Biggest animated movie opening of all time
Illumination release The Super Mario Bros Movie has smashed box office records in its opening weekend, with a recorded $377 million global box office affording the Nintendo adaptation the mantle of biggest-ever opening for an animated movie.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which opened in American theaters on Wednesday, April 5, has seen sensational early success, with opening numbers surpassing those of the previous record holder, Walt Disney’s 2019 sequel Frozen 2. The film, which sees Chris Pratt take up the role of the iconic Nintendo mascot, is being touted by analysts to become the highest-grossing movie of 2023, a feat that the animated movie looks set to achieve with ease, despite receiving mediocre reviews from many outlets.
While trailers have shown much promise in regards to the big-screen version of the Mushroom Kingdom and its denizens, some critics have lambasted the film for being all sizzle and no steak, complaining of wafer-thin storytelling, egregious use of cliched music, breathless pacing, and world-building that relies purely on reference recognition. Clearly, these comments have — and will — not divert the attention of the movie-going public, with the Mario Bros Movie set to dominate the spring box office and deliver further on the streaming and home release market for the remainder of the year.
Hope you like video game adaptations. We’re about to get a decade of them. Shuffle over, Marvel.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie is now showing in North America, Europe, and China. It will premiere in Japan on April 27.
Super Mario Bros. Movie barrels to record $204 million (US) debut [Variety]
