The link between Hollywood and video games is complicated. Some gamers even consider the term “video game movie” to be pejorative because of the studios’ repeated failures to successfully adapt games for the big screen. Despite the many failures, several films based on video games have found success.
Super Mario Bros. Movie makes $1B
Studio projections on Sunday put the worldwide total for “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” at over $1 billion, with the film’s fourth weekend in the top spot in North American theatres grossing $40 million.
The movie based on the Nintendo game was the most grossing at the box office in April. Little new competition arose over the weekend, but next week’s release of Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3” will likely push Mario to the sidelines as it kicks off the summer movie season. Studios spent the previous week advertising upcoming blockbusters and guaranteeing huge returns at the summer box office at CinemaCon in Las Vegas.
On Sunday, “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” is expected to become the 10th animated film and the first since 2019 to gross over $1 billion at the international box office. Domestic revenues of $490 million are impressive, but the company’s success outside has been even more remarkable. Overseas earnings for the Illumination film increased to $532.5 million after a weekend of $68.3 million.
In second place was “Evil Dead Rise.” Warner Bros.’ horror sequel performed well for a second week, keeping $12.2 million in the bank despite a 50% drop.
“Are You There God?,” an adaptation of a novel by Judy Blume, is one of the new releases this weekend. The most successful was “It’s Me, Margaret.” A solid start for Kelly Fremon Craig’s (“The Edge of Seventeen”) $30 million-budgeted coming-of-age drama, which Lionsgate released in 3,343 theatres and made $6.8 million.
To no one’s surprise, “Are You There, God?” The audience for the play “It’s Me, Margaret,” which featured Abby Ryder Fortson as a puberty-afflicted 11-year-old, was mostly female. “Are You There God?” has a “A” CinemaScore and 99% “fresh” ratings on Rotten Tomatoes. It’s Me, Margaret” is certain to be a hit all the way up to Mother’s Day.
The Finnish action film “Sisu” was also distributed by Lionsgate in 1,006 theatres. An estimated $3.3 million was made from the story of a prospector (Jorma Tommila) whose gold is taken by the Nazis. For an international picture, having a statewide release is quite unusual, so that’s a good showing. The film that Jalmari Helander wrote and directed has received positive reviews.
