Box Office Hits and Flops of 2026 So Far: Michael, Supergirl and More

The box office finally feels like its old self again. Years after the pandemic brought the film industry to its knees, moviegoing is back thanks to sleeper hits like “Obsession” and “Backrooms” and successful sequels like “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie,” “Toy Story 5” and “The Devil Wears Prada 2.”

There have been a few costly misfires (RIP, “Moana” and “Masters of the Universe”), but domestic ticket sales are up 10% from 2025, according to Rentrak. And Hollywood is having its hottest summer since COVID, with revenues for the four-month season expected to surpass the $4 billion mark for the first time since the “Barbenheimer” phenomenon of 2023.

There’s still plenty to come, from “The Odyssey” to “Dune: Part Three” and “Avengers: Doomsday.” But before those blockbuster hopefuls land in theaters, here’s a look at what sizzled and fizzled during the first six months of the year.

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie

Global box office $1 billion
Budget $110 million

Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach and Yoshi powered up the box office, giving Illumination and Nintendo another super smash. The sequel couldn’t quite match the box office returns of its predecessor, and critics were chillier this time too. But with a budget of just over $100 million (cheap for an animated film), “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” proved that audiences want to keep returning to the Mushroom Kingdom. And with more than 200 Mario-related games in circulation, there are plenty of stories left to tell.

Project Hail Mary

Global box office $683.3 million
Budget $200 million

Andy Weir’s bestseller about a desperate mission to the outer realms of space was adapted into a…