It's a-me, history! Mario and Luigi will be saying "Wahoo!" to each other this morning after The Super Mario Bros. Movie opened to an absolutely gargantuan $204.6 million domestic in its first five days of release, thanks to a $146 million opening weekend, firing red shells at all theatrical competition.
The world's most popular plumber—and his brother, of course—star in what is officially the current number-one movie in the world, following its $377 million bow, which—in an astonishing statistic—marks the biggest opening of all time for an animated movie. Given the list of films that would have held that title in the past, that makes the achievement even more remarkable. And in a neat twist, the new Super Mario made more money in one day than the derided 1993 live-action film made in its entire domestic run.
The previous holder of the title was Frozen 2 which, like Mario, had the benefit of building on an established intellectual property. However, Mario did not have the benefit of a massively successful predecessor to build on, another mark of credit towards the film. And not content with that, the film also holds the honor of the highest global opening of 2023, easily besting Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania's $225.3 million.
The film also marks the biggest-ever opening weekend for a movie based on a video game, nearly doubling Warcraft's $210 million dollar opening, as well as the highest animated IMAX opening weekend ever with $21.6 million reported in returns.
Despite a mixed critical reception, the film has been bolstered by a number of useful factors, including a coveted A CinemaScore, a 96% Audience Score on Rotten Tomatoes - indicating great word of mouth - and the added benefit of Spring Break and Easter school holidays across the globe.
Who Stars in The Super Mario Bros. Movie?
The film stars Chris Pratt as Mario, Charlie Day as Luigi, Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach, and Jack Black as Bowser. Directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic, the film follows the little Italian plumber with the iconic mustache, along with his friends, as they attempt to stop the mighty Bowser from his nefarious designs on world domination.
Collider’s own Ross Bonaime called it “a colorful adventure brimming with references, a joyous celebration of this franchise’s history and the history of early Nintendo, and one of the best kids films in recent years” in his review. You can watch our interview with the movie's stars, Pratt and Day here.