As the weekend opens with strong box office revenue and ticket sales surpassing expectations, the animated film “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” continues to break new records that no one could have predicted. Specifically, the film produced by Illumination and Nintendo has achieved an impressive $700 million in global box office revenue as of the end of last weekend, just two weeks after its release, and is quickly on track to surpass the $1 billion milestone.
Based on Nintendo’s classic video game franchise, “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” has become the highest-grossing video game adaptation of all time, having crossed the $500 million mark in just its second week of release. In its second week, the film maintained its position at number 1 in multiple international markets, earning $92.5 million over the last weekend alone in North America, as well as $102.5 million from 71 other countries. In total, the film has grossed $693.1 million as of April 16.
Distributed by Universal Pictures, it is clear that this film has surpassed all expectations, becoming the highest-grossing film of 2023 so far. Last weekend, it outperformed new releases such as “The Pope’s Exorcist” and “Renfield” to retain its top position.
Directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic, “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” joins the ranks of other successful animated films from Illumination, including “Despicable Me,” “Minions,” “Sing,” and “The Secret Life of Pets.” Since its release, the film has received mixed critical reviews, but general audience feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.
With numerous references to Nintendo’s video game universe, this animated film serves as a nostalgic journey for adult viewers, while also being a fresh experience for younger audiences who may not have previously engaged with the games. Given that Nintendo is moving forward with plans to adapt more of its popular franchises into films, the success of “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” is likely to boost confidence in bringing more beloved game titles to the big screen.
