The Super Mario Galaxy Movie and Project Hail Mary continue to rule the box office, while new horror pic Lee Cronin’s The Mummy opened in third place domestically with an estimated $13.5 million in its debut weekend.
The Blumhouse and Atomic Monster production made up some ground overseas with $17.5 million in ticket sales, for a worldwide start of $34 million against a modest $22 million net budget. While not a disaster, the film was easily outperformed by two established hits.
Super Mario Galaxy – Still Climbing
From Universal and Illumination, Super Mario Galaxy stayed atop the North American chart in its third weekend with a better-than-expected $35 million , clearing the $350 million mark domestically.
Global Performance
| Region | Weekend Gross | Total to Date |
|---|---|---|
| Domestic | $35 million | $350 million+ |
| Overseas | $83.2 million | $392.2 million |
| Global | — | $747.5 million |
Milestones
| Achievement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Top-grossing animated franchise | Mario franchise now at #10 all-time |
| Top Hollywood animated film of the year | Secured |
| Combined franchise global gross | $2 billion |
| Israel opening | First Hollywood film to open there since ceasefire |
Universal insiders noted that the film’s performance in Israel was decent, marking a return to normalcy for the market.
Illumination’s Growing Empire
With Super Mario Galaxy ‘s success, Chris Meledandri’s Illumination now lays claim to three of the top-grossing animated franchises:
- Mario
- Ice Age
- Gru (Despicable Me/Minions)
Project Hail Mary – The Sleeper Hit That Won’t Quit
Amazon MGM Studios’ Project Hail Mary continues its remarkable journey, falling only 15 percent in its fifth weekend to an estimated $20.4 million.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Domestic cume | $285 million |
| Global cume | $573.1 million |
| Weekend drop | Only 15% |
Imax Return
The sleeper hit returned to Imax and other premium large format screens this weekend, several days after star/producer Ryan Gosling and directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller showed up at CinemaCon to:
- Thank theater owners
- Announce that Amazon MGM is extending the film’s exclusive run in cinemas
The film’s staying power has been one of the year’s biggest box office stories, defying expectations with minimal week-to-week declines.
Lee Cronin’s The Mummy – A Respectable but Distant Third
Produced by Jason Blum (Blumhouse), James Wan (Atomic Monster), and John Kevillle alongside director Lee Cronin, The Mummy continues Hollywood’s fascination with ancient Egyptian lore.
Box Office Breakdown
| Market | Gross |
|---|---|
| Domestic opening | $13.5 million |
| Overseas opening | $17.5 million |
| Worldwide debut | $34 million |
| Net budget | $22 million |
The Plot
The story centers on a family who has been grieving the disappearance of their daughter eight years earlier in Cairo. Suddenly, they get a call from Egyptian officials revealing she has been found after spending the past eight years in a 3,000-year-old sarcophagus and has been transformed into a living mummy-like creature.
Cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Jack Reynor | — |
| Laia Costa | — |
| May Calamawy | — |
| Natalie Grace | — |
| Veronica Falcón | — |
Critical and Audience Reception
| Metric | Score |
|---|---|
| Critics | Divided |
| CinemaScore | C+ (not unusual for horror) |
| Challenge | Had to share Imax screens with Hail Mary |
Cronin’s Track Record
| Film | Year | Global Gross |
|---|---|---|
| Evil Dead Rise | 2023 | $147 million |
| The Hole in the Ground | 2019 | Sundance debut |
Cronin is celebrated for reviving the Evil Dead franchise. The Mummy marks his follow-up to that success.
The Specialty Box Office – Mother Mary and Lorne
New openers at the specialty box office included:
Mother Mary (A24)
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Star | Anne Hathaway |
| Director | David Lowery |
| Locations | 5 |
| Weekend gross | $168,363 |
| Per-location average | $33,613 (strong) |
| Expansion | Next weekend |
What A24 calls “a wildly original, Anne Hathaway-led music industry drama,” Mother Mary follows the iconic Mother Mary (Hathaway) as she reunites with her estranged best friend (Michaela Coel) on the eve of her comeback concert.
Original songs written by:
- Jack Antonoff
- Charli XCX
- FKA Twigs
Hathaway performs several of the original songs herself.
Lorne (Focus Features)
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Director | Morgan Neville |
| Subject | Lorne Michaels (SNL creator) biopic |
| Locations | ~450 |
| Weekend gross | $270,000 |
| Per-location average | ~$600 |
What’s Next – A Changing Landscape
The box office landscape will change dramatically next weekend when Michael , Lionsgate’s Michael Jackson biopic , opens.
| Film | Release Date | Studio |
|---|---|---|
| Michael | Next weekend | Lionsgate |
| The Devil Wears Prada 2 | Following week | Disney (presumed) |
The Devil Wears Prada 2 marks the official start of the summer box office (and also stars Anne Hathaway, who is having a moment with Mother Mary).
By the Numbers – Weekend Summary
| Film | Weekend Gross | Domestic Total | Global Total | Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Super Mario Galaxy | $35M | $350M+ | $747.5M | 3 |
| Project Hail Mary | $20.4M | $285M | $573.1M | 5 |
| Lee Cronin’s The Mummy | $13.5M | $13.5M | $34M | 1 |
| Mother Mary | $168K (5 locations) | $168K | $168K | 1 |
| Lorne | $270K (~450 locations) | $270K | $270K | 1 |
Horror Bows to Family and Sci-Fi
Lee Cronin’s The Mummy opened to a respectable $34 million worldwide against a $22 million budget – not a failure, but certainly overshadowed by the juggernauts above it.
Super Mario Galaxy continues its animated rampage, now at $747.5 million globally with no signs of slowing. Project Hail Mary defies gravity with a 5th-weekend drop of only 15% , proving that word-of-mouth and Imax returns can sustain a film well beyond its opening.
For horror fans, The Mummy offers a modestly budgeted alternative. But with Michael (the Michael Jackson biopic) arriving next weekend and The Devil Wears Prada 2 kicking off summer the week after, the box office is about to get even more crowded.
As for Mother Mary , A24 has another potential arthouse hit on its hands. A per-location average of $33,613 suggests strong interest – and expansions will be watched closely.
The verdict? Family animation and sci-fi rule the roost. Horror? It will have to wait for another weekend.
