It was a big weekend for animated cinema around the globe, as Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Columbia Pictures) built on its promising domestic theatrical preview through a three-day take of $120.5 million. The critically acclaimed and audience approved superhero adventure also enjoyed swinging success internationally, pulling in $88.1M from overseas territories for a worldwide opening of $208.6M — Sony Pictures Animation’s biggest debut ever.
The sequel exceeded projections and wound up pulling nearly three times what its groundbreaking precedent, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, did in many markets. One exception is in China, which this round led the overseas fervor with rave rating scores, including the highest ever marks for a Marvel movie on Douban at 8.9, and a weekend take of $17.3M. Rounding out the top five markets are Mexico ($11.6M), the U.K. ($11.5M), Australia ($5.3M), Brazil and France ($3.7M in each).
Across the Spider-Verse is open in 59 markets, with Japan and Korea launching the pic later this month.
The film’s multiverse of eye candy and interdimensional action also proved a huge pull for IMAX, securing Across the Spider-Verse as the format’s second biggest global animation opening ever with $20M worldwide ($6.5M international).
And the No. 1 animated IMAX animated opening? That would be this spring’s super smash hit The Super Mario Bros. Movie ($21.6M). Speaking of this Easter egg-littered romp through one of video game history’s most beloved franchises, the Illumination and Nintendo production released by Universal Pictures hit another milestone this weekend, hitting $1.3 billion in worldwide box office to take its place as the second-highest grossing animated film of all time.
Super Mario usurps the place previously held by Disney’s Oscar-winning fair tale favorite Frozen ($1.28B), and is closely chasing its sequel, Frozen II, which holds the top spot with $1.45B. The plumber brothers’ adventure through the pipes opened in theaters on April 5, raking in $204M in just five days, making it the biggest opening weekend of the year and second-biggest animated debut ever.
With $566M domestically and $733.9M internationally — and the only film so far this year to cross the billion dollar mark — The Super Mario Bros. Movie is currently the highest grossing domestic and international performer of 2023. Featuring a star-studded cast, the pic overcame some critical and fanbase skepticism to become not only the biggest hit yet for Illumination (Despicable Me, Minions, Sing) but the most successful video game adaptation of all time.
Top 5 – Domestic (June 2-4)
- Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse — $120.5M
- The Little Mermaid (Disney) — $40.6M / cume $185.2M
- The Boogeyman (20th Century/Disney) — $12.3M
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (Marvel/Disney) — $10.2M / $322.7M
- Fast X (Universal) — $9.2M / $128.5M
Top 5 – Worldwide
- Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse –$88.1M
- The Little Mermaid — $42.3M / $140.5M (global: $326.7M)
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 — $12.4M / $457.4M ($780.1M)
- The Boogeyman — $7.7M
- Fast X — $41.4M / $474.8M ($603.3M, No. 3 film of 2023)
[Sources: BoxOfficeMojo, Deadline, Variety]
