Super Mario outgrossing rivals

“The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” has reached about $629 million worldwide in two weekends and is tracking well ahead of where “A Minecraft Movie” was at the same point. (cnbc.com) (deadline.com) Universal and Illumination’s sequel added $69 million in the United States and Canada in its second weekend, lifting its domestic total to $308.1 million and its overseas total to $320.6 million across 82 territories. Deadline reported on April 12 that the film was pacing ahead of “A Minecraft Movie” in like-for-like box-office comparisons and could hit $700 million worldwide before opening in Japan on April 24 and South Korea on April 29. (cnbc.com) (deadline.com) The target is high: Box Office Mojo lists “A Minecraft Movie” at $960.4 million worldwide, with $424.1 million domestic and $536.3 million international. That leaves Mario roughly $331 million short as of April 12, with several major markets still to open. (boxofficemojo.com) (deadline.com) The race matters because video-game movies have become one of Hollywood’s most reliable theatrical businesses. Deadline said “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” was already the third-highest-grossing video-game adaptation worldwide after only two weekends, behind 2023’s “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” and 2025’s “A Minecraft Movie.” (deadline.com) It also matters because the two franchises are now moving on parallel tracks. Warner Bros. used CinemaCon 2026 to confirm that the next Minecraft film is officially titled “A Minecraft Sequel,” with a July 23, 2027 release date. (comingsoon.net) ComingSoon reported that Jared Hess is returning to direct “A Minecraft Sequel,” with Chris Galletta co-writing, and that Jason Momoa, Jack Black, and Kirsten Dunst are attached. Warner Bros. had already announced the sequel in October 2025, turning last year’s hit into a continuing series. (comingsoon.net) Mario’s current pace does not guarantee it will pass Minecraft’s final total. CNBC reported the sequel cost about $110 million to produce, and its second-weekend drop of 48% was solid for a family blockbuster, but its final run will depend on holds in North America and late launches in Asia. (cnbc.com) (deadline.com) For now, the clearest signal is that Nintendo and Mojang adaptations are no longer one-off experiments. One is chasing a $960 million benchmark, and the other already has its next chapter on the calendar. (boxofficemojo.com) (comingsoon.net)