Weekend Box Office: SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE Becomes the First Billion-Dollar Release of 2023

Photo Credits: Universal ("The Super Mario Bros. Movie"); Lionsgate ("Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret."); Sony / AFFIRM ("Big George Foreman")

The Super Mario Bros. Movie

Weekend

Universal’s animated video game adaptation easily repeated in first place, declining only -33% to $40.0M, the #7 fourth weekend of all time.

It had previously earned the:

  • #32 “traditional” three-day opening weekend of all time ($146.3M)
  • #17 five-day start of all time, since it opened on a Wednesday instead of a Friday ($204.6M)
  • #7 sophomore weekend of all time ($92.3M)
  • #7 third weekend of all time ($59.9M)
  • Now, the #7 fourth weekend of all time, behind only:
  1. American Sniper ($89.2M)
  2. Avatar ($50.3M)
  3. Avatar: The Way of Water ($45.8M)
  4. Top Gun: Maverick ($44.6M)
  5. Star Wars: The Force Awakens ($42.3M)
  6. Black Panther ($40.8M)

(Even then, Sniper’s ostensible “fourth weekend” was actually its first in wide release, as its first three frames were limited.)

Mario also now earns the #1 animated fourth weekend of all time.

Among animated films specifically, it had previously earned the:

  •  #3 animated opening weekend of all time, behind 2019’s The Lion King ($191.7M) and 2018’s Incredibles 2 ($182.6M)
  • #1 animated sophomore frame of all time, beating the prior record holder, 2019’s Frozen II with $86.0M
  • #1 animated third frame of all time, beating the prior record holder, 2018’s Incredibles 2 with $46.4M
  • Now, the #1 animated fourth frame of all time, beating the prior record holder, 2018’s Incredibles 2 with $28.4M

Domestic total

With $490.0M to date domestically, Mario is currently the highest-grossing movie during 2023 so far.

It ranks far ahead of December 2022 holdover Avatar: The Way of Water ($257.4M during the calendar year) and February’s Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania ($212.9M).

Mario also ranks as the #19 biggest film of all time.

Among animated films specifically, it ranks #3 all time domestically, behind only:

  1. 2018’s Incredibles 2 ($608.5M)
  2. 2019’s The Lion King ($543.6M)

Among post-pandemic films, it ranks #4 all time domestically, behind only:

  1. 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home ($814.1M)
  2. 2022’s Top Gun: Maverick ($718.7M)
  3. 2022’s Avatar: The Way of Water ($683.8M)

Overseas / global total

This weekend overseas, Mario declined -33% to $68.1M, exactly the same as its -33% domestic drop.

Mario has earned $532.4M overseas and $1.02B globally. That makes it by far the top global release of 2023 so far, far ahead of runner-up Quantumania ($474.5M).

Mario currently ranks as the #49 film of all time globally.

It’s also the #11 animated title of all time globally, behind:

  1. 2019’s The Lion King ($1.66B)
  2. 2019’s Frozen II ($1.45B)
  3. 2013’s Frozen ($1.28B)
  4. 2018’s Incredibles 2 ($1.24B)
  5. 2015’s Minions ($1.15B)
  6. 2019’s Toy Story 4 ($1.07B)
  7. 2010’s Toy Story 3 ($1.06B)
  8. 2017’s Despicable Me 3 ($1.03B)
  9. 2016’s Finding Dory ($1.029B)
  10. 2016’s Zootopia ($1.025B)

Among post-pandemic films, it ranks #4 all time globally, behind only:

  1. 2022’s Avatar: The Way of Water ($2.31B)
  2. 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home ($1.92B)
  3. 2022’s Top Gun: Maverick ($1.49B)

Evil Dead Rise

Last weekend, Warner Bros.’ horror sequel “rose” to $24.5M in second place.

That was above Boxoffice PRO’s pre-release projection, which was in the $13M to $18M range.

However, it debuted -5% below the franchise’s last installment, 2013’s Evil Dead ($25.7M).

Now in its sophomore frame, Rise falls -50% to $12.2M, repeating in second place.

That sophomore drop is steeper than 2022’s The Black Phone (-48%), but milder than 2013’s Evil Dead (-63%).

This weekend overseas, Rise declined only -29%, much less than its -50% domestic drop.

Rise has earned $42.1M overseas and $86.5M globally. It’s potentially closing in on 2013’s Evil Dead with a $99.0M global total.

Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.

Lionsgate’s coming-of-age comedy opened to $6.8M in third place.

That’s below Boxoffice PRO’s pre-release projection, which was in the $9M to $17M range.

But it was +43% above the opening for 2016’s similar adolescence-themed The Edge of Seventeen, also written and directed by Kelly Fremon Craig.

Margaret’s audience was an estimated 81% female (no surprise there) and also an identical 81% ages 25+.

In other words, the audience seemed to primarily be fans of Judy Blume’s original 1970 novel through the decades, more so than girls approximately the protagonist Margaret’s actual age: 11.

John Wick: Chapter 4

Now in its sixth frame, Lionsgate’s R-rated action thriller declined only -14% to $5.0M and fourth place, helped in part by a return to 222 IMAX screens.

With $176.1M total, Chapter 4 finally exceeded third installment Parabellum’s $171.0M total last Thursday. Through the equivalent point in release, it’s running +13% ahead.

Chapter 4 has already far exceeded the totals of both the first ($43.0M) and second installments ($92.0M).

Read Boxoffice PRO’s interview with director Chad Stahelski here:

https://www.boxofficepro.com/no-way-back-one-way-out-chad-stahelski-brings-john-wick-back-to-the-post-pandemic-big-screen/ 

Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (40th anniversary re-release)

Disney’s re-release of one of the highest-grossing films of all time “returned” with $4.6M in fifth place.

The film screened in only 475 theaters, less than one-sixth the widest releases in the marketplace, earning a $9,882 per-theater average.

While that $4.6M opening is much less than the $22.4M for 2012’s 3D re-release of 1999’s Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, the per-theater average is actually slightly higher than Menace’s $8,463.

Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant

Last weekend, MGM’s war action drama starring Jake Gyllenhaal opened with $6.2M in third place.

That was on the higher end of Boxoffice PRO’s pre-release projection, which was in the $3M to $7M range.

Now in its sophomore frame, the film falls -43% to $3.6M and seventh place.

That’s a milder sophomore drop than many of titular director Ritchie’s prior adult-skewing action films:

  • March’s Operation Fortune: Ruse de guerre (-59%)
  • 2021’s Wrath of Man (-55%)
  • January 2020’s The Gentlemen (-47%)
  • 2017’s King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (-53%)
  • 2015’s The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (-45%)

It’s also milder than for several other comparable adult-oriented action titles from the past year or so:

  • 2022’s Ambulance, also starring Gyllenhaal (-53%)
  • January’s Plane (-49%)
  • 2022’s Beast (-58%)

Sisu

Lionsgate’s R-rated World War II action thriller debuted with $3.2M in eighth place.

That’s on the lower end of Boxoffice PRO’s pre-release projection, which was in the $3M to $6M range.

Sisu earned its debut figure despite only playing in 1,006 theaters, less than one-third of the widest releases in the marketplace.

While it’s actual opening weekend gross is less, as a result, its $3,230 per-theater average opening per-theater average is in the same range as:

  • March’s 65 ($3,621)
  • 2022’s Violent Night ($3,653)
  • 2021’s The Forever Purge ($4,114)
  • 2022’s Beast ($3,093)

Big George Foreman

Sony Pictures’ faith-based boxing biopic wasn’t exactly a knockout, with a $3.0M debut in ninth place.

That’s on the lowest end of Boxoffice PRO’s pre-release projection, which was in the $3M to $6M range.

That’s also below some other post-pandemic faith-based sports titles:

  • -48% below 2021’s American Underdog ($5.8M)
  • -44% below 2022’s Father Stu ($5.4M)

Weekend comparisons

Total box office this weekend came in around $90.2M, which is:

Weekend

Total

This weekend is:

Notes

Last weekend

$125,042,659

-27%

The Super Mario Bros. Movie led, third frame ($59.9M)

Same weekend in 2022

$66,904,036

+34%

The Bad Guys led, second frame ($16.2M)

Same weekend in 2019

$402,087,399

-77%

Avengers: Endgame led ($357.1M)

YTD comparisons

Year-to-date box office stands around $2.58B, which is:

Year

YTD total

2023 YTD now:

2023 YTD after last weekend:

Trend

2022

$1.88B

+36.8%

+37.8%

Down

2019

$3.39B

-23.9%

-16.2%

Down

Top distributors

Grouped by parent company, the YTD leaders are:

  1. Universal + Focus Features: $862.9M
  2. Disney + 20th Century + Searchlight: $526.7M
  3. Lionsgate: $276.9M
  4. Paramount: $255.3M
  5. MGM + United Artists + Amazon Studios: $219.4M
  6. Sony Pictures + Sony Classics + Crunchyroll: $175.7M
  7. Warner Bros.: $141.3M

Disney looks poised to likely retake the lead in May, thanks to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and The Little Mermaid.


Sunday’s Studio Weekend Estimates:

Title  Estimated weekend  % change Locations Location change Average  Total  Weekend Distributor
The Super Mario Bros. Movie $40,000,000 -33% 4,204 -146 $9,515 $490,016,000 4 Universal
Evil Dead Rise $12,200,000 -50% 3,417 15 $3,570 $44,416,195 2 Warner Bros.
Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. $6,800,000   3,343   $2,034 $6,800,000 1 Lionsgate
John Wick: Chapter 4 $5,000,000 -14% 2,481 -204 $2,015 $176,155,296 6 Lionsgate
Star Wars Ep. VI: Return of the Jedi (40th anniversary) $4,694,000   475   $9,882 $313,841,064   20th Century Studios [Disney]
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves $4,100,000 -25% 2,709 -251 $1,513 $88,160,000 5 Paramount
Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant $3,615,081 -43% 2,631 20 $1,374 $12,294,044 2 MGM
Sisu $3,250,000   1,006   $3,231 $3,250,000 1 Lionsgate
Big George Foreman $3,000,000   3,054   $982 $3,000,000 1 Sony Pictures
The Pope’s Exorcist $1,750,000 -49% 1,950 -1,228 $897 $18,001,707 3 Sony Pictures
Beau is Afraid $1,432,715 -46% 2,125 1,160 $674 $5,641,248 3 A24
Renfield $1,269,550 -61% 1,900 -1,478 $668 $16,334,000 3 Universal
Polite Society $800,000   927   $863 $800,000 1 Focus Features [Universal]
Chevalier $625,000 -59% 1,281 6 $488 $2,778,053 2 Searchlight [Disney]
Suzume $535,000 -67% 440 -1,730 $1,216 $9,754,264 3 Sony Pictures
Nefarious $530,000 -16% 333 -424 $1,592 $3,373,888 3 SDG
Scream VI $230,000 -54% 276 -327 $833 $108,117,000 8 Paramount
Showing Up $78,590 -35% 115 30 $683 $552,271 4 A24
Avatar: The Way of Water $71,000 -88% 110 -810 $645 $683,946,614 20 20th Century [Disney]
Wild Life $56,318 10% 13 -1 $4,332 $187,864 3 National Geographic Films
Champions $54,000 -40% 87 -22 $621 $16,265,930 8 Focus Features [Universal]
The Eight Mountains $36,000   2   $18,000 $36,000 1 Janus Films
Joyland $33,510 -13% 30 22 $1,117 $134,298 4 Oscilloscope
Other People’s Children $14,895 18% 7 4 $2,128 $35,007 2 Music Box Films
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania $13,000 -33% 40 n/c $325 $212,973,787 11 Walt Disney
A Thousand and One $9,000 -63% 12 -21 $750 $3,395,515 5 Focus Features
R.M.N. $5,800   2   $2,900 $5,800 1 IFC Films
Photo Credits: Universal ("The Super Mario Bros. Movie"); Lionsgate ("Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret."); Sony / AFFIRM ("Big George Foreman")

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