Super Mario Bros. movie tops $1 billion at global box office

Nintendo’s video game adaptation dominated April in theaters, shattering records along the way.

Over the weekend it faced little new competition, though that will change next week when Marvel’s Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol 3 kicks off the summer movie schedule and is expected to move Mario to the side.

The studios spent the last week at CinemaCon in Las Vegas promoting upcoming blockbusters and promising big summer box office returns.

The Super Mario Bros. movie was estimated to easily cross $1 billion at the worldwide box office on Sunday, making it the 10th animated film to reach that milestone and the first since 2019.

With a domestic total to date of $490m (£389.7m), international sales are even stronger.

Illumination’s animated outing grossed $68.3m (£54.3m) overseas over the weekend, taking its international haul to $532.5m (£423.5m). pounds sterling).

Second place goes to Evil Dead Rise.

Warner Bros’ horror sequel held its second week well, especially for a horror movie, plunging 50 per cent to $12.2m (£9.7m).

Among the novelties of the weekend, the adaptation of Judy Blume Are You There God? It’s me, Margaret did the best.

The Lionsgate release grossed $6.8m (£5.4m) from 3,343 locations, a strong start for the $30m budget coming-of-age tale written and directed by Kelly Fremon Craig (The Edge Of Seventeen).

As expected, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, about an 11-year-old girl (Abby Ryder Fortson) going through puberty, attracted a predominantly female audience.

With stellar reviews (99% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes) and solid audience scores (an “A” CinemaScore), Are You There God? It’s me Margaret should play well on Mother’s Day.

Lionsgate also released Finnish action film Sisu in 1,006 locations.

The film, about a prospector (Jorma Tommila) whose gold is stolen by the Nazis, made around $3.3m (£2.6m).

It was a solid result for the rare international film to receive a domestic opening.

Reviews have been good (93% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes) for writer-director Jalmari Helander’s film.

Sisu managed to top the heaviest new release of the weekend: Big George Foreman: The Miraculous Story of the Former and Future Heavyweight Champion of the World.

The film, from Christian production company Sony Affirm Films, puts a religious spin on the sports biopic.

But after receiving poor reviews it didn’t hit very hard, grossing $3m (£2.38m) from 3,054 cinemas.

Nida Manzoor’s The Polite Society, about a British-Pakistani high school girl (Priya Kansara) dreaming of becoming a stuntwoman, debuted with $800,000 (£636,241) from 927 cinemas.

The Focus Features film, one of the stars of the Sundance film festival in January, mixes kung fu with Jane Austen in a story about London sisters.

One of the biggest hits of the weekend was a familiar force at the box office.

The Walt Disney Company’s re-release of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi has grossed $4.7m (£3.73m) from just 475 cinemas.

Disney returned Jedi (the 1997 Special Edition) to theaters to commemorate the 1983 film’s 40th anniversary.

– Estimated Friday-Sunday ticket sales at US and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final national figures will be released on Monday.

1. The Super Mario Bros movie, $40 million.

2. Evil Dead Rise, $12.2 million.

3. Are you there, God? It’s me, Margaret, $6.8 million.

4. John Wick: Chapter 4, $5 million.

5. Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, $4.7 million.

6. Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Thieves, $4.1 million.

7. Air, $4 million.

8. Ponniyin Selvan: Part Two, $3.6 million.

9. The Covenant, $3.6 million.

10. Sisu, $3.3 million.