This past weekend, the North American box office saw a familiar scene at the top of the charts, with “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” and “Project Hail Mary” continuing to dominate. In a surprising twist, the new release “Lee Cronin’s The Mummy” debuted in third place, struggling to find its footing.
“The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” has proven to be a formidable contender, raking in an impressive $35 million this weekend alone. This animated sequel has now amassed a staggering total of $747.5 million worldwide, showcasing the enduring appeal of the Mario franchise.
On the other hand, “Project Hail Mary” has maintained its momentum, experiencing only a 15% drop in its fifth weekend, earning $20.5 million. With a domestic total of $285.1 million and $573.1 million globally, this film has become the highest-grossing original film of the year. Recently, filmmakers Phil Lord and Chris Miller, along with star Ryan Gosling, expressed their gratitude to theater owners at CinemaCon for their support.
In contrast, “Lee Cronin’s The Mummy” opened in 3,404 theaters, earning only $13.5 million. This R-rated horror film, directed by Cronin and produced by Blumhouse and Atomic Monster, received a lukewarm reception with a 45% score on Rotten Tomatoes and a disappointing C+ CinemaScore from viewers.
The plot of “The Mummy” revolves around a family whose daughter mysteriously returns, mummified and alive. Critics have described it as a “gross-out bloodfest,” reflecting mixed reviews. However, with a production cost of only $22 million, the film has already grossed $34 million worldwide, aided by $20.5 million from international markets.
Paul Dergarabedian, Comscore’s head of marketplace trends, noted that while horror films had a stellar year in 2025, the excitement hasn’t carried over into 2026.
Additionally, the action movie “Normal,” featuring Bob Odenkirk as a sheriff in a Midwestern town, debuted this weekend with $2.7 million. Despite receiving a 77% score on Rotten Tomatoes, it also garnered a C+ CinemaScore from audiences, predominantly male viewers at 65%.
Several limited releases also hit theaters, including the Lorne Michaels documentary “Lorne,” and David Lowery’s “Mother Mary,” starring Anne Hathaway. While “Lorne” earned an estimated $270,000 from 414 theaters, A24’s “Mother Mary” made $168,063 from just five screens.
Though neither of these films entered the top 10, the comedy “Busboys,” featuring David Spade and Theo Von, managed to secure eighth place with $1.6 million from 800 theaters.
Comparatively, last year during this weekend, Warner Bros. opened “Sinners” to a whopping $48 million. Despite this weekend’s lower earnings, the overall box office is still up by over 16% compared to last year, largely thanks to “Project Hail Mary.”
Looking ahead, next weekend promises to be exciting with the release of the Michael Jackson biopic “Michael.” Early estimates suggest it could earn between $60 million to $90 million in its opening weekend, potentially breaking records for musical biopics. For context, the current record-holder is “Straight Outta Compton,” which opened to $60 million in 2015.
Top 10 movies by domestic box office:
1. “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie,” $35 million.
2. “Project Hail Mary,” $20.5 million.
3. “Lee Cronin’s The Mummy,” $13.5 million.
4. “The Drama,” $4.8 million.
5. “You, Me & Tuscany,” $3.8 million.
6. “Hoppers,” $2.9 million.
7. “Normal,” $2.7 million.
8. “Busboys,” $1.6 million.
9. “Bhooth Bangia,” $977,582.
10. “A Great Awakening,” $823,667.
