‘The Super Mario Bros Movie’ retained the top spot in North America’s box office one week after its epic debut, as Universal’s popular game-themed animation again trounced all competitors, estimates showed Sunday.
The joint effort of Universal, Nintendo and Illumination studios raked in $87 million in ticket sales in the Friday-through-Sunday period, bringing the movie’s total haul to more than $347 million, according to Exhibitor Relations.
The industry watcher had already predicted ‘Super Mario’ — with its foundation in one of the most popular video games ever — will be the top movie of the year.
Debuting in a very distant second place was Sony’s ‘The Pope’s Exorcist,’ starring Russell Crowe, which earned $9.1 million.
‘This is a solid opening for a modestly-budgeted original horror film,’ said analyst David A. Gross.
Third spot belonged to Lionsgate’s neo-noir ‘John Wick: Chapter 4,’ with $7.9 million bringing the thriller’s four-week North America total to $160 million.
Keanu Reeves stars as the titular hitman who finds himself fighting an international crime group.
Horror-comedy ‘Renfield,’ distributed by Universal, pulled in $7.7 million in its opening weekend to place fourth.
And Amazon Studios’ ‘Air,’ a sports drama about the business deal surrounding Nike and the Michael Jordan basketball shoe that gives the name its title, slipped one spot to fifth, bringing in $7.7 million.