Key Takeaways
- The Super Mario Bros. Movie has shattered box office records, earning $377 million in worldwide ticket sales during its debut over the Easter holiday weekend and becoming the highest-grossing opening of all time for an animated film.
- The film's success has created a new franchise and appealed to families and general audiences due to the wide-ranging appeal of the beloved video game.
- Despite mixed reviews from critics, audiences have warmly received The Super Mario Bros. Movie, giving it an A CinemaScore.
- Amazon Studios' first traditional theatrical release, Air, opened to a better-than-expected $20.2 million over the five-day weekend and received glowing reviews and an A CinemaScore from audiences.
- Other films, including John Wick: Chapter 4, Scream VI, and Creed III, have also achieved box office milestones.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie, produced by Illumination and Universal in collaboration with Nintendo, has exceeded all expectations and broken numerous records at the box office during its debut over the long Easter holiday weekend.
The animated film earned an astonishing $377 million in worldwide ticket sales, making it the highest-grossing opening of all time for an animated film.
The five-day domestic haul totaled $204.6 million, including $146.4 million for the three-day weekend, while the overseas earnings reached $173 million across 70 markets.
New Franchise Created
The film not only achieved the highest opening ever for a movie based on a video game, but it also became the top opening of 2023 to date on all fronts, surpassing Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.
The success of The Super Mario Bros. Movie has effectively created a new film franchise, appealing to families and general audiences alike due to the wide-ranging appeal of the beloved video game.
Smashing Other Records
The records broken by The Super Mario Bros. Movie include the largest five-day launch in history, beating Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, the best-ever opening for Chris Meledandri’s Illumination (known for Despicable Me and Minions), and the top opening of 2023 to date.
In North America, the film’s three-day weekend makes it the second-best start ever for an animated title behind Incredibles 2, surpassing Finding Dory. On a global scale, it outperformed the $358 million launch of Frozen II.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie, produced by Illumination and Universal in collaboration with Nintendo, has exceeded all expectations and broken numerous records at the box office during its debut over the long Easter holiday weekend.
Positive Audience Reception
Despite mixed reviews from critics, audiences have warmly received The Super Mario Bros. Movie, giving it an A CinemaScore.
The movie, a comedic adventure featuring Brooklyn brothers and plumbers Mario (voiced by Chris Pratt) and Luigi (Charlie Day) in the magical Mushroom Kingdom, has successfully overcome the video game movie adaptation curse, as noted by Comscore analyst Paul Dergarabedian.
Box Office Milestones for Other Films
John Wick: Chapter 4 enjoyed a successful weekend as it crossed the $300 million mark globally, with a North American total of $147.1 million and $304.6 million globally.
Scream VI achieved a franchise record with a total of $103.8 million in North America, earning a global total of $161.6 million.
MGM’s Creed III surpassed the $150 million mark in North America, amassing a total of $153.3 million domestically and an impressive $268 million worldwide.
Amazon Studios’ Air Shows Promise
Amazon Studios has made its first foray into traditional theatrical releases with Ben Affleck’s adult drama Air, which opened to a better-than-expected $20.2 million over the five-day weekend.
The film, focusing on the early days of Nike and its attempt to sign young Michael Jordan, features a star-studded cast including Matt Damon and Viola Davis.
The biographical drama earned glowing reviews and a 94% Rotten Tomatoes critics’ score, in addition to receiving an A CinemaScore from audiences.
