The Super Mario Bros. Movie has broken a box office record in Japan for an animated movie made outside the country. Based on the beloved Nintendo character, The Super Mario Bros. Movie is an adaptation of the Mario game franchise by American animation company Illumination. The movie has seen global success, earning $1.279 billion worldwide at the time of writing.
Now, Variety reports The Super Mario Bros. Movie made $71 million in Japan during its first 31 days in theaters. These earnings make The Super Mario Bros. Movie the quickest film produced outside Japan to earn that much money at Japan’s box office. Its current cumulative box office in the country stands at $71.7 million.
Why The Mario Movie Is A Global Success
The Super Mario Bros. Movie‘s performance in Japan is likely aided by the Mario franchise originating from the country. Even so, the film has proven itself a success even at the domestic box office, where it sits at $560.94 million at the time of writing. Recently, The Super Mario Bros. Movie broke a record for highest-grossing movie with a rotten score on Rotten Tomatoes, a testament to just how huge the film is.
While some have criticized the movie for having shallow characters and a lackluster plot, The Super Mario Bros. Movie has also been praised for its faithfulness to the Mario games. The movie is jam-packed with Easter eggs from Mario’s many decades of adventure, which eagle-eyed viewers can pick up on as they watch the film. The Super Mario Bros. Movie is also a family film that delivers on promises of an adventure starring the titular plumber.
The success of The Super Mario Bros. Movie also opens the door for other Nintendo properties to get an animated film treatment. It’s possible the film’s success will lead to a movie adaptation of The Legend of Zelda, another incredibly popular game franchise from Nintendo. With The Super Mario Bros. Movie breaking records in Japan, it’s only a matter of time before another animated movie based on a Nintendo game is announced.
Source: Variety
