The film industry already has its first standout phenomenon of the year: “Super Mario Galaxy Movie” officially becomes the highest-grossing feature film of 2026 to date, accumulating an impressive $629 million at the worldwide box office, according to Box Mojo Office.

The success of the The plumber's success seems unstoppable. According to expert projections, box office revenue will continue to climb in the coming weeks and will likely approach one billion dollars. However, maintaining its lead won't be easy. The film will have to contend with releases like “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” Christopher Nolan's “Odyssey,” “Toy Story 5,” and “Avengers: Doomsday,” which threaten to dethrone it in the second half of the year. However, it still has hope, as Universal's previous animated adventure, “Super Mario Bros. The Movie” (2023), ended up being the second highest-grossing film of that year with $1.3 billion. The phenomenon isn't limited to North America. “Mario” dominated the international box office in its second weekend, adding $83.5 million from 81 territories. So far, the film has grossed $320 million overseas and $308 million in North America.

“Project Hail Mary” is not far behind

Although no longer the highest-grossing film of the year, the space epic “Project Hail Mary,” starring Ryan Gosling, surpasses a major milestone by reaching $510 million globally ($254 million overseas and $256.5 million in the United States) after four weekends.

At the opposite end of the budget spectrum, A24’s provocative comedy, “The Drama,” starring Robert Pattinson and Zendaya, continues to generate buzz. So far, it has grossed $65 million worldwide ($35 million internationally) after two weekends, despite costing less than $28 million. Its success is largely due to the online controversy generated by its central premise: the twisted story of a couple whose relationship is tested after revealing the worst act of their lives.