'Super Mario Bros. Movie' Smashes Box Office Records, Surpasses $1 Billion Mark

"The Super Mario Bros. Movie" has become the fifth movie to cross the $1 billion box-office threshold since the start of the pandemic, making it the first animated film to do so. Despite middling reviews, the movie has been in theaters for only 26 days and is now the seventh biggest film in Universal's history. The film's success has helped push the April domestic box office up 11.5 percent compared with prepandemic levels, marking the first month to surpass its prepandemic average. Studios and theater partners are optimistic about the summer season, with several highly anticipated films set to release.