Summary

• Super Mario Bros. Movie 2 faces tough competition from Pixar and DreamWorks sequels in 2026.
• The original film's success is unlikely to be repeated due to challengers like Toy Story 5 & Shrek 5.
• The Mario sequel must overcome increased competition and audience fatigue by exploring key franchise elements.

movies to achieve a $1 billion box office since 2020, earning $1.3 billion.

Considering the franchise's only other theatrical release was a box office bomb from the 1990s, Mario's animated adventure proved the gaming series can be a big screen success under the right circumstances. However, although the next installment has plenty of potential to be just as good and could even provide another financial win for Illumination, it faces some serious competition. Both Pixar and DreamWorks have massive sequels releasing alongside The Super Mario Bros. Movie 2, which means it may struggle to beat Inside Out 2's impressive box office record and could fall short of its previous achievements.

Super Mario Bros. Movie 2 Releases The Same Year As Toy Story 5 & Shrek 5

The Super Mario Bros. Movie Sequel Has Some Serious Competition In 2026

Although The Super Mario Bros. Movie fell just short of becoming the highest-grossing animated film ever, Inside Out 2's new record isn't unbeatable, but the sequel will have to contend with Toy Story 5 and Shrek 5 in 2026. Toy Story has been a constant box office draw for Pixar since the first movie came out in 1995, and the animated franchise's fifth outing will undoubtedly capture a big audience. While plenty of viewers might choose to watch both, some may prioritize Toy Story 5 over Mario 2 since it has a much greater cinematic legacy.

In addition, the confirmation that Shrek 5 is finally happening means the franchise will break a 16-year slumber when it returns to theaters. Although the series continued through the Puss in Boots spinoff, there hasn't been a main Shrek film since 2010, which suggests the comeback movie will be a huge deal. The Super Mario Bros. Movie 2 does have the advantage of releasing two months ahead of its competitors, but its theatrical run may be cut short since Toy Story 5 and Shrek 5 will steal the spotlight, making it more difficult to repeat the original film's success.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie 2 will officially be released on April 3, 2026, with Toy Story 5 being released on June 19, 2026, and Shrek 5 coming out on July 1, 2026.

The Original Super Mario Bros. Movie Released During A Pixar Lull

Elemental Was Pixar's Only Theatrical Release In 2023

The increased competition could be even more of a problem for the Mario sequel, considering the first movie released at a time when Pixar wasn't particularly strong. Pixar has released some of the best and most profitable animated movies of the 21st century, but heading into 2023, the studio was on a bit of a cold streak. While COVID-19 certainly played a factor, Pixar hadn't had a box office hit since 2019's Toy Story 4 before Elemental came along, and the 2023 movie had a disappointing first few weeks before finally finding redemption and making a profit.

These difficulties definitely made it a lot easier for The Super Mario Bros. Movie to thrive, hence why it dominated the box office and became the second highest-grossing film of the year. Some of 2023's best-animated movies still offered a bit of competition, like Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, but despite grossing an impressive $690 million, The Super Mario Bros. Movie made nearly double that. Things will be different in 2026 though, as both Pixar and DreamWorks are returning with arguably their biggest franchise, which means Illumination's big project may face a much tougher box office.

Super Mario Bros. Movie 2 Already Needed To Overcome Its Sequel Challenge

The First Movie Had A Lot Of Key Qualities That The Sequel Will Struggle To Overcome

Despite how big the original film was, The Super Mario Bros. Movie 2 already faced challenges outside increased competition. Seeing a large-scale animated Mario movie for the first time was a huge selling point, but not everyone will have the intention of returning for the sequel, especially after the first outing already explored a lot of the franchise's most interesting concepts. It contained a Mario Kart segment, the use of power-ups, several iconic locations, and even a Smash Bros section when Mario fought Donkey Kong, all of which may have satisfied a large portion of the audience.

It's hard to imagine Bowser being the central villain again, meaning the franchise's main antagonist will have a minimal presence which will be hard to replace.

The inclusion of these classic Mario gimmicks is exactly what a lot of fans wanted, but after seeing them, there isn't much appeal in a sequel. Likewise, it's hard to imagine Bowser being the central villain again, meaning the franchise's main antagonist will have a minimal presence which will be hard to replace. While there are still plenty of fun ideas and characters that the next installment could feature, The Super Mario Bros. Movie 2 will have a much more challenging time trying to entice casual viewers, proving that the sequel could struggle to repeat its incredible box office performance.