Super Mario Bros. Movie Joins Elite Group of Films With Latest Box Office Record
The Super Mario Bros. Movie has broken yet another box office record, and this one puts it in good company. After its April 5 release, the adaptation of the hit video game franchise has been dominating theaters everywhere. In just one month, The Super Mario Bros. Movie has already catapulted itself into the ranks of some of the most popular blockbusters of all time.
Having already earned $1 billion just three weeks into its run, Variety reports that The Super Mario Bros. Movie has officially crossed $500 million at the domestic box office. The Super Mario Bros. Movie is one of only 19 movies to ever reach that vaunted line. That puts it in discussion with such record-breaking films as Avengers: Endgame, Avatar, and Top Gun: Maverick.
It’s hard to believe that The Super Mario Bros. Movie could be as successful as it is after the Chris Pratt voice controversy. The star power packed into the movie certainly helps, but its 2023 release has been a major factor. After down years coming as a result of the pandemic, 2022’s Top Gun: Maverick and Avatar: The Way of Water encouraged the theatrical revival that John Wick: Chapter 4 and The Super Mario Bros. Movie have benefited from. All four of those projects have enjoyed strong domestic gains that contributed heavily to their massive take.
Nostalgia has also been a major factor in the success of The Super Mario Bros. Movie. The Mario franchise has thrived for decades in video game media, and gaming adaptations have been achieving unprecedented success lately. With a built-in group of supporters, The Super Mario Bros. Movie was designed to draw already-engaged viewers from both domestic and international audiences, even in spite of its mixed reviews.
It certainly helps that The Super Mario Bros. Movie is for everyone. Families can enjoy it just as much as adults going in to see their childhood hero brought to life on the big screen. If there’s anything that The Super Mario Bros. Movie has accomplished, it has been boosting the potential of family-friendly video game adaptations. That could very well make Nintendo take a look at some of its other properties going forward.
