The Super Mario Bros. Movie is already a record-breaking film thanks to a massively successful box office turnout on opening day. Illumination’s adaptation of the beloved video game icon smashed its way into theaters on April 5, with many anticipating Mario’s first foray onto the big screen in three decades. While The Super Mario Bros. Movie hasn’t been a hit with critics, the film boasts a massive 96% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, showing families are still having a good time at the theater seeing it.
According to Deadline, The Super Mario Bros. Movie has had an incredible first day, earning $66.4 million worldwide. $34.7 million of those profits originate from the movie’s international release. Said international release broke records in 10 different countries, including the best opening day for an animated film in the UK and Spain.
How Big Will Mario’s 5-Day Weekend Be?
The Super Mario Bros. Movie has garnered plenty more impressive overseas records within its first day in theaters. The film became Universal’s best opening day of all time in Mexico and Germany, as well as the biggest opening day for Illumination in Taiwan and Australia. Mario’s animated feature film debut has also been good for the Chinese box office, becoming the highest-grossing animated film from Hollywood in the country since the Covid-19 pandemic began in 2020.
Current estimates expect Mario to dominate the box office during the film’s 5-day Easter opening weekend, with projections upwards of $200 million worldwide. This includes $125 million domestically, which would almost certainly put The Super Mario Bros. Movie at the top of the weekly box office if it were to earn that much. Given how many Easter eggs to the Mario franchise have been littered throughout promotional material, it’s clear Illumination wants audiences to come back for multiple viewings to try and spot them all.
Due to its nature as a family film and a love letter to the Mario franchise, The Super Mario Bros. Movie is likely to have an impressive opening weekend at the box office. High revenue for the film will likely cement Nintendo and Illumination’s filmmaking relationship for the foreseeable future. As The Super Mario Bros. Movie continues to make money, it may even oust Sonic the Hedgehog 2 for the best opening weekend for a video game adaptation.
