Super Mario Bros." Dominates Box Office for Fourth Week, "Are You There God?" Disappoints with $6.8M Debut
In a continued show of dominance, "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" has once again taken the top spot at the box office, grossing an impressive $40 million in its fourth weekend. The film has now accumulated $490 million in North America and an additional $532 million internationally, making it the highest-grossing film of 2023 and the first film of the year to cross $1 billion globally. This feat is even more remarkable considering that only five pandemic-era blockbusters have hit this milestone.
Despite the overwhelming success of "The Super Mario Bros. Movie," several newcomers attempted to make an impact at the box office, including literary adaptation "Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret," Finnish war drama "Sisu," and biopic "Big George Foreman." Of these films, "Margaret" fared the best, opening in third place with $6.8 million from 3,343 North American theaters. However, these ticket sales are lower than expected for the $30 million-budgeted coming-of-age story, which is based on Judy Blume's novel.
David A. Gross, who runs the movie consulting firm Franchise Entertainment Research, notes that "Coming-of-age stories draw bigger audiences when they start to deal with direct romance in the teens years. Thus far, the audience's largest segment is women over 45, who know the book. This is a film about a girl's pre-teen experience, but so far girls are not attending in large numbers." Despite this, "Margaret" has been well received by audiences, earning an "A" CinemaScore and a 99% rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes.
Meanwhile, "Sisu" and "Big George Foreman" failed to resonate with audiences, barely making it into the top 10 at the domestic box office despite playing in thousands of theaters. "Sisu," a well-reviewed war thriller, debuted at No. 10 with $3.2 million from 1,006 venues. The film takes place during the desperate days of WWII in northern Finland and follows a prospector who crosses paths with Nazis on a scorched-earth retreat. "Big George Foreman," a biopic about the world heavyweight boxing champion, opened in 11th place with a dismal $3 million from 3,054 theaters. Despite receiving an "A-" CinemaScore from audiences, it only holds a 45% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
As the summer movie season approaches, it remains to be seen whether any upcoming releases will be able to dethrone "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" from its box office reign. Until then, the film continues to be a powerhouse at the box office, solidifying its place as one of the biggest hits of 2023.
Despite the lukewarm performance of the new releases, the box office continues to show signs of life as more moviegoers feel comfortable returning to theaters amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The success of "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" is a testament to this, with the film holding strong in its fourth weekend and continuing to draw audiences.
The film's success is also a much-needed boost for the struggling movie industry, which has been hit hard by the pandemic. While the box office has slowly started to recover in recent months, it still has a long way to go to reach pre-pandemic levels.
One factor that could help to drive more people back to the movies is the upcoming summer blockbuster season, which traditionally sees the release of some of the biggest and most highly-anticipated movies of the year. However, it remains to be seen whether audiences will be ready to pack theaters again in large numbers.
For now, studios are continuing to adapt to the changing landscape of the movie industry. With more and more people opting to stream movies from home, many studios are choosing to release their films simultaneously in theaters and on streaming platforms.
Despite the challenges facing the industry, there are still plenty of exciting movies on the horizon for moviegoers to look forward to. From big-budget action movies to intimate dramas, there's something for everyone to enjoy on the big screen. And with the success of "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" and other recent box office hits, there's reason to believe that the movie industry will continue to rebound in the coming months and years.
Box office rankings have seen some interesting movements this week, with the highly anticipated biopic of former boxing champion George Foreman receiving mixed reviews. Critics have expressed disappointment that the film does not meet the high standard set by other sports biographies such as "Muhammad Ali" and "Jackie Robinson" in terms of changing the world.
Meanwhile, "Evil Dead Rise" has secured second place in the rankings, with a total of $12.2 million earned from 3,417 theaters. Despite a 50% dip from its debut, the supernatural horror sequel is still generating strong returns and has already grossed $44.4 million in North America and $42 million internationally.
In fourth place is the highly successful "John Wick: Chapter 4," which added $5 million to its impressive total of $176 million domestically and $375 million globally. The action-packed film is the highest-grossing entry in the Keanu Reeves-led franchise, overtaking 2019’s "John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum."
In an unexpected turn, "Star Wars: Return of the Jedi" has returned to the box office after 40 years, taking the fifth spot with roughly $4.7 million from a mere 475 theaters. The film's popularity has remained strong over the years, with several re-releases helping it to gross $311 million in North America and $475 million worldwide.
However, "Polite Society," a genre mashup about two sisters, has failed to impress at the box office, earning a dismal $800,000 from 927 theaters. Despite holding a 91% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the film received a "B+" CinemaScore and struggled to attract audiences.