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The Super Mario Bros. Movie has turned out to be the biggest success of 2023 so far. Mario fans will soon be able to watch the film online in the comfort of their homes. Universal has been following very savvy release strategies for their lower and bigger-budget movies.
Its smaller-budget films play exclusively in theaters for 17 days and then get a simultaneous digital release online as they become available for rentals. However, the bigger budget high-performing films get an exclusive theatrical window of around 45-60 days, before getting the simultaneous digital release (Video on Demand/VoD).
But because The Super Mario Bros. Movie is still running strong, having crossed $1.163 billion at the worldwide box office, its digital and streaming releases might take a while.
Super Mario Bros online release windows (VoD, Peacock, & Netflix)
According to Universal’s 2021 agreement for films from its Dreamworks and Illumination divisions, every animated movie gets shared between Netflix, Amazon, and Peacock. After the VoD release of a film, it is supposed to play on Peacock for 4 months, then go to Netflix for 10 months, and once again return to Peacock for the next 4 months.
Since The Super Mario Bros. Movie is currently making big money at the domestic ($519 million) and international box office ($643 million), Universal would probably give it an exclusive theatrical run that lasts between 45-60 days, to allow it to beat Frozen II ($1.453 billion) and become the highest grossing animated movie. Hence, its VoD release could happen in the late May or the first week of June.
Beyond that, The Super Mario Bros. Movie could hit Peacock in late June (probably June 23 or 30), or early July, depending upon when it gets VoD release. Its Netflix release is likely to then follow 4 months after its Peacock release.
Why Super Mario could be the biggest film of 2023
So far, Universal’s latest blockbuster has earned $1.048 billion worldwide, and it is on track to bring in somewhere between $1.2-$1.4 billion. As for the other potential blockbuster movies, there are only four other contenders for spots in the billion-dollar club. Fast X is one of them, and other potential candidates are The Flash, Aquaman 2, and Mission: Impossible 7.
Since Tom Cruise's resurgence in popularity following Top Gun: Maverick, Mission: Impossible 7 could do exceedingly well. However, it is important to note that none of the other Mission: Impossible films have made more than $800 million.
The Fast Saga and the DC movies have both experienced declining box office success in recent years. Therefore, it is uncertain if these films will do as well as Super Mario Bros. at the box office. Their opening weekends will have a significant impact on the box office numbers.
Marvel, on the other hand, has been experiencing a relative downfall recently, which is why it remains uncertain if Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and The Marvels will enter the billion-dollar club.
Hence, The Super Mario Bros. Movie could continue being the biggest movie of 2023.
