NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� It's still Mario Time at the box office.
led ticket sales for the fourth straight weekend in U.S. and Canadian theaters with $40 million as the global haul for the Universal Pictures release surpassed $1 billion, according to studio estimates Sunday.
The Nintendo videogame adaptation dominated the month of April in theaters, smashing records along the way. Over the weekend, it faced little new competition, though that will change next week when Marvel's kicks off and is expected to move Mario to the side. Studios spent the last week promoting coming blockbusters and promising big returns at the summer box office.
鈥淭he Super Mario Bros. Movie" was estimated to easily cross $1 billion in worldwide box office Sunday, making it the 10th animated film to reach that milestone and the first since 2019. With a domestic total thus far of $490 million, international sales are even stronger. The Illumination-animated release took in $68.3 million overseas over the weekend, pushing its international haul to $532.5 million.
Second place went to The horror sequel from Warner Bros. held well in its second week, especially for a horror film, dipping 50% with $12.2 million.
Among the weekend's newcomers, the adaptation fared the best. The Lionsgate release grossed $6.8 million in 3,343 locations, a decent start for the $30 million-budgeted coming-of age tale written and directed by Kelly Fremon Craig ("The Edge of Seventeen").
As expected, 鈥淎re You There God? It's Me, Margaret," about an 11-year-old (Abby Ryder Fortson) going through puberty, drew an overwhelming female audience. With stellar reviews (99% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes) and strong audience scores (an 鈥淎鈥� CinemaScore), 鈥淎re You There God? It's Me Margaret,鈥� should play well through Mother's Day.
Lionsgate also released the Finnish action movie in 1,006 locations. The film, about a prospector (Jorma Tommila) whose gold is stolen by Nazis, grossed an estimated $3.3 million. That was a solid result for the rare international film to receive a nationwide opening. Reviews have been good (93% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes) for writer-director Jalmari Helander's film.
鈥沦颈蝉耻鈥� managed to surpass the weekend's most heavyweight new release: The film, from Sony's Christian production company Affirm Films, gives a faith-based twist to the sports biopic. But after getting dinged by bad review, it didn't punch very hard, with $3 million in 3,054 theaters.
Nida Manzoor's about a British-Pakistani high-schooler (Priya Kansara) with dreams of becoming a stuntwoman, debuted with $800,000 in 927 theaters. The Focus Features film, one of the standouts of January's Sundance Film Festival, blends kung-fu with Jane Austen in a story about London sisters.
One of the weekend鈥檚 biggest successes was a familiar box-office force. The Walt Disney Co.鈥檚 rerelease of 鈥淪tar Wars: Return of the Jedi鈥� grossed $4.7 million in just 475 theaters. Disney put 鈥淛edi鈥� (the 1997 special edition version) back into theaters to commemorate the 1983 film鈥檚 40th anniversary.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1. 鈥淭he Super Mario Bros. Movie,鈥� $40 million.
2. 鈥淓vil Dead Rise,鈥� $12.2 million.
3. 鈥淎re You There, God? It's Me, Margaret,鈥� $6.8 million.
4. 鈥淛ohn Wick: Chapter 4,鈥� $5 million.
5. 鈥淪tar Wars: Return of the Jedi,鈥� $4.7 million.
6. 鈥淒ungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves,鈥� $4.1 million.
7. 鈥淎ir,鈥� $4 million.
8. 鈥淧onniyin Selvan: Part Two,鈥� $3.6 million.
9. 鈥淭he Covenant,鈥� $3.6 million.
10. 鈥淪isu,鈥� $3.3 million.
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Jake Coyle, The Associated Press
