EXCLUSIVE: Illumination/Universal/Nintendo’s Super Mario Bros Movie just landed on tracking this morning ahead of its Easter weekend release, and the animated film is shaping up to make at least $85M-$90M+ over its Wednesday through Sunday launch and that’s on the conservative side.
Given the fervent response by fans to trailers, it would not be shocking to see a triple digit opening for Super Mario over five, however, the accuracy of tracking is still mending from the pandemic.
The pic is currently strong with boy and girls under 12 equally, set to conquer families, and also strong with the videogamer sect of guys under 25.
Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic directed the movie which stars Chris Pratt as Mario, Chris Day as Luigi, Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach, Jack Black as Bowser, Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong, Fred Armisen as Cranky Kong, Keegan-Michael Key as Toad, and Sebastian Maniscalco as Spike.
Best opening ever for an Easter weekend movie over 3 days was 2016’s Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice at $181M. In regards to longer-day starts of late over the holiday frame, Warner Bros.’ Steven Spielberg title Ready Player One did $53.7M in its first four days.
At the end of February, it was announced that Super Mario Bros would open earlier on Wednesday, April 5 instead of Good Friday, April 7. Given how the pic is making its overseas start on Wednesday, it just seemed logical that fans worldwide would share in the big screen comeback of Mario and Luigi.
There was a live-action Touchstone Pictures version of Super Mario Bros in 1993 starring the late Bob Hoskins as Mario and John Leguizamo as Luigi. It did not go well, grossing only $39M WW off a a near $50M production cost, a bomb in its day. One has to expect that the animated version of Mario here in its first day of release at the box office will completely outstrip that pic’s lifetime global take.