The Super Mario Bros. Movie hits US $1 billion globally

The Super Mario Bros. Movie is smashing through records at the global box office.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie Nintendo Illumination

The Super Mario Bros. Movie has become the first blockbuster film of 2023 to hit US $1 billion at the global box office, smashing through records in its debut month.

According to Variety, the film has made US $490 million in North America alone, with the international market making up US $532 million. Since the start of the pandemic, only a handful of films have breached the coveted US $1 billion total – with this prestigious list including Spider-Man: No Way Home, Avatar: The Way of Water, and Top Gun: Maverick.

Less than a month on from launching in cinemas, it appears The Super Mario Bros. Movie is a veritable smash hit. Widespread middling reviews from critics have not dampened this success, as the box office has likely been driven by the film’s all-ages appeal, and the strength of Super Mario‘s brand recognition.

On the way to becoming the biggest movie of 2023, this adaptation has achieved a number of notable records, including the second-biggest weekend debut for an animated movie.

Read: The Super Mario Bros. Movie Review

Mario creator and Nintendo pioneer Shigeru Miyamoto recently stated the popularity of the film was surprising.

‘I did have a level of expectations that this movie would also do well … but I was very surprised that it went beyond what I could have imagined when it finally came out,’ Miyamoto recently told Japanese press, per VGC. ‘You need some luck to achieve this level of success for a film.’

While Miyamoto noted the film’s negative critical reception, he believes this aided the notoriety and buzz around the film.

Whatever the reason for its phenomenal success, it’s likely the continued popularity of The Super Mario Bros. Movie will contribute to plans for future Nintendo adaptations. A Donkey Kong spin-off has already been discussed at Nintendo, and it’s likely the newly-formed Nintendo Pictures will be tasked with building out a Nintendo animated film universe in future.

Before The Super Mario Bros. Movie exits theatres, it’s expected to continue smashing records. Just a month in, it’s already become one of the year’s most unexpected success stories.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie is currently playing in theatres.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital) [4K UHD]
$33.99 $19.99


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05/15/2024 09:47 pm GMT

Leah J. Williams is a gaming and entertainment journalist who's spent years writing about the games industry, her love for The Sims 2 on Nintendo DS and every piece of weird history she knows. You can find her tweeting @legenette most days.