Illumination/Nintendo/Universal‘s "Super Mario Galaxy Movie" has towered over the global box office with $372.5 million, including a notable $182.4 million internationally.
Those ticket sales easily capture the title for the biggest worldwide debut of the year, over Amazon MGM’s space odyssey “Project Hail Mary,” which bowed to $33.1 million overseas and $97.2 million worldwide in March.
This start is roughly equal to the first installment in the 2023 video-game inspired franchise, which ignited to $171 million overseas and a stellar $375 million worldwide in the same time. That film became a four-quadrant smash with $1.3 billion globally.
“Super Mario” is the only animated franchise to have two titles open to over $350 million globally, according to Universal.
The sequel also ranks as Hollywood’s fourth-biggest animated debut ever after “Zootopia 2,” “Moana 2” and “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” as well as Universal’s fifth-biggest worldwide launch behind “The Super Mario Bros. Movie.”
“The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” cost $110 million to produce. It landed in 80 overseas markets; top territories were Mexico ($29 million), the United Kingdom and Ireland ($19.7 million), Germany ($15 million), and France ($12 million).
The adventures of Mario and Luigi were popular in Imax, where the film scored $22.2 million to rank as the company’s second-best global opening for a Hollywood release. It’s above the debut of “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” which launched to $21.4 million globally in Imax.
Another intergalactic tale, “Project Hail Mary,” has also been a draw in Imax, where the blockbuster has earned $73.6 million to date (including $5 million this weekend).
“Project Hail Mary” continues to dazzle the box office with $42.1 million from 86 overseas markets in its third weekend of release. That marks a scant 23% decline in ticket sales from last weekend. So far, the blockbuster has grossed $203.6 million overseas and $420.7 million globally.
It’s the first major commercial hit for Amazon MGM, which needed a win after the back-to-back financial misfires of “Melania” and “Crime 101.”
“The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” and “Project Hail Mary” are primed to dominate the box office for most of April.
They have free rein until Lionsgate’s “Michael,” a biopic about the King of Pop, debuts at the end of the month.
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