The Super Mario Bros. Movie continues to leave Frozen II and other animated films in the cold as the film based on Nintendo's eponymous video game series sets new box-office markers.
Per The Hollywood Reporter, The Super Mario Bros. Movie earned $92.5 million at the domestic box office this past weekend, signifying the biggest second weekend ever for an animated movie, passing Frozen II's record of $86 million. This follows the film's opening weekend triumph over the Frozen sequel, garnering $368 million worldwide compared to Frozen II's $358 million to become the biggest-ever moneymaker for an animated movie in its first few days of release. The Super Mario Bros. Movie's second-weekend tally also blew away newly-released titles such as Nicolas Cage's Renfield and Russell Crowe's Pope's Exorcist.
Starring Chris Pratt as the titular Italian plumber and beloved video game character, The Super Mario Bros. Movie seems poised to build considerably on the start of its theatrical run. Expected to surpass $700 million worldwide on Apr. 17, the film is well on course to break the $1 billion barrier, making it the first blockbuster to make the 10-figure mark since Avatar: The Way of Water. It's now the biggest earner of any movie worldwide in 2023, long surpassing Marvel's Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania as the most profitable North American title to premiere this year. The film has attracted strong viewership in Mexico and other foreign markets, though it struggled for ticket sales in China, further illustrating the distant relationship between Hollywood and the Chinese marketplace.
Super Mario Bros. Levels Up With Praise From Fans and Critics Alike
The Super Mario Bros. Movie came in with high expectations considering how beloved the video game series of the same name was and doubts about Pratt's casting as Mario. However, fans were left impressed and stunned by Pratt's game-accurate Mario voice after initial backlash over his selection, while critics and viewers were pleased with how well the game was adapted on-screen. Already, The Super Mario Bros. Movie is the highest-grossing video game adaptation of all time, with Pokémon: Detective Pikachu ($449.8 million) being a distant second.
Pratt featured alongside Charlie Day (Luigi), Anya Taylor-Joy (Princess Peach), Jack Black (Bowser) and Seth Rogen (Donkey Kong) in The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Additionally, Charles Martinet, the famed voice of Mario and Luigi in the Mario game franchise titles, made cameos as the pair's father, as well as Giuseppe, a Brooklyn native who resembles Mario's original look from Donkey Kong.
Though a sequel to The Super Mario Bros. Movie has yet to be confirmed, Pratt and the filmmakers involved have hinted at it being on the way, with post-credits scenes from the animated adventure tentpole seemingly leaving the door open for a follow-up. Meanwhile, Black has pitched the idea of Pedro Pascal, star of HBO's live-action adaptation of The Last of Us, featuring in a potential sequel as Mario and Luigi's long-time rival Wario, who did not appear in the original.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie is now showing in theaters across North America.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter