The Super Mario Bros. Movie 2 will attempt to cash in on the original film’s massive success, but it will have a hard time repeating its predecessor’s box office triumph due to two major rivals. Although the Super Mario franchise is one of the most iconic gaming series of all time, it was hard to anticipate its cinematic adaptation becoming one of the most profitable movies of the 2020s, yet The Super Mario Bros. Movie surpassed all expectations. The animated hit became one of the few 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.