The Super Mario Bros. Movie
Universal’s animated video game adaptation must have eaten enlarging mushrooms, because it began with a $146.3M three-day / $204.6M five-day start after opening on Wednesday.
That far surpasses the “already high” pre-release industry projections, which were in the $110M to $125M range for the three-day.
Although that Wednesday opening deflated its three-day weekend total, it nonetheless marks the:
- #30 “traditional” three-day opening weekend of all time
- #17 five-day total of all time
- #1 video game adaptation opening of all time, more than doubling the prior record holder, 2022’s Sonic the Hedgehog 2 ($72.1M)
On a daily basis, Mario has tentatively earned the:
- #11 Wednesday of all time ($31.7M)
- #9 Thursday of all time ($26.5M)
- #40 Friday of all time ($55.0M estimate)
- #16 Saturday of all time ($56.8M estimate)
- #41 Sunday of all time ($34.6M estimate)
Mario is already the #1 video game adaptation domestic total of all time, beating Sonic the Hedgehog 2 ($190.8M).
It’s also already overtaken the final domestic totals of:
- 2012’s Wreck-It Ralph ($189.4M)
- 2018’s Ralph Breaks the Internet ($201.0M)
- 2019’s Pokemon: Detective Pikachu ($144.1M)
It’s also only -20% behind the final total for 2014’s The LEGO Movie ($257.7M)
Demographics
Mario earned an “A” CinemaScore, from an audience that was:
- 59% male and 41% female
- Only 16% ages 12 and under, unusually low for a film like this, indicating that the film’s nostalgia pitch worked.
- Only 30% white, versus 40% Hispanic, 14% black, and 10% Asian.
Overseas + global
Mario opened with $172.8M overseas, for a $377.5M global start.
- Those are both the biggest such numbers of 2023 so far, beating Ant-Man and the Quantumania on both counts.
- It’s the #2 overseas animated opening of all time, a bit behind 2019’s Frozen II ($228.2M).
- However, it’s the #1 animated opening of all time globally, beating prior record holder Frozen II ($358.0M).
- Top overseas market totals include Mexico ($24.7M), U.K. ($19.6M), Germany ($14.0M), China ($12.0M), and France ($10.4M).
The distributor race
Mario’s earnings allow Universal (including its subsidiary Focus Features) to become the top-earning parent company of 2023 so far theatrically in the domestic market with $559.0M.
That race had been led throughout the entire year so far by Disney (including its subsidiaries 20th Century Studios and Searchlight Pictures), which tentatively falls to #2 with $516.9.
However, Disney looks poised to retake the lead in May, thanks to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and The Little Mermaid.
John Wick: Chapter 4
Last weekend in its sophomore frame, Lionsgate’s R-rated action thriller fell -62%, the steepest sophomore drop among the franchise’s four installments.
Now in its third frame, it falls -48% to $14.6M and second place.
That’s the second-steepest “third weekend” drop in the franchise, steeper than 2014’s John Wick (-48%) and 2017’s sequel (-42%), though milder than 2019’s John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum (-55%).
Sunday studio estimates have this weekend’s second, third, and fourth place films all within a mere 2% of each other, so final rankings may change when actuals are released on Monday afternoon.
With $147.0M total through 17 days, Chapter 4 has already far exceeded the totals of both the first ($43.0M) and second installments ($92.0M).
It’s also closing in on Parabellum’s $171.0M total. Through the equivalent point in release, it’s running +17% ahead.
Chapter 4 has now earned $157.0M overseas and $304.0M globally.
That global total far exceeds both the first ($76.0M) and second installments ($171.3M). It’s also currently -7% behind Parabellum’s $327.2M global total, and likely to overtake it soon.
Top overseas markets include the U.K. ($12.2M), Germany ($10.6M), Australia ($8.7M), and France ($4.6M).
Read Boxoffice PRO’s interview with director Chad Stahelski here:
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
Last weekend, Paramount’s fantasy action comedy rolled a $37.2M opening in first place.
Now in its sophomore frame, it falls -61% to $14.5M and third place.
Sunday studio estimates have this weekend’s second, third, and fourth place films all within a mere 2% of each other, so final rankings may change when actuals are released on Monday afternoon.
Versus some other comparable fantasy action comedies of recent years, that sophomore drop is steeper than:
- 2017’s Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (-26%, after originally rising +38% on New Year’s weekend)
- 2021’s Free Guy (-35%)
- 2022’s Uncharted (-48%)
- 2022’s The Lost City (-52%)
- 2019’s Jumanji: The Next Level (-55%)
However, it’s milder than:
- 2000’s Dungeons and Dragons (-66%)
- March’s Shazam! Fury of the Gods (-69%)
Overseas, Honor declined -45%, a notably milder drop than its -61% domestic decline.
The film has earned $61.8M overseas, for a $124.0M global total.
Top overseas markets to date include China ($9.4M), U.K. (also $9.4M), Mexico ($4.6M), Australia ($4.2M), and Germany ($4.0M).
Read Boxoffice PRO’s interview with directors John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein here:
Air
The Amazon Studios and MGM sports business drama jumped to a $14.4M three-day / $20.2M five-day debut in fourth place, after opening on Wednesday.
That was on the higher end of pre-release projections, which were in the $10M to $12M range for the three-day.
Sunday studio estimates have this weekend’s second, third, and fourth place films all within a mere 2% of each other, so final rankings may change when actuals are released on Monday afternoon.
That five-day start is:
- -11% below 2011’s Moneyball ($22.7M)
- +43% above 2015’s Concussion ($14.0M)
- +69% above 2015’s Draft Day ($11.9M)
- 2.03x early March 2020’s The Way Back ($9.9M)
Air has also already exceeded the $10.8M domestic total of 2021’s The Last Duel, the prior drama starring Matt Damon and Ben Affleck.
Overseas, where the film is being distributed by Warner Bros. Air debuts with $10.5M for a $30.7M global start.
Top overseas markets to date are Australia ($1.6M), U.K. ($1.4M), and Italy ($1.1M).
Scream VI
Coming in fifth place in its fifth frame, Paramount’s horror sequel becomes the highest grossing installment in the franchise with $103.8M.
While it had already beaten the third, fourth, and fifth installments, this weekend it overtakes both 1996’s Scream ($103.0M) and 1997’s Scream 2 ($101.3M).
Scream VI has now earned $57.8M overseas and $161.6M globally.
That exceeds the global total of 2022’s Scream with $138.8M, and looks to soon potentially match or exceed the first three installments, which all earned in the $161M to $173M range globally.
His Only Son
Last weekend, Angel Studios’ faith-based His Only Son debuted with $5.5M in third place.
That was above industry pre-release projections, which were closer to $3M. It’s also a considerably higher rank than projected, with some industry projections forecasting it to finish outside the top five entirely.
Now on its sophomore frame which also happens to be Easter weekend, it falls -41% to $3.2M and sixth place.
Versus some other comparable faith-based films of recent years, that sophomore drop is steeper than:
- 2018’s I Can Only Imagine (-20%)
- 2019’s Overcomer (-30%)
- 2018’s Paul, Apostle of Christ (-33%)
- 2021’s American Underdog (-33%)
- 2022’s Father Stu (-38%)
- 2019’s Breakthrough (-40%)
However, it’s milder than:
- February’s Jesus Revolution (-46%)
- 2019’s Unplanned (-49%)
- 2022’s Redeeming Love (-50%)
Weekend comparisons
Total box office this weekend came in around $190.1M, which is:
|
Weekend |
Total |
This weekend is: |
Notes |
|
Last weekend |
$97.4M |
+95% |
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves led ($37.2M) |
|
Same weekend in 2022 |
$118.7M |
+60% |
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 led ($72.1M) |
|
Same weekend in 2019 |
$146.9M |
+29% |
Shazam! led ($53.5M) |
YTD comparisons
Year-to-date box office stands around $2.04B, which is:
|
Year |
YTD total |
2023 YTD now: |
2023 YTD after last weekend: |
Trend |
|
2022 |
$1.48B |
+37.1% |
+27.6% |
Up |
|
2019 |
$2.60B |
-21.6% |
-27.2% |
Up |
Top distributors
Grouped by parent company, the YTD leaders are:
-
- Universal + Focus Features: $559.0M
- Disney + 20th Century + Searchlight: $516.9M
- Lionsgate: $237.4M
- Paramount: $225.1M
- MGM + United Artists + Amazon Studios: $180.9M
- Sony Pictures + Sony Classics: $144.9M
- Warner Bros.: $95.9M
Sunday’s Studio Weekend Estimates:
| Title | Estimated weekend | % change | Locations | Location change | Average | Total | Weekend | Distributor |
| The Super Mario Bros. Movie | $146,360,000 | 4,343 | $33,700 | $204,628,865 | 1 | Universal | ||
| John Wick: Chapter 4 | $14,600,000 | -48% | 3,607 | -248 | $4,048 | $147,066,799 | 3 | Lionsgate |
| Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves | $14,500,000 | -61% | 3,856 | 1 | $3,760 | $62,278,000 | 2 | Paramount |
| Air | $14,400,000 | 3,507 | $4,106 | $20,214,000 | 1 | Amazon Studios [MGM + UA] | ||
| Scream VI | $3,315,000 | -38% | 2,286 | -730 | $1,450 | $103,846,000 | 5 | Paramount |
| His Only Son | $3,250,000 | -41% | 1,930 | 10 | $1,684 | $11,044,046 | 2 | Angel Studios |
| Creed III | $2,816,000 | -44% | 2,002 | -825 | $1,407 | $153,272,770 | 6 | United Artists [MGM] |
| Shazam! Fury of the Gods | $1,600,000 | -65% | 2,203 | -1,248 | $726 | $56,603,418 | 4 | Warner Bros. |
| Paint | $750,000 | 819 | $916 | $750,000 | 1 | IFC Films | ||
| A Thousand and One | $600,000 | -67% | 926 | n/c | $648 | $2,960,150 | 2 | Focus Features [Universal] |
| Champions | $510,000 | -27% | 427 | -694 | $1,194 | $15,709,130 | 5 | Focus Features [Universal] |
| “65” | $450,000 | -71% | 815 | -1,298 | $552 | $31,543,922 | 5 | Sony Pictures |
| Jesus Revolution | $410,000 | -61% | 608 | -807 | $674 | $51,733,669 | 7 | Lionsgate |
| Cocaine Bear | $207,000 | -76% | 279 | -885 | $742 | $64,212,890 | 7 | Universal |
| Puss in Boots: The Last Wish | $204,000 | -54% | 251 | -556 | $813 | $185,239,890 | 16 | Universal |
| La Usurpadora | $140,000 | 313 | $447 | $140,000 | 1 | Pantelion Films | ||
| How to Blow Up a Pipeline | $120,479 | 12 | $10,040 | $120,479 | 1 | Neon | ||
| A Good Person | $113,000 | -79% | 337 | -350 | $335 | $2,109,624 | 3 | United Artists |
| Everything Everywhere All At Once | $68,572 | -60% | 129 | -124 | $532 | $77,147,981 | 55 | A24 |
| Showing Up | $66,932 | 4 | $16,733 | $66,932 | 1 | A24 | ||
| Joyland | $21,142 | 1 | $21,142 | $21,142 | 1 | Oscilloscope | ||
| Violent Night | $3,000 | -51% | 25 | 1 | $120 | $50,053,835 | 19 | Universal |
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