Box Office Recap: April 14-16, 2023
Super Mario Bros. wins back-to-back weeks, while R-rated horror films Renfield and The Pope’s Exorcist fall comfortably within expectations.
It was another week of viewers flocking in droves to see The Super Marios Bros. Movie and pretty much nothing else, as the hit animated film nearly grossed another $100 million over its second weekend and pushed its total worldwide gross past the $600 million mark. Meanwhile, it was a big weekend for openings, as four films debuted. Both Universal’s horror comedy Renfield and Sony’s The Pope’s Exorcist met their expectations while Bleecker Street’s crime comedy Mafia Mamma and Briarcliff Entertainment’s sports biopic Sweetwater fell on deaf ears. Elsewhere, John Wick: Chapter 4 reached a significant milestone over the weekend by becoming the franchise’s highest worldwide earner.
Finishing in first place for the second straight week, Universal’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie impressively dropped only -40.6% and took in $87.0 million domestically over its sophomore frame, pushing its domestic run now to $347.8 million. Internationally, the animated adventure flick, which is based on the hit Nintendo video game, has nearly matched its domestic run with $330.1 million for a global cume of $677.9 million against a reported production budget of $100 million. One reason for such a soft drop following a massive debut performance could be that the family oriented film had virtually no competition to face, with the two biggest new releases being Renfield and The Pope’s Exorcist, both of which are R-rated and targeted at vastly different audiences. Whatever the reason, though, Universal must be very happy with these results, as the film is on pace to become 2023’s first billion dollar earner.
In the runner-up spot, Sony’s The Pope’s Exorcist fell on the higher end of its $4-10 million expectations with a $9.2 million domestic opening. The supernatural horror film, which stars Academy Award winner Russell Crowe, opened in 3,178 locations and earned a per-theater average of $2,879 per location. Internationally, the exorcism-themed flick performed well, bringing in $27.4 million, bringing its total worldwide debut to $36.6 million against a reported production budget of $18 million. Though its lukewarm reception from critics and the middling “B-” CinemaScore from audiences will probably slow down its run in the following weeks, Sony can still be pleased that it has already earned double its production budget in just its opening weekend.
Landing in third place, Lionsgate’s John Wick: Chapter 4 finished with a fourth weekend domestic haul of $7.9 million, pushing its domestic total to $160.1 million. This places it just about $11 million shy of surpassing 2019’s John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum ($171.0 million) for the franchise’s highest domestic earner. Additionally, the film’s international gross is closing in on the $200 million mark with $189.6 million, which pushes its total worldwide run to $349.7 million. This now makes John Wick: Chapter 4 the franchise’s highest worldwide grossing film, a record previously held by its 2019 predecessor ($327.8 million).
In fourth place, Universal’s Renfield opened within its $7-10 million pre-release expectations, earning $7.7 million domestically. The horror comedy, which stars Academy Award winner Nicolas Cage as Dracula and Nicholas Hoult as long-suffering eponymous servant, opened in 3,375 theaters and earned a per-theater average of $2,302 per location. Internationally, the film added $2.3 million for a global cume of $10.0 million against a reported production budget of $65 million. While Renfield did fall within its debut expectations, the mixed reception from critics and the lukewarm “B-” CinemaScore from viewers doesn’t bode well for its overall lifetime run, especially with its earnings still being $50+ million behind from just matching its production budget.
Rounding out the top five, Amazon Studios’s Air took in $7.7 million domestically over its sophomore frame, pushing its domestic total to $33.3 million. Internationally, the biographical sports drama from Oscar-winning filmmaker Ben Affleck earned $20.8 million, which brings its current worldwide run to $54.1 million against a reported production budget ranging between $70-90 million.
Elsewhere within the top ten, in seventh place, Crunchyroll’s animated fantasy adventure Suzume earned $2.8 million domestically, opening in 2,170 locations and bringing in a per-theater average of $1,304 per location. While not a huge domestic opening, the Japanese film did receive high praise from both critics and audiences, which could help give its domestic performance steady legs through word of mouth. Additionally, the film has already performed exceptionally well internationally, earning $143.3 million for a global cume that currently stands at $146.1 million.
In eighth place, Bleecker Street Media’s Mafia Mamma debuted with $2.0 domestically. The action black comedy, which is directed by Catherine Hardwicke and stars Academy Award nominee Toni Collette and Monica Bellucci, received a semi-wide release in 2,002 theaters and earned a per-theater average of $1,021 per location.
Rounding out the total top ten, Soli Deo Gloria Releasing’s faith-based supernatural horror film Nefarious opened with $1.3 million domestically. The film received a release in only 933 theaters and earned a per-theater average of $1,425 per location.
Outside of the top ten, in twelfth place, Briarcliff Entertainment sports biopic Sweetwater debuted very quietly with $350.0k domestically. The film, which stars Jeremy Piven, Cary Elwes, Academy Award winner Richard Dreyfuss and Everett Osborne as the titular basketball hall of famer, opened in 1,204 locations, earning a per-theater average of $290 per location.
Opening this weekend, A24 debuts Ari Aster’s black comedy horror film Beau Is Afraid starring Academy Award winner Joaquin Phoenix, Academy Award nominee Amy Ryan and Nathan Lane; Warner Bros. will open Evil Dead Rise, the third sequel to Sam Raimi’s iconic Evil Dead series following 1992’s Army of Darkness; and MGM opens their action thriller, Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant starring Academy Award nominee Jake Gyllenhaal and Dar Salim.
* Total worldwide gross listed in parenthesis.
1) The Super Mario Bros. Movie – $87.0 million, Week 2 ($677.9 million)
2) The Pope’s Exorcist – $9.2 million, Week 1 ($36.6 million)
3) John Wick: Chapter 4 – $7.9 million, Week 4 ($349.7 million)
4) Renfield – $7.8 million, Week 1 ($10.0 million)
5) Air – $7.7 million, Week 2 ($54.1 million)
6) Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves – $7.4 million, Week 3 ($157.1 million)
7) Suzume – $2.8 million, Week 1 ($146.1 million)
8) Mafia Mamma – $2.0 million, Week 1 ($2.0 million)
9) Scream VI – $1.5 million, Week 6 ($167.0 million)
10) Nefarious – $1.3 million, Week 1 ($1.3 million)
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