Five Nights at Freddy’s is a record-breaking success, and beating one of The Super Mario Bros. Movie‘s records is the most impressive. The two biggest video games movies of 2023 both proved to be among the biggest new releases of the year, even though they are completely different. While most expected Illumination’s animated Mario movie to dominate the box office as it did, Five Nights at Freddy’s box office performance is a surprise. The PG-13 horror video game movie shattered expectations during its $130 million opening weekend worldwide, instantly making it incredibly profitable for Universal and Blumhouse.
One of the reasons why there was trepidation surrounding Five Nights at Freddy’s box office was the fact that Universal was releasing the movie on streaming and in movie theaters simultaneously. While it is unknown if the movie would have performed even better at the box office if it was not also on Peacock, the dual-release method worked in a major way. Five Nights at Freddy’s is Peacock’s most-watched movie of all time based on viewership in the first five days. The new streaming record is all the more notable considering The Super Mario Bros. Movie was the previous record-holder.
Five Nights At Freddy’s Streaming Record Is A Massive Surprise
The fact that Five Nights at Freddy’s broke Peacock’s viewership record and beat The Super Mario Bros. Movie in the process is no small accomplishment. The Super Mario Bros. Movie is the second-highest-grossing release of 2023, making over $1.3 billion worldwide. The appeal of the family-friendly animated movie starring arguably the most iconic video game character in history had a clear path to success. This included The Super Mario Bros. Movie‘s Peacock release, which came months after its theatrical debut, meaning streaming was now the easiest place to watch the movie. There was an understandable demand to rewatch it or experience Mario’s adventure for the first time.
However, Five Nights at Freddy’s did not have that same path to success. The movie’s incredible box office performance could have been an indicator that most people went to theaters instead of Peacock to watch it. Furthermore, this is a PG-13 horror movie based on a series that is not nearly as popular as Mario. It is worth noting that The Super Mario Bros. Movie‘s streaming release did not have the same immediate viewing demand that a brand-new release carries since it arrived on Peacock much later. But considering animated family movies often dominate streaming services, the fact that Five Nights at Freddy’s beat Super Mario is still surprising.
Five Nights At Freddy’s Box Office & Streaming Success Could Reshape Hollywood
There is a chance that Five Nights at Freddy’s success will reshape Hollywood. Many studios attempted the same-day streaming release strategy during the pandemic, but there were not many clear examples of the method translating to success in both formats. It was more typical for a movie to underperform at the box office and on streaming due to the core audience being divided. Five Nights at Freddy’s success indicates that it is possible for a movie to succeed in both release methods at the same time. This could lead to more simultaneous releases in the future, including Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 likely attempting to repeat the dual success.
