Mario is back — and this time, he's heading to outer space. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, the highly anticipated sequel to 2023's The Super Mario Bros. Movie, officially landed in theaters on April 1, 2026, and it wasted no time making its presence felt at the box office. Within hours of opening, the film had already shattered records, reigniting the conversation about Nintendo's dominance in Hollywood and the future of video game adaptations on the big screen.
Here's everything you need to know about the film — from its record-breaking debut to what critics and audiences are actually saying.
The sequel picks up where the 2023 original left off, following Mario (voiced by Chris Pratt) and Luigi (Charlie Day) as they leave the Mushroom Kingdom behind for an intergalactic adventure. Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy) leads the brothers on a mission to rescue Princess Peach — or rather, to rescue Princess Rosalina (Brie Larson), who has been kidnapped by the vengeful Bowser Jr., voiced by Benny Safdie. Bowser, the longtime ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom's dark forces, looms large once again as the overarching villain of the Mario & Luigi saga.
The sequel gets right to the fun with countless nods to the Nintendo video game, expanding on the Mario world established in the first film while introducing a host of new characters from across the Super Mario series. One of the most buzzed-about additions is Glen Powell, who voices Fox McCloud from the Legend of Zelda and Star Fox universe — a crossover that has fans speculating about a potential Super Smash Bros. film down the line.
Chris Pratt — Mario
Charlie Day — Luigi
Anya Taylor-Joy — Princess Peach
Jack Black — Bowser
Brie Larson — Princess Rosalina
Benny Safdie — Bowser Jr.
Donald Glover — Yoshi
Glen Powell — Fox McCloud
Keegan-Michael Key — Toad
Issa Rae, Luis Guzmán, Kevin Michael Richardson
Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic return to direct, with a screenplay by Matthew Fogel and Illumination CEO Chris Meledandri among the producers. Universal Pictures and Nintendo co-financed the project.
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie grossed an estimated $34M on its Wednesday opening day at the North American box office — the best opening day of 2026 so far, beating its own predecessor The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which opened on $31.7M in April 2023. That $34M figure also represents the best opening Wednesday in April on record, with no previews inflating the number. It marks the first time any film has claimed that record twice in a row for the same franchise.
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is aiming for $175M to $180M domestically over its first five days, with tracking suggesting ticket sales could push toward $190M to $200M given the enormous popularity of the first film. Worldwide, the film is projected to reach around $350M across the Easter stretch, opening in 4,000 theaters across the United States and Canada and rolling out to 79 international markets.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie powered to $204M domestically in its five-day debut and $171M overseas, resulting in a $375M worldwide opening — a record for Illumination Animation. The Galaxy sequel is expected to land slightly below those figures but remains a massive commercial event by any measure.
If the film delivers a Friday-Sunday gross above $100M in North America, the Mario franchise would become only the fourth animated franchise in history to have two films hit that milestone — joining Shrek, Toy Story, and Minions.
The critical response has been mixed, continuing the pattern set by the first film. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie currently holds a 44% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes — lower than the 59% the original received — while the audience score sits at 91%, just below the first film's 95%. The British Academy of Film and British Academy Games communities have yet to weigh in formally, though industry observers expect nominations given the film's scale and commercial success.
Nintendo Life described it as a "faithful but overstuffed sequel," awarding it six out of ten stars. Several critics noted that while the animation remains visually impressive and the fan service is abundant, the film struggles to find the same sense of wonder that made the original feel fresh. Publications like Game Informer praised the sound effects and visual world-building, while others questioned whether the game design translated effectively to a feature-length narrative.
Despite the lukewarm critical response, audience reaction has been enthusiastic. Fans have flooded review platforms praising the film's game references, expanded Nintendo universe, and the introduction of new characters. Many viewers have noted that the film rewards longtime Nintendo fans in ways that general critics may not fully appreciate. Much like the first film, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie appears to be largely critic-proof — rooted in beloved IP with a built-in audience that doesn't need a glowing review to buy a ticket.
To understand why this film carries such cultural weight, you have to go back to the best game that inspired it. The original Super Mario Galaxy, released for the Nintendo Wii in 2007, is widely regarded as one of the greatest video games of all time — a title that earned critical acclaim across every major outlet and walked away with multiple game of the year awards, including from Game Informer and Matt Casamassina of IGN, who championed it as a landmark in game design.
Developed by Nintendo EAD under the supervision of creator Shigeru Miyamoto and produced by Yoshiaki Koizumi, the game was born from the ambition to take the first Super Mario game in space — a bold leap from Super Mario World and the Donkey Kong era of platformers. The development team drew heavily on concepts first explored in Donkey Kong Jungle Beat and earlier GameCube prototypes to shape its revolutionary level design.
The core objective of the original game was simple but endlessly satisfying: collect Power Stars scattered across different galaxies to restore the Comet Observatory — Mario's hub world in space — and gather enough Power Stars to confront Bowser. Along the way, players collected Star Bits, used Launch Stars to catapult between worlds, and discovered hidden paths to high areas on each planet.
The game introduced Ice Mario, a power-up that let players freeze water and glide across surfaces, and brought back the joy of Mario Kart-style momentum in platforming form. Controlled via Wii Remote with motion controls that felt entirely new, the game supported a second player who could collect Star Bits cooperatively — a feature that made it one of the most family-friendly entries in the Super Mario series.
One of the most beloved sequences in the game was the Night of the Star Festival, an opening scene so cinematic in scope that it clearly influenced the tone of the new galaxy adventure in the 2026 film. The game's home world, the Comet Observatory helmed by Princess Rosalina, became one of gaming's most iconic settings — a detail the film leans into heavily with Brie Larson's portrayal of the character.
The original game was not only a game of all time contender but a genuine commercial success, selling millions of copies on the Wii and later re-released for Nintendo Switch as part of Super Mario 3D All-Stars. It also found new audiences via the Nvidia Shield port. Nintendo Power named it among the greatest titles ever published in its final issue, and it remains a defining entry in the next super mario game conversation to this day.
A sequel, Super Mario Galaxy 2, arrived in 2010 and was praised for evolving the next dome structure of the original, introducing Yoshi as a rideable companion — a character who now features prominently in the 2026 film voiced by Donald Glover.
The film's debut is more than just a box office milestone. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie had been pegged as the pre-summer megahit of 2026, building momentum into a summer launch period that includes other major releases later in the year. A successful opening is also critically important for theater owners, as the domestic box office needs more films that can exceed $500M in North America and $1B worldwide.
If projections hold, the Mario series could become only the third animated franchise in history to reach the $1 billion mark with both of its first two installments, joining Disney's Frozen and Zootopia. For Shigeru Miyamoto and Nintendo, it would represent the ultimate validation of their long-held belief that the first nintendo title to make the jump from Donkey Kong arcade cabinets to a global cinematic franchise was always destined for the biggest screens in the world.
The main storyline of Super Mario Galaxy follows Mario as he ventures into outer space to rescue Princess Peach from Bowser, who has seized her castle and launched it into the cosmos. Mario arrives at the Comet Observatory — home of Princess Rosalina and her adopted star children, the Lumas — and sets out to collect Power Stars across different galaxies to restore the Observatory's power and confront Bowser at the center of the universe.
Super Mario Galaxy was originally released for the Nintendo Wii in 2007. It was later made available on the Wii U via the Virtual Console. In 2020, Nintendo re-released it as part of the Super Mario 3D All-Stars collection on Nintendo Switch, giving a new generation of players access to the game. It has also been available on Nvidia Shield in select regions.
Super Mario Galaxy introduced several innovative gameplay mechanics that set it apart from earlier entries in the Super Mario series. Players navigate spherical planets with their own gravitational fields, meaning Mario can run along the surface of small planetoids in any direction. The Wii Remote is used to collect Star Bits and aim them at enemies, while Launch Stars propel Mario between planets at high speed. Power-ups like Ice Mario and Bee Mario add variety to the level design, and a second player can join cooperatively to collect Star Bits and stun enemies.
Super Mario Galaxy is available for Nintendo Switch as part of the Super Mario 3D All-Stars collection, which also includes Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine. It can be purchased physically or digitally through the Nintendo eShop. Note that the physical edition was a limited release, so availability may vary — checking retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, or GameStop in the United States is recommended, as well as the second-hand market for physical copies.
Yes — Super Mario Galaxy has a passionate and active fan base. Key communities include the Super Mario Galaxy subreddit (r/SuperMarioGalaxy) on Reddit, where fans discuss gameplay, share discoveries, and debate the best game moments. The Super Mario Wiki (mariowiki.com) is the most comprehensive fan-maintained resource for lore, level guides, and character information. GameFAQs hosts detailed walkthroughs and community forums, while Discord servers dedicated to the Super Mario series regularly.
If you loved the 2023 original, the sequel delivers more of what made it work — vibrant animation, a lovable cast, and wall-to-wall Nintendo fan service. If you're a casual viewer hoping for a tighter story, you may find it overwhelming. But for families and Nintendo fans heading to theaters this Easter weekend, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is shaping up to be exactly the kind of crowd-pleasing blockbuster the big screen was made for.
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is in theaters now, rated PG, with a runtime of 1 hour and 39 minutes.
Alice Robbins · Editor
Editor
