Azernews.Az

by Alimat Aliyeva

Super Mario: Galactic Cinema has set a new record, becoming the first film of 2026 to surpass $1 billion in global box office earnings, AzerNEWS reports.

Over the past weekend, the film earned $428 million in North America and an additional $571 million internationally. As a result, its total worldwide gross crossed the $1 billion mark in less than two months after its release — a rare achievement even for major blockbuster franchises.

Interestingly, the success of the sequel appears almost natural. The first Super Mario movie, released in 2023, earned just over $1 billion worldwide. Combined, the two films have now generated more than $2 billion, establishing the franchise as one of the most profitable animated series in modern Hollywood.

Today, the Super Mario universe ranks 9th among the highest-grossing animated franchises of all time, alongside giants such as Despicable Me, Madagascar, and Kung Fu Panda. The Despicable Me franchise remains the leader, with over $5 billion in total earnings.

An interesting detail is that analysts attribute this rapid growth not only to the strength of the Nintendo brand, but also to its unusually broad audience appeal. A significant share of viewers are adults who grew up playing Super Mario games, making the franchise a rare example of a true “cross-generational blockbuster” that connects both nostalgic fans and new audiences.