First real blockbuster of the year 2023 in dark rooms, the film Super Mario Bros. exceeded already optimistic goals by amassing $377 million at the international box office between its release Wednesday April 5 and Sunday April 9, making it not only the best start for a video game license at the cinema but also the best start for a animated film, surpassing the $358.5 million of Frozen 2, although it should be noted that the latter was released on a Friday. Not yet released in Japan, the film Super Mario Bros. was particularly successful in the United States with 204.6 million dollars, already more than the total of any other video game adaptation (including the film Sonic 2 and its $190 million).
On the way to the billion
The spectacular achievement of the Illumination studio and the untouchable aura of a timeless universe capable of touching all generations easily got the better of the mixed reviews from the specialized press. With a budget of $100 million, according to the site Varietythe film Super Mario Bros. can already be considered a historic moment in the relationship between video games and cinema, this in the wake of the unprecedented reception given to the series The Last of Us at the beginning of the year. While recent hits like the movies Sonic 2 et Uncharted finished their run around $400 million, Mario can clearly aim for the billion dollar mark. ” This result is a testament to the extraordinary love for these Nintendo characters and for the Illumination storytelling commented Jim Orr, president of distribution at Universal.
Note in passing that Nintendo has already posted the film’s soundtrack, composed by Brian Tyler (Fast & Furious, Avengers: Age of Ultron) which of course includes many melodies by Koji Kondo. This 36-track soundtrack, including the full version of the ballad Peaches from Bowser, is available on major streaming platforms as well as CD, vinyl and even cassette formats at already 8bit.
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