Story perspectives

Super Mario Galaxy Hits $1B Milestone, 2026’s Top Gross

6/7/2026

Summary

Mario Hits Billion

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie crossed $1 billion worldwide in its tenth weekend, the first 2026 film to do so.
It earned $428.5 million domestically and $571.5 million internationally, totaling $1 billion.
The film opened April 1 with a $131.7 million domestic debut and added $69 million the next weekend.
Produced by Universal, Illumination and Nintendo on a $110 million budget, it is 2026’s top-grossing film and lifts the Mario franchise to $2.3 billion, the ninth-highest animated franchise worldwide.

Summary

Universal Aims Billion

Universal will handle overseas distribution for Lionsgate's Michael Jackson biopic “Michael”, targeting a potential billion-dollar box office.
Illumination's third Minions spinoff “Minions & Monsters” arrives in July, while Universal's partnership with Illumination on video-game adaptations like Mario aims to dominate animation.
Analysts project Disney/Pixar's “Toy Story 5” to open with over $170 million domestically and Universal's “The Odyssey” to target a billion-dollar run.

History

Historical Context

In August 2010, Pixar’s Toy Story 3 became the first animated feature to top $1 billion worldwide, earning $1.067 billion on a $200 million budget and briefly overtaking all 2010 releases. Disney’s 2006 acquisition of Pixar set the stage for this milestone, which later spurred studios such as Universal and Disney to chase billion-dollar sequels, echoing the trend seen with Frozen in 2013.

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Mario Hits Billion

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie crossed $1 billion worldwide in its tenth weekend, the first 2026 film to do so.
It earned $428.5 million domestically and $571.5 million internationally, totaling $1 billion.
The film opened April 1 with a $131.7 million domestic debut and added $69 million the next weekend.
Produced by Universal, Illumination and Nintendo on a $110 million budget, it is 2026’s top-grossing film and lifts the Mario franchise to $2.3 billion, the ninth-highest animated franchise worldwide.

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