Animated film The Super Mario Bros Movie has pushed past the $1 billion mark globally, making it the year's first film to pass the billion-dollar mark, and only the 10th animation ever to do so, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
The video game-based film, in which Chris Pratt voices the beloved plumber Mario, has received mixed reviews from critics and audiences, but has been a massive box-office success.
The A-list voice cast also includes Jack Black and Anya Taylor-Joy and is directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic, known for creating the popular animated series Teen Titans Go!
The film held its first-place position on North American movie screens over the weekend earning about $40 million for the Friday-through-Sunday period in the US and Canada for a domestic total so far of $490 million, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations reported.
Second place, for the second straight weekend, went to bloody horror film Evil Dead Rise from Warner Bros, at $12.2 million. Lily Sullivan and Alyssa Sutherland play sisters battling a demonic crew known as the Deadites.
In third was Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret, a new comedy-drama from Gracie Films and Lionsgate Films, at $6.8 million. Analyst David A Gross called that only "a fair opening" for a coming-of-age film, while adding that "reviews and audience scores are sensational".
Based on the beloved Judy Blume novel of the same name, it stars Abby Ryder Fortson as Margaret Simon, a sixth-grader navigating the challenges of that awkward age. Rachel McAdams and Kathy Bates also star.
Still strong in its sixth weekend out, Lionsgate's neo-noir John Wick: Chapter 4 placed fourth at $5 million. Keanu Reeves plays the titular hitman.
And showing the enduring lure of the Star Wars franchise, Disney's re-release of Return of the Jedi placed fifth, taking in $4.8 million.
The film starring icons Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher marks its 40th anniversary in late May. It sold more than 80 million tickets in its initial run.
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Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach and Chris Pratt as Mario in The Super Mario Bros Movie. All photos: Universal Pictures -
Chris Pratt as Mario and Charlie Day as Luigi -
Jack Black as Bowser, a monstrous, fire-breathing anthropomorphic turtle -
The Super Mario Bros Movie is directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic, best known for the Teen Titans Go! series -
Seth Rogen voices Donkey Kong -
The film is based on Nintendo’s seminal video game franchise that is adored the world over -
The ensemble voice cast includes Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Day, Jack Black, Keegan-Michael Key, Seth Rogen and Fred Armisen, among others
