eventual third film.

"Many fans are just waiting for the movie to join the billion dollar club; the only real question is how fast it gets there, not if."

So yeah, Mario and friends are winning this financial game with barely two movies. The only question is how long it takes before Bowser tries to grab a piece of the prize.