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The Super Mario Bros. Movie has surpassed all expectations and continues to break records at the box office, making it the biggest video game adaptation in history. The animated adventure has earned a staggering $508.7 million globally, with $260.3 million earned domestically and $248.4 million earned internationally.
The film has become the highest-grossing film of 2023 at both the global and domestic box office, surpassing Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.
The Journey to ‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie’
The film was produced by Universal, Illumination, and Nintendo, with decades of work going into its production.
One reason for the delay in production was Nintendo’s reluctance to return to the Mushroom Kingdom on screen after a 1993 live-action adaptation flopped spectacularly and was derided as one of the worst movies ever made.
Despite this, Illumination, known for producing popular franchises such as Despicable Me and Sing, worked hand-in-hand with Nintendo to ensure the mustachioed plumber and his brother Luigi were given the treatment they deserved.
The collaboration was so close that Illumination’s founder, Chris Meledandri, co-produced the film with Shigeru Miyamoto, the legendary Nintendo designer who created Mario, along with gaming classics like Zelda and Donkey Kong.
The voice cast of the film features Chris Pratt, Charlie Day, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Jack Black, with Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic directing the production.
With a production budget of $100 million, the film is economical for an animated feature. Other animated movies such as Pixar and Disney films often cost twice that figure.
The Unstoppable Box Office Success of ‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie’
The Super Mario Bros. Movie has broken box office records by becoming the highest-grossing video game adaptation ever. It has topped the grosses of popular video game adaptations such as Warcraft and Pokémon: Detective Pikachu.
Furthermore, it is the second biggest animated film since 2019 in worldwide box office terms, coming in ahead of “Demon Slayer: Mugen Train” ($494 million) and behind “Minions: The Rise of Gru” ($942.5 million).
‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie’ Success and Future Prospects
The success of The Super Mario Bros. Movie has resulted in talks of a sequel or spinoff.
The film’s achievements demonstrate the potential of video game adaptations as a viable option for film adaptations.
With video games as one of the fastest-growing industries, it is only natural that studios would attempt to capitalize on their popularity.
The film’s success has shown that this can be done well, provided the film is made with the proper care and attention.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie is a testament to the potential success of these adaptations and serves as a signal for future video game adaptations to come.
