The Super Mario Galaxy Movie blasted past rivals at the North American box office this Easter weekend, raking in $130.9 million in ticket sales, according to industry estimates Sunday.
The animated sequel from Universal and Illumination Studios follows Mario, Luigi, and friends on a cosmic quest to save Princess Rosalina. The film features the voices of Jack Black, Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Brie Larson.
“This is a sensational opening for the second episode in an animation series,” said analyst David A. Gross of Franchise Entertainment Research. “Family moviegoing is leading the industry now and these series are a lot of the reason why.”
In second place, Amazon MGM’s Project Hail Mary — starring Ryan Gosling as a teacher-turned-astronaut tasked with saving Earth — earned $30.7 million in its third week.
Debuting in third was A24’s The Drama, a romantic comedy starring Zendaya and Robert Pattinson, which grossed $14.4 million. Gross noted that “current romantic comedies are about the misery of romance… all played by bigger-than-life stars.”
Disney/Pixar’s Hoppers slipped to fourth with $5.8 million, while Universal’s Reminders of Him, based on Colleen Hoover’s novel, rounded out the top five with $2.2 million.
“Moviegoing has momentum right now. The big films are working and audiences like what they’re seeing,” Gross added.