Thirty years after a movie adaptation of its beloved character Super Mario tanked at the box office, Nintendo decided to try again.
Thirty years after a movie adaptation of its beloved character Super Mario tanked at the box office, Nintendo decided to try again.
.2 billion at the global box office.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.
Sony CEO Kenichiro Yoshida went to watch the Super Mario Bros. Movie!
He said it's a beautiful & wonderful IP. He played Mario intensely 30 years ago.
"A lovable IP can survive 30, 50, or 100 years. That is something we would like to make investment into for sustainable growth" pic.twitter.com/5cR6DrZXLL
— Genki✨ (@Genki_JPN) May 18, 2023
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.
The iconic character made its first appearance in the 1981 game Donkey Kong. While it appeared in other arcade games, the IP didn’t really kick off until the 1985 game, Super Mario Bros., was published for the Nintendo Entertainment System.
Since then, it has become the biggest game franchise in the world and, by extension, one of the most enduring and most recognizable IPs in gaming.
By the way, the success of The Super Mario Bros. Movie seems to have encouraged Nintendo to adapt more of its IPs for the big screen. Shigeru Miyamoto, who created the Super Mario character as well as several other Nintendo IPs, recently stated that the company has "plenty of other entertainers" when it comes to movie adaptations.
Miyamoto’s comments come amid reports that the company is working on an untitled Luigi spin-off film. Also, recent rumors suggest that Nintendo is currently working on four new Mario games. Unfortunately, these rumors are unconfirmed and fans will have to wait for the video game company to announce it.
In other Mario news, LEGO recently provided a sneak peek of the Donkey Kong sets coming to the Super Mario Collection. The sets will include different characters from the Donkey Kong IP, including Diddy, Cranky, and Funky.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie is currently showing in theaters around the world.
