“Barbie,” Starring America Ferrera, Becomes Highest-Grossing Movie of the Year in North America

Posted on August 24, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

America Ferrera is a box office champ…

Barbie, starring the 39-year-old Honduran American Emmy and Golden Globe-winning actress, is officially the highest-grossing movie of the year in North America.Greta Gerwig’s fantasy-comedy, starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, has generated $575.4 million at the domestic box office, overtaking the previous champion, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which has collected $574 million domestically.

Barbie has grossed $1.3 billion globally and will soon surpass The Super Mario Bros. Movie (with $1.35 billion globally) as the biggest worldwide release of 2023 as well.

Only two Hollywood blockbusters this year have crossed the $1 billion mark and, notably, neither were superhero adventures or sequels in popular franchises.

Barbie started its record-breaking theatrical run in July with the best debut of the year ($162 million) and remained the No. 1 movie for four consecutive weekends. It also landed the biggest opening weekend for a film directed by a woman and became the highest-grossing movie directed solely by a woman.

At this point, Barbie is the 14th-biggest domestic release and 20th-biggest global release of all time.

Barbie also recently surpassed Christopher Nolan’s superhero epic The Dark Knight ($536 million) as the highest-grossing domestic release in Warner Bros. history. It could eventually eclipse 2011’s Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 ($1.34 billion) as the studio’s highest-grossing worldwide release in 100 years.

Gerwig, the Oscar-nominated director of Lady Bird and Little Women, co-wrote the screenplay with her partner Noah Baumbach. The cotton candy-colored blockbuster follows the popular doll as she leaves behind the seemingly perfect world of Barbie Land to discover the highs and lows of life in the real world. The cast also includes Issa Rae, Will Ferrell, Kate McKinnon, Simu Liu and Michael Cera.

“Barbie,” Starring America Ferrera & Margot Robbie, Crosses the $1B Mark at Global Box Office

Posted on August 6, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

America Ferrera has a billion reasons to be tickled pink!

Greta Gerwig’s Barbie, starring Margot Robbie and the 39-year-old Honduran American actress has officially crossed $1B global mark in just its third weekend.

Through Sunday, the international box office estimate is an astounding $572.M for $1.031B worldwide.

Showing strength in its third weekend of release, Barbie generated $74M from 20,335 screens in 69 market. Barbie dropped just 41% down from the last frame.

Exceptional holds were seen in numerous markets including Austria (-4%), Taiwan (-8%), Denmark (-9%), Belgium (-14%), Germany (-17%), Holland (-22%), France (-23%), Norway (-23%), Sweden (-23%), Finland (-24%), Hong Kong (-31%), Australia (-34%), Singapore (-35%), and the UK (-38%).

Barbie has also held the No.1 rank in 35 markets and is now the second biggest studio film of 2023 both internationally and globally. Only The Super Mario Bros Movie has crossed $1B this year.

Barbie also boasts the No. I slot for a U.S. movie in 19 markets including Italy, UK, Brazil and Australia.

It’s now the biggest Warner Bros. title ever in 12 markets including Brazil, Australia and Poland.

On her path to move past the $1B mark, Barbie has already surpassed the lifetime grosses of Fast X, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice, and a host more films.

Across Europe, holds are strong with a 30% dip while Latin America now boasts the biggest WB title ever.

Peacock to Premiere Anya Taylor-Joy’s “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” in August

Posted on July 6, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Anya Taylor-Joy will be bringing peachy vibes to Peacock later this summer.

The streamer will premiere The Super Mario Bros. Movie, starring the 27-year-old Argentine American Golden Globe-winning actress as Princess Peach, on August 3rd.

Following a hugely successful run in theaters, the Universal and Illumination film will stream exclusively on the platform.

It will be joined on the streamer by behind-the-scenes cast interviews, as well as an immersive “Field Guide” expanding the film through bonus features, and a lyric video for a song sung by Princess Peach (Taylor-Joy).

The highest-grossing video game adaptation of all time, as well as the third-highest grossing animated film in history, and the top-grossing title of the year to date, The Super Mario Bros. Movie racked up over $1.3B upon its April debut in theaters, also scoring $75M+ on PVOD as of early last month, as Universal disclosed to the New York Times.

The film based on Shigeru Miyamoto’s beloved Nintendo games tells the story of two Brooklyn plumbers who are brothers and best friends: Mario (Chris Pratt), the brave one with the “let’s-a go” attitude, and the perpetually anxious Luigi (Charlie Day), who would prefer to go nowhere. We open with the Super Mario Brothers reckoning with their struggling plumbing business, and wind up in a whirlwind adventure through Mushroom Kingdom. Through their journey, we meet a cast of familiar, lovable characters, ultimately uniting together to defeat the power-hungry villain, Bowser (Jack Black).

Directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic, from a script by Matthew Fogel, the film also stars Keegan-Michael Key, Seth Rogen, Fred Armisen, Sebastian Maniscalco, Kevin Michael Richardson, Khary Payton and Charles Martinet. Illumination’s Chris Meledandri produced alongside Miyamoto.

“Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” Featuring Oscar Isaac, Opens with $120.5 Million U.S. Box Office Haul

Posted on June 4, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Oscar Isaac is slinging his way to the top of the box office…

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, featuring the 44-year-old Cuban-Guatemalan actor as Miguel O’Hara aka Spider-Man 2099, earned a stellar $120.5 million in its domestic box office debut.

The film beat expectations to land the second-biggest opening weekend of the year, behind only The Super Mario Bros. Movie with $146 million, as well as the third-biggest opening weekend for any Spider-Man film.

Sony’s animated sequel is benefitting from great reviews and positive word-of-mouth, as well as goodwill from its predecessor, 2018’s Oscar-winning Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.

Initial ticket sales were significantly higher than the first film, which introduced audiences to Miles Morales and the idea that “anyone can wear the mask” and opened to just $35.5 million. But it proved to have enduring appeal and stuck around in theaters for a while, ending its run with $190 million in North America and $384 million globally.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse earned another $88.1 million from 59 territories in its international box office debut, led by China with $17.3 million. That brings its worldwide total to $208.6 million to start.

“This is an exceptionally good opening for an animation follow-up sequel,” says David A. Gross, who runs the movie consulting firm Franchise Entertainment Research. “Spider-Verse took a well-liked superhero, gave the storytelling an original visual style and voice and created a unique experience.”

Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers and Justin K. Thompson directed the PG-rated Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, which cost $100 million.

The story follows Miles and Gwen Stacy (a.k.a. Spider-Woman) as they attempt to save their fellow Spider People from the villain who goes by the name the Spot. Shameik Moore and Hailee Steinfeld returned to voice Miles and Gwen, while the rest of the voice cast includes Brian Tyree Henry, Issa Rae, Jason Schwartzman, Daniel Kaluuya and Isaac. Lauren Velez voices the character of Rio Morales, Miles’ mom.

Audiences awarded the film an “A” CinemaScore while critics bestowed it with a 95% average on Rotten Tomatoes.

Anya Taylor-Joy’s “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” Towers Over Global Box Office Charts with $366 Million in Ticket Sales

Posted on April 10, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Everything’s peachy for Anya Taylor-Joy…

The Super Mario Bros. Movie, starring the 26-year-old Argentine American Golden Globe-winning actress, towered over box office charts with $377 million in global ticket sales, taking the title for the biggest worldwide debut of the year from Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania ($225.3 million).

The animated film — a collaboration between Illumination, Nintendo and Universal — crushed already-high expectations, igniting to $173 million internationally and $204 million in its first five days at the domestic box office.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie opened in 70 overseas territories, including Mexico ($27.4 million), the U.K. and Ireland ($19.6 million), Germany ($14 million), China ($12 million), France ($10.4 million), Spain ($8.6 million) and Australia ($8.3 million).

With those ticket sales, The Super Mario Bros. Movie landed several overseas records, including the best international debut of the year and second-biggest animated opening of all time (behind Frozen 2 with $228.2 million). It also scored the biggest animated opening in 11 individual markets, as well as the best start for a video game adaptation in 42 individual markets.

“It’s a phenomenal number all around,” says Veronika Kwan Vandenberg, president of distribution for Universal Pictures International. “The film is based on incredible IP, which is beloved by people of different generations– young and old. This is great news for the industry.”

In addition to brand recognition and nostalgia for the popular video game, the film benefitted from positive word-of-mouth, premium theatrical formats and a months-long lack of movies targeted at family audiences.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie particularly delivered in Imax, bringing in $5 million overseas and $21.6 million globally. Those ticket sales rank as the highest animated debut ever for the company in 22 markets, including Ireland and the UK, Germany, Sweden and Netherlands.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie features the voices of Chris Pratt as Mario, Charlie Day as Luigi, Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach and Jack Black as Bowser.

Directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic, the story follows the mustachioed plumber and friends as they prepare to stop the all-powerful King Koopa from world domination.

Anya Taylor-Joy’s “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” To Open Earlier Than Expected, on April 5

Posted on February 28, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Anya Taylor-Joy’s super launch will begin sooner than expected.

Illumination Entertainment/Universal’ film The Super Mario Bros. Movie, starring the 26-year-old Argentine American actress, will open around the world on Wednesday, April 5, before Easter weekend.

The film had been set for Good Friday, April 7.

In what arguably could be one of the biggest openings of the spring, the animated film featuring Chris Pratt, Chris Day, Taylor-Joy, Seth Rogen, Jack Black, et al., is going earlier to capitalize on spring breaks stateside and so that fans can experience it around the globe at the same time.

Directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic, the film will launch in more than 60 markets on its opening day.

Ten markets for Super Mario Bros. in Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Eastern Europe are opening on a variety of dates in April and May including Japan, where it will open on April 28 timed to the Golden Week holidays.

Should this film open big it will be a huge win for Nintendo on the big screen. The last Super Mario Bros movie in 1993 — a live-action adaptation of the hit videogame franchise released by Buena Vista and starring the late Bob Hoskins as Mario and John Leguizamo as Luigi — was expected to be a summer tentpole back then, but tanked off a mid-$40M production cost with a global gross near $39M.

This Super Mario Bros animated film is produced by Illumination founder and CEO Chris Meledandri and by Shigeru Miyamoto for Nintendo, and was co-financed by Universal Pictures and Nintendo.

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