Mario and Luigi is about to make another splash at the box office.
“Super Mario Galaxy Movie” is aiming to gross between $175 million and $180 million in its first five days of release. The previous film, 2023’s “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” was so popular that exhibitors and independent tracking services believe initial ticket sales could reach $190 million to $200 million. Like the original, Universal released the family film in 4,000 theaters in North America on Wednesday, where it enjoyed a strong weekend.
At the international box office, “Mario” is expected to generate at least $175 million, with a global box office total of approximately $350 million to $375 million. “Super Mario Galaxy Movie” will easily rank as the year’s biggest debut, surpassing March’s “Project Hail Mary,” which grossed $80.5 million in North America and $140 million worldwide over a traditional three-day weekend.
These are blockbusters, but “Super Mario Galaxy Movie” should rise towards the upper end of expectations as the first film begins. “Super Mario Bros. Movie” grossed an astonishing $204 million at the domestic box office in its five days of release (including $146 million over the traditional weekend), $173 million overseas, and $377 million worldwide. Thanks to the four-quadrant appeal and multi-generational love for Nintendo’s video games, “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” ended up being the second-highest grossing movie of 2023 with $1.3 billion.
“Super Mario Galaxy Movie” cost $110 million to make, not including the studio’s worldwide promotional efforts. Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic return to direct the sequel, which follows the space adventures of Brooklyn-based plumbers known as Mario and Luigi. New and old friends such as Yoshi, Princess Peach, and Toad join Bowser and his son Bowser Jr. as they face off against each other, with voices provided by Chris Pratt as Mario, Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach, Charlie Day as Luigi, Jack Black as Bowser, Keegan-Michael Key as Toad, Donald Glover as Yoshi, and Benny Safdie as Bowser Jr.
Another new release this weekend is A24’s twisted romance tale “The Drama,” starring Zendaya and Robert Pattinson. Buoyed by positive reviews, it’s aiming for a solid launch in the $12 million to $15 million range at 4,000 venues nationwide. This is in line with A24’s blockbuster “The Materialist” ($11.3 million start) and Zendaya’s previous film “Challengers” ($15 million start), which appealed to a similar demographic as “The Drama.” Directed by Christopher Borli, this R-rated film follows a happily engaged couple whose wedding week is derailed by an unexpected revelation. The budget is approximately $28 million.
“Mario” will dominate the domestic box office, defeating reigning champion Amazon MGM’s “Project Hail Mary.” “A Space Odyssey,” starring Ryan Gosling, is expected to gross $30 million in its third weekend of release. So far, the film has grossed $164 million domestically and $300 million worldwide in its 10 days of release. It’s already Amazon’s highest-grossing film in history, surpassing Creed III, which grossed $276 million worldwide in 2023.
