Thirty years after a movie adaptation of its beloved character Super Mario tanked at the box office, Nintendo decided to try again.
Since its March release, the film has grossed more than $1.2 billion, which erases potential regrets it had about its decision.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie's excellent performance has understandably gotten plenty of admirers in the entertainment industry. One of them is Sony Group Chairman and CEO Kenichiro Yoshida, who revealed he was an avid fan of the games and that he played it intensely over 30 years ago.
Yoshida stated that Super Mario is "a beautiful & wonderful IP" and that he went to see the movie presumably at a cinema.
Yoshida's comments came during Sony's recent corporate strategy meeting where he pointed at the Mario character and IP's longevity as something they should be striving towards. In his words, "A lovable IP can survive 30, 50, or 100 years. That is something we would like to make investment into for sustainable growth."
The Super Mario Bros. Movie is a prime example of what is possible when you merge nostalgia with good storytelling. Since its release on March 31, the animated adventure film has set multiple box office records. Among others, it is the highest-grossing film based on a video game ever and the fifth highest-grossing animated film of all time.
