4/10-4/12: Mario & Friends Continue to Lead the Galaxy

Apr 12, 2026

THE SUPER MARIO GALAXY MOVIE stayed on top in its second weekend, bringing in an additional $69.0M over the past three days and leading the box office for all films to $124.6M. This compares to the same weekend last year when A MINECRAFT MOVIE in its second weekend finished with $78.5M and all films generated $148.3M. Last year’s number was helped by the opening of four new titles: Angel’s animated Christian movie KING OF KINGS ($19.4M), Disney’s action drama THE AMATEUR ($14.8M), A24’s wartime drama WARFARE ($8.3M), and Universal’s mystery thriller DROP ($7.3M). Those four new releases together added $49.8M to the total weekend box office. This weekend, the only significant new release YOU ME & TUSCANY contributed a much smaller $8.0M. So while MARIO stayed close to MINECRAFT, the bench scoring from one year ago made the difference.

Next weekend, 2026 will go up against another tough act to follow in SINNERS, Ryan Coogler’s highly-acclaimed horror movie which opened with $48.0M and helped all films to generate $135.8M. The last four weeks, however, continue to outperform the same period last year by 48% in box office and 43% in attendance. It’s also important to note that when it comes to year-over-year comparisons we have left behind last year’s massive $200.4M first week of A MINECRAFT MOVIE.

THE LAST FOUR WEEKS (11-14) 2026 vs. 2025

#1 – THE SUPER MARIO GALAXY MOVIE

Universal’s THE SUPER MARIO GALAXY MOVIE continued its first-place winning ways with an impressive $69.0M in its second weekend, dropping 48%. Over its 12 days in theatres, it has earned $308.1M domestically and $628.8M worldwide. After its first five days, MARIO GALAXY’s box office was holding in at 93% of the original MARIO’s but since then it has slid back to 87%. Even though the gap is growing between the two MARIO films, it would be unrealistic to expect MARIO GALAXY to match the performance of first film since it earned a whopping $574.9M domestically. Rather, we think that MARIO GALAXY is an unalloyed success in its own right, and has confirmed the potential of the franchise and of family-oriented films overall.

Jim Orr, Universal’s President of Domestic Distribution, has underlined the success of MARIO GALAXY by pointing to its enthusiastic audience reaction, scoring 89% on Rotten Tomatoes. Orr said, “These kinds of audience reaction scores just point to a ridiculously strong run, not only throughout the spring, but likely into the summer as well.”

MARIO GALAXY is measuring up quite nicely against last year’s MINECRAFT, which became the highest-grossing movie of 2025 with $424.1M in domestic ticket sales. After 12 days, the box office for these two pictures compares as follows.

THE SUPER MARIO GALAXY MOVIE vs. A MINECRAFT MOVIE after 12 Days

If MARIO GALAXY continues to outperform MINECRAFT, it will fly even higher than MINECRAFT’s total domestic gross of $424.1M. Having a top movie in 2026 earn more than the #1 movie of 2025 would be yet another accomplishment to help the industry earn more than $9B in total domestic box office.

THE SUPER MARIO GALAXY MOVIE vs. THE SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE after 12 days

#2 – PROJECT HAIL MARY

Amazon MGM’s sci-fi blockbuster PROJECT HAIL MARY continues to perform nicely, finishing in second place in its fourth weekend by adding $24.6M and falling only 23%, the best hold of any picture in the top ten. This brings its 24-day totals to $256.7M domestically and $510.6M worldwide, making the film profitable on its box office sales alone.

The modest drop of 23% this weekend may be tied to something the team at Amazon MGM could not have anticipated when it chose March 20, 2026, to release this movie. On April 1^st at 6:35 p.m. Eastern Time, NASA launched the Artemis II crewed mission to circumnavigate the moon and push human spaceflight farther than it has ever gone before. In poetic resonance with Pink Floyd’s rock anthem The Dark Side of the Moon, the space mission offered astronauts a rare vantage of deep space from the lunar body’s far side. On Friday, April 10^th at 8:07 p.m. Eastern Time, the mission’s crew capsule splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego, returning its four astronauts to Earth safe and sound.

Since its launch, Artemis II has sparked public interest in space exploration at levels not seen since the Apollo 11 Moon Landing in 1969. The first moon landing drew roughly 150 million viewers in the U.S. and 600 million worldwide—a record at the time, later surpassed by the 1997 funeral of Princess Diana. In the decades since, interest gradually waned, particularly during the Space Shuttle era (1981–2011), when launches became routine.

Announced in 2019, the Artemis program set its sights on establishing a sustained human presence on the Moon. As many as 500,000 spectators gathered along Florida’s Space Coast for the launch, while U.S. viewership reached into the tens of millions, with billions of social media impressions globally. Surveys show 69% of Americans reporting heightened excitement about space exploration during the mission window, with roughly 80% holding a favorable view of NASA.

What does Artemis have to do with PROJECT HAIL MARY? The surge in space enthusiasm is most likely increasing interest in the movie, which explores similar themes. Audiences have been able to follow Artemis II in real time—and then enjoy a more cinematic, technologically heightened version of space exploration in theatres. It’s a tailwind that Amazon MGM is certainly enjoying, but could not have planned. Timing isn’t always strategy; sometimes it’s just good fortune. Under the “you can’t make this up” category, the next book by Andy Weir to be turned into a movie is his 2017 novel Artemis, which was published two years before NASA formally introduced its Artemis program. After several other mission names were considered, NASA chose Artemis because she is the twin sister of Apollo in Greek mythology. Weir’s vision of a lunar settlement—and NASA’s real-world Artemis mission — have both emerged from a long-standing goal of space exploration to establish a human outpost on the Moon, rather than Weir having any advance knowledge about NASA’s plans. Sometimes, life really does imitate art.

PROJECT HAIL MARY vs. THE MARTIAN after 24 Days

#3 – THE DRAMA

THE DRAMA, the aptly titled romantic drama from A24, held onto third place in its second weekend with $8.7M, a decline of 39% from last weekend’s opening. This brings its 10-day totals to $30.8M domestically and $65M worldwide. After its first weekend in theatres, the box office for THE DRAMA was at 96% of our comparison film CHALLENGERS. Now, after 10 days, the new movie has pulled ahead of CHALLENGERS by 5% at this same point. While Zendaya is most widely known for her appearances in the ensemble casts of the blockbuster franchises SPIDER-MAN and DUNE, CHALLENGERS is the highest-grossing movie in which she appeared in the lead role. A24 must be happy to see THE DRAMA running ahead of CHALLENGERS at this same point in their respective releases. With a $28M production budget, THE DRAMA is now well on its way to earning the $70M in worldwide sales that it will take to be profitable.

Zendaya is among the busiest actresses working today. Tonight, her groundbreaking HBO series Euphoria enters its third and final season. She has already won two BEST ACTRESS Emmy Awards for her portrayal of the character Rue in the series. On July 17th, she will be seen in Christopher Nolan’s THE ODYSSEY in the key role of Athena. On July 31st, SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY opens, and she returns as Michelle “MJ” Jones. This will be followed on December 18^th with DUNE: PART THREE, in which she plays Chani. An interesting note is that the AMC Lincoln Square, with the highest-grossing IMAX screen in the U.S., has already put tickets on sale for DUNE in IMAX and is selling out. Next year, she will make her animation voice-over debut as Felicia Shrek’s daughter in SHREK 5, currently scheduled for release on June 20, 2027. BE MY BABY is currently in a longer-term development status, in which Zendaya has been cast as Ronnie Spector, who was the lead singer of the 1960s girl group The Ronettes. The film currently sits with A24 with a possible release date of 2027 and is being talked about as a prestige vehicle for Zendaya to make a run at a Best Actress Oscar nomination. One could easily say she is doing more in one year than most actors do in their entire careers.

THE DRAMA vs. CHALLENGERS after 10 Days

#4 – YOU, ME & TUSCANY

Universal’s romantic comedy YOU ME & TUSCANY sold $8.0M in tickets in its opening weekend, finishing in fourth place on the weekend charts. The original title for the movie was ITALIANNA, but its producers came to question whether that title would indicate sufficiently that the movie is a romance, rather than a travelogue. The film YOU ME & TUSCANY is part of a wider effort in Hollywood to revive theatrical rom-coms, particularly those targeting adult women.

Rom-coms have been among the weakest film genres since the pandemic, having only a few big-budget examples released in the last five years, and even fewer still finding success. The best example by far was Sony’s ANYONE BUT YOU, starring Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell, which opened on December 22, 2023, and grossed $88.3M domestically and $220.3M worldwide. While that was certainly a good outcome, keep in mind that it was only the 41^st highest-grossing romantic comedy of all time in the domestic market.

YOU ME & TUSCANY was directed by Kat Coiro (MARRY ME from 2022) and written by Ryan Engle. It stars Halle Bailey, who emerged as a leading actress in Hollywood by starring as Ariel in Disney’s live-action remake of THE LITTLE MERMAID in 2023. Regé-Jean Page plays alongside Bailey as a classic romantic leading man. He is best known for playing Simon Basset, the Duke of Hastings, in Bridgerton’s first season on Netflix. Most of the movie was shot on location in Tuscany, rather than using studio builds. Real villas and vineyards were used, enhancing authenticity and reducing set-construction costs.

The story follows a burned-out American professional named Anna who makes an impulsive decision to travel to Tuscany after a personal setback. Once there, she takes up residence in a struggling villa/vineyard, owned by a man she barely knows. Together, Anna is forced to slow down and reconnect with the fundamentals of life. Played out through cultural clashes, local friendships, and the rhythms of life in the Italian countryside, they meet a charming but guarded local who challenges their outlook. As romance gradually blossoms, both must confront past disappointments and decide whether to embrace a new future together, one rooted not in ambition but in authenticity, love, and the simple pleasures of starting over.

Critics are lukewarm about the film, giving it a 68% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, while audiences are cheering it along with a 94% rating. Among the critics’ comments, USA Today says, “While ‘You, Me & Tuscany’ doesn’t add anything significantly new or innovative to the rom-com recipe, it’s a breezy respite for those who dig the familiar in their escapist pleasure.” The Hollywood Reporter offers, “You, Me & Tuscany is entirely by-the-numbers… But it is expertly directed by Kat Coiro and produced by Will Packer for maximum crowd-pleasing impact, offering the kind of pretty escapist fantasy that is especially appealing in these fraught times.” The Film Verdict sounds off by saying it, “Has all the heft of a squash blossom, and it’s similarly tasty without being filling. But sometimes, you just want one anyway.” Finally, Variety’s critic was not a fan, saying, “At nearly every turn, this duly sun-soaked but canned-feeling exercise serves to illustrate just how hard it is to pull off an airy bauble like ‘Under the Tuscan Sun’ or ‘While You Were Sleeping.’”

Director Kat Coiro should be commended for creating a visually beautiful movie on a very reasonable budget of $18M, shot on location in Italy with a recognizable cast. To be profitable, it will need to earn $45M globally to be profitable, and after its domestic opening of $8.0M, it will need to be successful in international markets as well.

For a comparison film, we have chosen UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN from 2003. Both films feature the beautiful Tuscan countryside north of Rome, with its vineyards, topography, and local cuisine featured prominently. Both movies also portray their lead character escaping to Tuscany in an attempt to rediscover themselves.

YOU, ME & TUSCANY vs. UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN

#5 – HOPPERS

Disney and Pixar’s animated HOPPERS fell from fourth to fifth place by taking in $4.1M, a drop of 30%. This brings its 38-day totals to $157.1M domestically and $354M globally. The domestic gross places it 20^th in the catalog of Pixar titles. With a production budget of $150M, HOPPERS will need to earn $375M globally to be profitable, and it seems now that it will fall slightly short of that number. Like all Pixar films, visions of a new franchise with several sequels are in the heads of the executives when they green-light these expensive undertakings. While this film will finish up almost at break-even financially, this result may not warrant making the additional investment for another major theatrical release.

HOPPERS vs. THE GOOD DINOSAUR after 38 Days