It’s now standing at $372.5 million as reported by Deadline, falling just a little short of its predecessor but securing the franchise’s place as the highest-earning video game adaptation of all time. It’s also the biggest film of the year so far, managing to come in fifth in Universal’s top five weekend openings of all time. That isn’t too bad for a film that has drawn flak for a weak storyline and a distinct lack of character development. It might just outperform the first movie’s $500 million opening week, although we’ll have to wait and watch to confirm that.

If, by some miracle, you weren’t aware of this one, it’s a direct sequel to the 2023 film with an ensemble cast bringing some of our favorite characters to life as they confront Bowser and Bowser Jr. in outer space. Yes, it’s as outlandish as it sounds, even featuring Star Fox’s Fox McCloud as a central character, but the formula is apparently working and could even click again if and when there’s a third film to make this one a trilogy. But for now, we’re content to enjoy the mayhem and spectacle it brings, and dive back into a few of our favorite Mario titles over the years for some nostalgia.

However, things could slow down for it over the weekend, with forecasts predicting $186 million over a five-day window as opposed to Super Mario Bros pulling in $204.6 million over the same period. Nevertheless, the film has managed to be a hit among audiences despite the rather lackluster critical reception (the 35 Metascore speaks for itself), a situation similar to the first film’s reviews.

VGC has some praise for the film’s take on the popular characters, suggesting that it’s going to be a hit when the dust settles. That’s a fair conclusion, given the character’s popularity and the first film earning $1.361 billion at the box office.  For our part, we think it’s a fun one, and it’s an entertainer despite that rather glaring spoiler from the BBFC putting a slight damper on our enjoyment.

It’s out in theatres now, although you might want to get a move on grabbing tickets if you plan on watching this weekend.

“New” is probably an exaggeration. Aside from the bright orange fur, facial structure and vest (instead of the trademark full-sleeved jacket), it’s Fox to a tee. Even the flight suit and belt buckle are reminiscent of his design in Super Smash Bros. The Arwing is also prominently featured in the background, making us wonder what space shenanigans he’ll get up to.

Of course, this has numerous other implications for the greater Super Mario movie lore. Is Fox now part of the Mario cinematic universe? Could this be the first tease towards a potential Super Smash Bros. movie? It might be the first step towards a new video game. Since the poorly received Star Fox Zero, the series has pretty much been on ice (though Nintendo did include the unreleased Star Fox 2 in the Super NES Classic Edition).

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie premieres in US theaters on April 1st, so stay tuned for more details.

Potential spoilers follow for The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, so if you’re going in blind, this is your last chance.

The BBFC rated the movie “PG” with “occasionally intense” violence involving punches, kicks, lasers, etc – typical cartoon fare. There’s also a bit of scary stuff and some “very mild” rude humor, but the Theme section is most interesting. It specifically calls out, “Infrequent very mild upsetting scenes include flashbacks to the separation of a girl and her younger sister.”

Many believe that this references Peach and Rosalina. A long-running theory among fans is that they’re siblings who were separated very early on, but it was never really explored in the Super Mario Galaxy games. Nintendo may finally pay this off, and may have even planted the seeds in the first movie, when it depicted Baby Peach wearing a skirt with stars and moons.

Time will ultimately tell, but it would be a cathartic moment for a fan base that’s waited a long time for this connection. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie premieres in US theaters on April 1st.

Along with the trailer itself, Illumination and Nintendo have also revealed three new cast members: Donald Glover as Yoshi, Issa Rae as Honey Queen, and Luis Guzmán as Wart. Nintendo has also confirmed that more details about the movie leading up to its release will be coming to the Nintendo Today! smartphone app.

As you might expect, the trailer shows off bits of the movie, providing the initial setup for the story about why Mario is involved with planetary travel. After the entirety of Princess Peach’s castle is ripped up and taken to space, Mario, Luigi and Yoshi also find themselves face-to-face with Bowser Jr., with the castle crashing on an alien planet filled with gigantic flowers.

We also get a look at some of the brand new characters that the crew will interact with, including Rosalina and a variety of Luma, throughout their travels to different planets. The trailer also features hints of Baby Mario showing up, which could suggest some unique plot twists in its story.

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie and its April 2026 release date was unveiled back in September. As you might expect from its title, the film takes several cues from the critically acclaimed Super Mario Galaxy games that were originally released on the Nintendo Wii. It features much of the cast of The Super Mario Bros. Movie once more reprising their roles, including Chris Pratt, Charlie Day, Anya Taylor-Joy, Jack Black, Keegan-Michael Key and Kevin Michael Richardson playing Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Bowser, Toad, and Kamek respectively.

Before the movie’s title was confirmed, back in October 2024, Key had hinted that the sequel to The Super Mario Bros. Movie would be “a little broader” in its scope, featuring a “very intriguing setting.”

“One thing I can say about the second movie is that it’s a little broader in scope, and where it takes place is very intriguing lore and the Mario world,” he said in an interview. “They’re going to find some really fantastic Easter eggs and it’s been very exciting so far.”

He also spoke about the introduction of new characters, with many fan-favorites returning alongside the film debut of more obscure characters from deep in the Mario mythos.

“I feel like what they’ve done creatively is they’ve really widened out the universe that these characters live in and we’re going to meet some new folks,” he said. “We’re going to meet some new folks that are old favorites and some folks that I think are really deep cuts, but because of the way the story’s laying itself out right now, those characters are going to be very intriguing.”

While you wait for the movie’s release next month, take a look at our explainer for the Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 release of Super Mario Galaxy + Galaxy 2, which was essentially a remastered release offering a new assist mode to help new players.

While it’s debuting yet another trailer for the highly anticipated film, this one’s different – it’s the “final” trailer, which is probably Nintendo’s way of assuring fans that it won’t get any more dedicated Directs. You still have to wonder what could be showcased. After all, we got locations from Super Mario Odyssey, the reveal of Yoshi (who faces down a T. rex with a Super Scope), Rosalina, Bowser Jr., and much more.

Of course, there have been leaks about other characters that have yet to be revealed (including one particular purple nemesis of Mario’s). Perhaps this is Nintendo finally letting the cat out of the bag? Time will tell.

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie premieres on April 1st in theaters in the United States. While the future of additional Mario films remains unknown – don’t even get us started on the video games – The Legend of Zelda will also get a big-screen adaptation. And unlike the Mario movies, it’s live-action with Bo Bragason playing Zelda and Evan Ainsworth playing Link. It premieres in May 2027, with the first trailer yet to be revealed.

Of course, there’s plenty else to glean from this trailer. Remember when Princess Peach faced off against all those Ninjis? She also battles another iconic villain – Birdo from Super Mario Bros. 2. We also see her and Mario navigating a hazard-filled course, Luigi donning the Frog Suit (and promptly owning a Boss Bass), and Yoshi encountering a giant dinosaur from Super Mario Odyssey.

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie airs on April 1st in US theaters with a full worldwide release throughout the month. Illumination CEO Chris Meledandri confirmed that post-production has begun, with the team focusing on sound design. He also confirmed that composer Brian Tyler is incorporating themes from Super Mario Odyssey into the score, and is even working with a 70-piece orchestra.

Thus far, it’s looking to be a massive success and may even surpass The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Released in 2023, it grossed $1.361 billion, becoming the second-highest-grossing film of the year. It’s also the highest-grossing film based on a video game in history.

The timing is certainly odd – Directs are typically hosted on weekdays – but that’s just Nintendo for you. We already know that the follow-up to The Super Mario Bros. Movie features the debut of Bowser Jr. and Rosalina, with the former serving up a new threat. As for Bowser, he’s still a potential threat, assuming he can return to his original size.

Between Luigi and Mario navigating the desert on dirt-bikes, Princess Peach going all Burly Brawl on numerous Ninjis and Rosalina destroying a giant robot, there’s more than enough action to go around. What are the chances of Yoshi showing up? Time will tell, but it’s highly likely.

Of course, you can also look forward to seeing Rosalina in Super Mario Bros. Wonder – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Meetup in Bellabel Park. She’s a new playable character, and a second player can even control Luma to lend her a hand. It’s out on March 26th for the Switch 2 – check out the latest overview trailer here.

The former is voiced by Brie Larson (Captain Marvel) while Benny Safdie (Oppenheimer) voices the latter. There are some pretty notable scenes, including Princess Peach fighting off dozens of Ninjis and Mario and Luigi racing through a desert on bikes in Mad Max-style get-ups. Even Rosalina gets in on the action, dismantling a giant robot without breaking a sweat.

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie airs on April 3rd, 2026, in US theaters with Illumination producer Chris Meledandri revealing it’s weeks away from completing animation. He also teased an “incredible range of characters,” including “iconic favorites” and “deep cuts.”

With directorial duo Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic returning alongside screenwriter Matthew Fogel, fans can likely expect it to hit all the right nostalgia notes.

“Join us on Wednesday, Nov 12, at 6am PT for the Nintendo Direct featuring the world premiere of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie official trailer,” wrote the company in the description of its Direct. “Please note that no game information will be included in this presentation.”

The company had officially unveiled The Super Mario Galaxy Movie back in September, where it also confirmed that it would be getting a theatrical release on April 3, 2026. The official title of the movie was confirmed with a trailer, which you can check out here. The movie is being co-financed by Nintendo and Universal Pictures, and is being published by the latter.

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie will see Aaron Horwath and Michael Jelenic returning from The Super Mario Bros. Movie as directors, with the screenplay handled by Matthew Fogel and Bryan Tyler returning to handle the composition of the film’s score.

The film will also see actors Chris Pratt, Charlie Day, Anya Taylor-Joy, Jack Black, Keegan-Michael Key and Kevin Michael Richardson to reprise their roles of Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Bowser, Toad, and Kamek respectively. Along with this, there will also be a host of new characters thanks to the game tapping into the critically-acclaimed Super Mario Galaxy games which were originally released on the Nintendo Wii.

While not too many details about The Super Mario Galaxy Movie have been revealed so far, Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto had spoken about the upcoming film in a recent interview. He spoke about the collaborative effort behind The Super Mario Bros. Movie, and how many of the same people will also be involved in the production of the sequel.

“The Super Mario Bros. Movie was possible because so many people took action and worked together,” said Miyamoto. “As a producer, I tried to make sure the team functioned smoothly. Many of the people involved said they’d like to work on the next project as well, so I guess that means we succeeded to some extent?”

“The setting for the next movie is, just as the title says, the galaxy — that’s all I can really say. We’re in the final stages of production now, but I think it’s going to be fun. I usually just say, ‘I’ll keep working on it until it becomes fun,’ so that alone should tell you how confident I am (laughs).”

In the meantime, several people from Nintendo, including Miyamoto, executive officer Takashi Tezuka, composer Koji Kondo and SRD president Toshihiko Nakago had spoken about Nintendo expanding its IPs beyond the confines of video games, as well as the future of the Mario franchise while celebrating the plumber’s 40th anniversary. They also discussed the potential for Mario to still be relevant during the character’s 100th anniversary.