Universal Pictures, Illumination Entertainment, and Nintendo have hit a major milestone with “The Super Mario Bros. Movie.” The animated film has become the first release of the year to surpass $1 billion in box office sales worldwide.
Although the film isn’t expected to cross the coveted threshold until the end of the weekend, Universal is confident enough in its projections to declare victory. The video game adaptation will reach the $1 billion mark in just 26 days since its debut on April 5.
The film has dominated theaters throughout the month, currently ranking as the top release on domestic charts, now in its fourth weekend of release. It looks set to gross around $487.5 million in North America and $533 million internationally, nudging past the $1 billion mark by Monday.
Since the onset of the global COVID pandemic, only three other titles, “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” “Top Gun: Maverick,” and “Avatar: The Way of Water,” have achieved this remarkable feat.
Starring an all-star cast including Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Day, and Jack Black as the voices of the beloved video game characters, “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” follows the adventures of Italian American plumbers Mario and Luigi as they work to save the magical Mushroom Kingdom from the villainous Bowser, king of the Koopas and suitor to the mysterious Princess Peach.
Despite the upcoming summer season having many potential blockbusters on the docket, such as “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3,” “Fast X,” and “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One,” “Mario Bros.” looks set to finish with a formidable global haul that will be tough for any film to top.
