There have been so many momentous box office successes in 2023 so far. However, no film this year has enjoyed their financial success like The Super Mario Bros. Movie. The animated adventure based on the iconic video game franchise of the same name released to a ton of fanfare back in April. In the months since it has been the only film to cross the $1 billion mark at the box office. Now, just a few weeks after Super Mario’s Blu-ray debut, Illumination and Nintendo have released a video thanking the fans for the film’s mega success.
The minute long video sees both Mario’s creator Shigeru Miyamoto and Illumination’s Chris Meledandri showing all the love in the Mushroom Kingdom to the fans. Miyamoto highlighted that this was the first film Nintendo ever co-produced while Meledandri keyed in on the fans’ passion. Because of the film’s success there are many new fans of this world-famous Italian plumber. In a world where fans and studios expect films to just make a billion dollars out of nowhere, it’s nice to see both Nintendo and Illumination take the time to say thank you. While the character had a very rabid fan base before the new film’s release, Mario mania is stronger than ever thanks to the high quality and care put into this video game legend’s cinematic return. With Nintendo just announcing the latest Mario game in the series, Super Mario Bros. Wonder, 2023 is officially the biggest year yet for this goomba stomping hero.
Why Was Super Mario Bros. a Success?
The Super Mario Bros. Movie succeeded where other video game adaptations failed. The film embraced who Mario and the world of the Mushroom Kingdom was rather than trying to create something almost unrecognizable with the source material. Nintendo definitely still suffers from traumatic flashbacks caused by the failure that was the 1993 live-action Super Mario Bros. Movie. That drove them to this colorful one to one recreation of the game. The new film is a glowing love letter to Mario’s rich history. From the music to the breathtaking animation to the endless references, this was a near perfect adaptation. The story was very simplistic, but that was never the Mario franchise’s strong suit. The game series has always been about wide-eyed awe-inspiring adventure. That magic is what the film captured in spades, but Mario also had another rare factor in its success. It’s a beloved family franchise that spans multiple generations. More than likely your grandparents played and loved Mario which made everyone, no matter how old or young, rev up their Mario karts to the nearest theater. Also given the film’s breezy, feel good, short runtime Super Mario Bros. was the perfect film for repeat viewings. All this made a unique formula for box office success.
Super Mario Bros. Has Come Home
The Super Mario Bros. Movie is still playing in select theaters, but the film is now available on VOD, 4K Blu-ray, and Blu-ray. The announcement of a Super Mario Bros. 2 is inevitable and, while Illumination fights off Legend of Zelda rumors, you can view their and Nintendo’s sweet thank you video down below.
via Collider