Box Office Update: Mario still Number 1

Last Updated on May 2, 2023

In the final week before the official kick off to the summer movie season, we have a smorgasbord of films that appeal to movie fans of all different backgrounds. Coming in first place for the fourth week is The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which is currently looking at an estimated $30 million, of course anyone that has followed this behemoth of a movie knows that the estimates that come in on early Saturday are generally blown away by the end of the day as families head to theaters in droves on the weekend. Right now the film stands at a little over $450 million domestic which puts it in fourth place on the all time domestic animated charts, but by the end of the weekend it is very possible the film moves up to the number two spot surpassing the $486.2 million taken in by 2016’s Finding Dory. It still has a ways to go before it can take down the all time animated leader at the domestic box office with Incredibles 2’s take of $608.5 million, but anything is possible.

Of the new releases, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret looks to be having the best weekend with what is predicted, for now, to be a $6 million opening. Definitely not the $15 million I was expecting based off of last years comparable opening of Where The Crawdads Sing which was also based on a beloved novel. That film had great word of mouth and remained in the top ten for seven weeks. With week after week of big movies coming up, I am not sure Margaret will have that same longevity, even with solid reviews including an 8/10 from our own JimmyO and an impressive 99% on Rotten Tomatoes.

We do have a potential surprise brewing as the Finnish ultra violent World War II tale Sisu took in $585,000 in Thursday previews, that is just $15,000 less than Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. Right now, Sisu is still only expected to do around $5 million for the weekend, but that is only because it has a limited release of 900 screens, but with great reviews including a rare 10/10 from our own Alex Maidy, combined with a 93% critical score and 90% audience score, it is possible this lean hour and thirty one minute R rated tale can have some legs at the box office.

It looks like there is a fight between three heavyweights this weekend as Sisu, Big George Foreman or Big George Foreman: The Miraculous Story of the Once and Future Heavyweight Champion of the World, as that appears to be its official title and the 40th anniversary re-release of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi are in a dead heat with all expected to do around $5 million this weekend. It seems audiences were more enamored with a fictional boxer’s story than a real one as fellow boxing film Creed III saw a $58.3 million opening just a few months ago. Films that have a faith based angle to them but try to break out to a wider audience, such as this one and 2021’s American Underdog tend to under-perform as opposed to films such as Jesus Revolution that market directly to that base. But I do believe that the story of George Foreman is one that should be seen as he is a truly inspirational and legendary figure in American sports. Sadly critics don’t seem to be enjoying this film as they are calling it a conventional and formulaic sports biopic, however paying audiences have given the film a strong 96% audience score.

The remainder of the charts look to be your holdovers such as Evil Dead Rise that is looking to drop the horror movie standard 60% with an estimated $10 million second weekend while John Wick: Chapter 4 officially becomes the highest grossing John Wick film stateside with $171.5 million taken in since its release while Air and Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant look to have small drop offs.

Have you been to the theaters yet this week or is it still on your list of things to do? Let us know in the comments and don’t forget to check back in with us tomorrow as we have a full rundown on this Weeknd’s box office numbers.