The Super Mario Bros. Movie smashed box office expectations on its opening week, grossing a whopping $377 million globally, the best-ever opening for an animated film. The flick, based on the Nintendo classic video game franchise, raked in a five-day record of $204.6 million domestically. That beats out the previous record holder, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, by more than $4 million. Universal Domestic Distribution Chief Jim Orr celebrated the film’s success Sunday morning, praising the partnership between Nintendo and Illumination that led to “this combustible moment at the worldwide box office,” adding that “audiences of all ages and backgrounds have flocked to theatres to revel in this extraordinary big-screen celebration.” Sixty percent of ticket buyers were aged 18-34, showing the film’s widespread, perhaps nostalgic, appeal.
