Super Mario Galaxy Movie Ignores Bad Reviews And Becomes 2026’s Biggest Film
Critics can complain all they want, but Mario is still printing coins at the box office.
Nintendo and Universal’s Illumination have another monster hit on their hands, with The Super Mario Galaxy Movie now reportedly becoming the highest-grossing film released in 2026 so far. According to data gathered by IMDbPro’s Box Office Mojo, the movie has pulled in almost US$756 million worldwide.
That is a pretty wild number considering the film has been getting rough treatment from critics. Earlier this month, it already scored the biggest US theatrical opening of 2026. The real question was whether it could keep that pace globally once reviews started landing. Apparently, yes. Very much yes.
The split is also interesting. The movie has earned US$361,825,355 in the United States, which makes up 47.9% of the total. International markets are slightly ahead with US$393,990,000, or 52.1%. Outside the US, Mexico is currently leading with close to US$50 million.
And here is the scary part for the rest of Hollywood: the movie has not even opened in Japan yet. That rollout is scheduled for tomorrow, and since Japan is Nintendo’s home turf, the final worldwide total could climb much higher. Kalau Japan masuk strong, this thing could easily keep running.
For Malaysia and SEA fans, the lesson is obvious. Gaming movies are no longer just side-content for fans who already know the IP. Mario is now operating like a proper global family blockbuster, the kind of film parents, kids, casual viewers, and long-time Nintendo players can all watch together. That matters because SEA audiences are very strong on communal cinema experiences, especially when the brand is instantly recognisable. Mario does not need lore homework. Everyone knows the moustache, the pipes, the power-ups.
The critic-versus-audience gap is the main drama here. Japanese magazine Famitsu recently spoke with Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto, who served as a producer on the movie. Miyamoto said he was surprised and disappointed by how harsh the critical response has been, especially after thinking this second movie would be received better than the first.
Wccftech’s own review gave the film 7.5/10 and basically framed the issue like this: if you judge The Super Mario Galaxy Movie as serious cinema, you may walk away underwhelmed. But Nintendo and Illumination do not seem to be chasing deep artistic meaning here. The movie is designed as bright, accessible entertainment first, with character moments and jokes layered around the spectacle.
Honestly, that sounds exactly like why audiences are showing up. Not every game adaptation needs to be prestige TV energy. Sometimes people just want a fun, colourful, polished Mario adventure on a huge screen. As long as the movie delivers that, families and fans will keep buying tickets.
For Nintendo, this success strengthens the idea that its biggest franchises can live beyond consoles without losing mainstream pull. For SEA gamers, it also means we should expect more game-to-movie projects to be treated seriously by studios. If Mario can dominate 2026 despite critic backlash, every publisher with a recognisable IP is probably taking notes right now.
Source: Wccftech Gaming
