"The Super Mario Bros. Movie" had a very successful opening weekend. The film, based on the iconic video game franchise, came in at an impressive $204.6 million domestically and $377 million globally.
Jim Orr, Universal's president of domestic distribution, said, "The box office just kept growing and growing. It's a tremendous worldwide debut, and the movie has a clear runway."
"The Super Mario Bros." movie has been highly anticipated for years, with fans eagerly waiting for a live-action adaptation of the beloved video game franchise. The film, directed by Illumination's Chris Meledandri, has been in development since 2018.
The success of "The Super Mario Bros." movie's opening weekend can be attributed to its dedicated fanbase, as well as its star-studded cast. The movie features a talented ensemble, including Chris Pratt as Mario, Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach, and Jack Black as Bowser. The film also includes a number of other iconic characters from the Super Mario Bros. franchise, including Luigi, Yoshi, and Toad.
In addition to its star power, "The Super Mario Bros." movie boasts impressive special effects and a visually stunning world that brings the Mushroom Kingdom to life on the big screen. The film's success at the box office bodes well for future adaptations of video game franchises, as studios continue to look for new ways to tap into the lucrative market of avid gamers and nostalgic fans.
The film has so far broken the following records:
Domestic:
Highest-grossing debut of 2023, surpassing "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" at $106.1 million
Biggest five-day (Wednesday-Sunday) opening of all-time, overtaking 2009's "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" at $200 million. (Note: This stat is specifically for movies that opened on a Wednesday. It's nowhere near the biggest opening weekends in general, which belong to "Avengers: Endgame," "Spider-Man: No Way Home" and "Infinity War" and their $250 million-plus starts over three days)
Highest-grossing debut for Illumination, beating 2015's "Minions" and its three-day opening weekend of $115.7 million
Second-biggest debut ever for an animated movie, outpacing 2016's "Finding Dory" and its three-day opening weekend of $135.1 million and following "Incredibles 2" and its three-day debut of $183 million
Highest-grossing debut for a video game adaptation, outranking 2022's "Sonic the Hedgehog 2" at $72.1 million
International:
Biggest opening of 2023, ahead of "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" at $117.1 million
Second-biggest animated opening of all-time, behind "Frozen 2" at $228.2 million
Biggest Illumination opening of all-time
Biggest video game opening of all-time
Global:
Biggest opening of 2023, bringing down "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" at $225.3 million
Highest Illumination opening of all-time, passing 2013's "Despicable Me 2" at $208 million
Biggest video game opening of all-time, eclipsing 2016's "Warcraft" at $210 million
Highest animated opening weekend ever for Imax with $21.6 million
