The Super Mario Bros. Movie has smashed expectations at the box office, raking in a whopping $195 million in just five days domestically and $368 million globally. This puts it as the biggest-ever opening for an Illumination film, the largest debut for a video game adaptation, and the number one debut of 2023. It's even set to become the biggest global debut for an animated title, beating Frozen 2.
The movie has proven to be a hit with both younger and older audiences alike, drawing in fans of the video game franchise who grew up playing the games. It has received an A CinemaScore from opening day audiences and garnered positive reviews, with Collider calling it "a joyous celebration of this franchise's history and one of the best kids films in recent years".
This success is no surprise for Illumination, which has previously released several movies that have grossed over $1 billion worldwide, including Despicable Me 3 and Minions. Meanwhile, Ben Affleck's sports drama Air is also projected to perform better than initial estimates, with a five-day launch of $18.5 million.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie features the voices of Chris Pratt, Charlie Day, Anya Taylor-Joy, Jack Black, Keegan-Michael Key, Seth Rogen, and Fred Armisen. Stay tuned for more box office updates over the weekend
