Super Mario Bros. Races Past $1 Billion At Global Box Office

Illumination and Nintendo are Goomba stompin' all the way to the bank.

It's official: "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" has crossed $1 billion at the global box office. Variety confirmed the news on Sunday, revealing that the animated flick has grossed $490 million domestically and over $530 million internationally. In its fourth week, the film brought home $40 million domestically.

The film continues to hold strong, with Deadline confirming that the film suffered a meager 33% drop. This is the best fourth weekend ever for an animated film, usurping "Incredibles 2's" $28.4 million haul from 2018. Could "Mario" become the highest-grossing animated film of all time domestically? It'll need to face off against "Incredible 2's" mighty $608 million total. Some pundits are saying the film could peak at $570 million, while others are optimistic that the film could crush records, potentially touching $640 million. With strong legs and repeat views, it's likely "Mario" will sit on Mr. Incredible's throne. 

International numbers for "Mario" were boosted to $68.3 million thanks to debuts in South Korea and Mario's native Japan. Thanks to Japan's Golden Week, the animated juggernaut debuted to $14.3 million in Japan. As the holiday continues, expect even more positive numbers to come out of the country.

"The Super Mario Bros. Movie" is the first 2023 release to hit $1 billion at the global box office. It's also the fifth film to break the billion-dollar wall during the pandemic era, joining the likes of "Avatar: The Way of Water," "Top Gun: Maverick," "Spider-Man: No Way Home," and "Jurassic World Dominion." For Mario voice actor Chris Pratt, this is a great weekend. "Mario" is the American actor's third billion-dollar franchise, a roster that includes Marvel and "Jurassic World." Should "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" crack $1 billion at the box office, Pratt will have nothing short of a great 2023.

The success of the film is nothing but monumental for Universal Pictures, who has another mega-hit franchise on their hands. The studio has done well this past year with horror flicks like "M3GAN" and "Cocaine Bear. As it stands, they're the reigning champs of 2023 and it's not even close. If "Fast X," "Oppenheimer," and "The Exorcist" break out above expectations, they could replicate their admirable reign from 2015, which boasted hitmakers like "Jurassic World," "Minions," and "Furious 7."

The real winner, in all this, is Illumination. "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" is the third film from the animation studio to cross a billion, joining "Minions" and "Despicable Me 3." Should "Mario" perform per expectations and end its run near $1.2 billion, it will be their highest-grossing film. Of course, pundits are hoping that "Mario" can stomp its way to $1.5 billion, which would make it the highest-grossing animated film of all time, beating "Frozen 2." 

While it remains to be seen if the Nintendo and Illumination crossover can make history, the folks behind "Mario" should rest easy knowing it's the highest-grossing video game adaptation of all time.