When The movie Super Mario Bros. began to gain momentum during its previews, no one could predict how strong the animated film would become on opening weekend.

Little did we know the film would open to an impressive $146.4 million over the traditional three-day weekend and $204.6 million over five days, considering it was Easter weekend for a lot.

To give an example of how many people underestimate, Super Mario Bros movie. was only expected to see around $125 million in its five-day opening weekend.

Internationally, the film outperformed, grossing $173 million for a worldwide opening weekend of $377.2 million. This allows the film to surpass Frozen II record, making it an instant hit and now the biggest international opening weekend for an animated film.

Not only did it break records for animated films, but opening weekend also placed it well above the $72.1 million opening of sonic the hedgehog 2 become the top opening weekend of a video game adaptation. Even wilder, it’s less than halfway to becoming the greatest video game movie of all time in that short amount of time.

Those are outlandish numbers, especially considering the film’s less-than-stellar critical reception. But fans rallied around the film; even casual moviegoers were warmly received, receiving an A on CinemaScore. The cross-generational game has drawn audiences from all over, and it’s seemed like a rare family movie since the pandemic began.

Will this change animated films or video games forever? The second-weekend box office drop and overall performance will surely seal any fundamental change, but it’s another strong example of why you should stick with what fans love. A bit like HBO The last of us This year, The movie Super Mario Bros. hasn’t made any headway in changing what audiences love about this character, but put it on a bigger platform.

In the future, video game movies will require this same level of care and could undoubtedly follow the mario rulebook and keep it simple. The straightforward story and fan-focused content repelled reviews, as it sits around the 55% mark on Rotten Tomatoes. For comparison, the site’s Audience Score is unwavering at 96%. The battle between critics and audience reactions is nothing new, and it looks like Illumination and Nintendo might not listen to who pays the bills this time around. Some critics are enjoying the film and want to see more of what this franchise could offer.

For animated films, The movie Super Mario Bros. is just one more step in the belt of enlightenment. While the film doesn’t offer any truly groundbreaking visuals, it does show that studio’s cartoonish flair holds its own against animation from Disney and Pixar – which are doing well at the box office these days. We have another example of why Illumination’s kid-friendly fun is a necessary alternative to the current trend of existential crisis animation in family entertainment.

As previously stated, the second weekend and the film’s resistance to the strong summer season will be the test, but The movie Super Mario Bros. could start a new era, and it’s time to jump down that warp pipe.



The movie Super Mario Bros. features the voice talents of Chris Pratt as Mario, Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach, Charlie Day as Luigi, Jack Black as Bowser, Keegan-Michael Key as Toad, Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong, Fred Armisen as Cranky Kong, Kevin Michael Richardson as Kamek and Sebastian Maniscalco as Spike.

Based on the world of Nintendo’s Mario games, The Super Mario Bros. Movie invites audiences into a vibrant, thrilling new world like never before in exuberant, action-packed cinematic comedy. While working underground to repair a water main, Brooklyn plumbers Mario (Chris Pratt, Jurassic World franchises and The LEGO Movie) and his brother Luigi (Charlie Day, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia) are transported into a mysterious pipe and wander into a magical new world. But when the brothers are separated, Mario embarks on an epic quest to find Luigi.

The movie Super Mario Bros. is now playing in cinemas around the world.