When The Super Mario Bros. Movie began picking up steam during its preview screenings, no one could predict the force the animation film would become by opening weekend.
Little did we know that the film would open to an impressive $146.4 million during the traditional three-day weekend and $204.6 million over the five-day frame, given it was Easter weekend for many.
To provide an example of how many people were under-estimating, Super Mario Bros. Movie was only projected to see around $125 million in its five-day opening weekend.
Internationally, the film over-performed, making $173 million for a global opening weekend of $377.2 million. That allows the film to surpass Frozen II’s record, putting this an instant hit and now the biggest international opening weekend for an animated movie.
Not only did it break records for animated films, but the opening weekend also placed it well above the $72.1 million opening of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 to become the top opening weekend for a video game adaptation. Even wilder, it’s less than halfway to becoming the biggest video game movie of all time in this short space of time.
These are wild numbers, especially given the film’s less-than-stellar critical reception. But fans rallied hard behind the film; even the casual moviegoers had a warm reception, receiving an A on CinemaScore. The multi-generational game brought in audiences from all over, and it seemed to be a rare smash family film since the pandemic started.
Will this change animation or video game movies forever? The second weekend’s box-office drop and overall performance will surely seal any fundamental changes, but this is another strong example of why you should stick to what fans love. Much like HBO’s The Last of Us this year, The Super Mario Bros. Movie didn’t make any strides to change what audiences adore about that character, but put it on a larger platform.
In the future, video game movies need this same level of care and could undoubtedly follow the Mario rulebook and keep it simple. The simple story and fan-driven content did push away critics, as it sits around the 55% mark on Rotten Tomatoes. For comparison, the audience score on the site is at an unwavering 96%. The battle between critical and audience reactions is nothing new, and it seems like Illumination and Nintendo could fare from listening to the ones paying the bills this time. Some critics enjoy the film and want to see more of what this franchise could offer.
For animation films, The Super Mario Bros. Movie is just another notch in the Illumination belt. While the film offers no truly ground-breaking visuals, it shows that this studio’s cartoonish flair holds its own against Disney and Pixar’s animation – which are fairing well at the box office these days. We have another example of why Illumination’s kid-driven fun is a needed alternative to the current animation trend of existential crisis in family entertainment.
As noted before, the second weekend and how the film holds up against the strong summer season will be the test, but The Super Mario Bros. Movie could be starting a new era, and it’s time we jump down that warp pipe.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie 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 universe unlike any created before in an action-packed, exuberant cinematic comedy event. While working underground to fix a water main, Brooklyn plumbers Mario (Chris Pratt; Jurassic World and The LEGO Movie franchises) and brother Luigi (Charlie Day; It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia) are transported down 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 Super Mario Bros. Movie is now playing in cinemas worldwide.
