Despite a lukewarm reception from critics, Nintendo’s latest animated film adaptation is confidently raking in significant box office revenue.
The animated movie “Super Mario: Galactic Cinema” launched in the US box office with an impressive $34.5 million on its opening day, marking the best single-day result of 2026. This figure was achieved without including any preview screenings. For comparison, “Project: Doomsday” starring Ryan Gosling grossed $33 million including previews, and “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” in 2023 opened with $31 million.
Its global debut has also been remarkably strong. Outside the US, the film added another $33.9 million, bringing its total worldwide earnings for the first 24 hours to $68.4 million.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Universal Studios anticipates a five-day US theatrical run to reach $186 million. Some cinema owners are even more optimistic, suggesting figures closer to $200 million. Internationally, the film is projected to earn an additional $175 million over its debut weekend. If these forecasts hold true, “Super Mario: Galactic Cinema” could become the highest-grossing release of the year to date.
Interestingly, critics have generally rated this sequel lower than its predecessor. While the original scored 46 on Metacritic and 59% on Rotten Tomatoes, the follow-up received around 35 points and 42%, respectively. However, audience reception remains overwhelmingly positive, with scores around 90% on Rotten Tomatoes and 7.8 on Metacritic, compared to the first film’s 95% and 8.1.
“Super Mario: Galactic Cinema” is scheduled to premiere in Russian cinemas on April 9th.