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The box office hit a power-up this weekend, as “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” continued a healthy streak for family films in theaters.

The animated sequel from Universal Pictures, Nintendo and Illumination raced to $190 million in the U.S. and Canada in its five-day holiday weekend debut, placing it solidly in first place, according to studio estimates and Comscore data. That total was in line with expectations of a $186-million domestic opening.

Globally, the film earned $372.5 million, the largest opening so far in 2026.

The first film based on the video game franchise, “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” made $146.4 million in its 2023 debut.

“The Super Mario Galaxy Movie,” which had a production budget of $110 million, continues the story of iconic Nintendo characters Mario, Luigi and Princess Peach as they journey to rescue Princess Rosalina.

Amazon MGM’s “Project Hail Mary” came in second at the box office with a domestic total of $30.7 million – pushing its total to $217 million. A24’s “The Drama ($14.4 million), Disney’s “Hoppers” ($5.8 million) and Universal’s “Reminders of Him ($2.2 million) rounded out the top five.

The success of “Mario” this weekend is another example of the power of family films at the box office.

Animated movies like Sony Pictures Animation’s “Goat” and Walt Disney Co. and Pixar’s “Hoppers” have performed well in theaters this year, along with the strong holdover performance of Disney’s 2025 hit “Zootopia 2,” which has now made more than $1.87 billion worldwide.

That’s all contributed to a stronger first quarter in the theatrical business, as this year’s revenue was up more than 20% compared with the same period in 2025. March was especially strong, with the massive haul from “Project Hail Mary.”

Published on 30/03/2026 – 7:07 GMT+2•Updated
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European markets are set to open lower on Monday, with futures pointing to declines across major indices as investor sentiment remains cautious amid rising oil prices and geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.

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As of early morning trading, Germany’s DAX was down around 0.5%, the FTSE 100 fell roughly 0.3%, and France’s CAC 40 was also in negative territory, according to IG data.

The weaker outlook follows losses in Asia, where shares mostly dipped overnight as concerns persisted around soaring oil prices and the potential for further escalation in the US war with Iran.

The declines follow steep losses on Wall Street on Friday, marking a fifth consecutive losing week — the longest such streak in nearly four years.

“US equity markets remained under sustained pressure, with the S&P 500 falling 2.1% for the week and the Nasdaq 100 sliding 3.2%. The Dow Jones held up comparatively better, declining 0.9%, owing to its lower technology weighting. Both the Nasdaq 100 and the Dow Jones have now officially entered correction territory after recording drawdowns of more than 10% below their respective peaks,” IG market analyst Fabien Yip said in a commentary note.

Asia-Pacific markets lower overnight

Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 fell 4.5% in early trading, Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 dropped 1.2%, and South Korea’s Kospi slid 3.2%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng declined 1.7%, while the Shanghai Composite edged 0.7% lower.

Investor worries have been particularly acute due to the risk of disrupted access to the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for global oil shipments.

Benchmark Brent crude rose above $116 a barrel in early trading, marking an increase of more than 50% since the Iran conflict began on 28 February. Prices were just over $70 a barrel when the war started. US benchmark crude was also up, at around $101 a barrel, reflecting continued volatility in global energy markets.

The surge comes as US President Donald Trump raised the possibility of American forces seizing Iran’s Kharg Island, the country’s main oil terminal in the Persian Gulf. He made the comment in an interview published early Monday by the Financial Times.

“Maybe we take Kharg Island, maybe we don’t. We have a lot of options,” Trump told the newspaper. “It would also mean we had to be there (on Kharg Island) for a while.”

Asked about Iranian defences there, he said: “I don’t think they have any defence. We could take it very easily.”

The US has already launched airstrikes it said targeted military positions on the island. Iran has threatened to launch its own ground invasion of Gulf Arab countries and new attacks if US troops land on its territory.

Meanwhile, G7 finance ministers, energy ministers and central bank governors are set to hold an emergency meeting today to discuss the conflict and its consequences. It will mark the fourth time since the start of the war in Iran the G7 has convened at a ministerial level.