A weekly film and box office newsletter. Howdy, folks! There were three big success stories at the box office this weekend, all of them with lessons Hollywood can take to heart. First, "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie" blasted off to a huge $372.5 million at the worldwide box office, on pace with how the first movie — which ultimately grossed $1.4 billion — performed despite dismal reviews. Even the demographics were similar, with a mix of kids/families and nostalgic Millennials/Gen Z (35% came from the 18-35 demographic). The lesson: Illumination's formula of bright, critic-proof IP continues to work — and dangling the promise of "more of the same, plus a little something new" seems to be a key to its strategy. Presales were soft until marketing revealed that Glen Powell would play Star Fox character Fox McCloud in the sequel, hyping up the possibility of even more Nintendo cameos to be discovered. Next, "Project Hail Mary" is no flash in the pan. The film dropped only 43% in its third weekend, scoring a healthy $30.6 million to bring its domestic total to $217.2 million, with a $420.7 million global haul. The lesson: When in doubt, bet on creatives with a strong vision. Phil Lord and Chris Miller drove this adaptation with full confidence from Amazon MGM. See also: "Sinners," "One Battle After Another." Finally, A24's "The Drama" is a hit with $14.1 million. This was not a given. The super famous Robert Pattinson and Zendaya have been heavy on the press circuits, but so were Pattinson and Jennifer Lawrence for "Die My Love" which flopped. Ditto Sydney Sweeney and "Christy." So why'd this one work? The lesson: Movie stars alone don't cut it. A24 leaned into the twist at the heart of "The Drama" in its marketing, which drove opening weekend sales and online discussion. It was the hook of two actors people liked, plus a "mystery box" story — you had to go see the film to be in on the discourse. Now, on to the rest. Adam Chitwood Be sure to follow me on my socials linked below for the latest updates. DMs are open for tips.    
Box Office: 'The Super Mario Galaxy Movie' Soars With $372.5 Million Global OpeningUniversal/Illumination's "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie" is already the 2026 box office's second-highest-grossing film worldwide after its $372.5 million 5-day global opening weekend, and should pass Amazon MGM's "Project Hail Mary" for the top spot by next weekend. This global start includes a $190 million domestic launch that ranks fourth highest for all animated films over five days and exceeds the $158.8 million Thanksgiving weekend opening of Disney's "Zootopia 2." The overseas start is led by... 
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