'Barbie' vs. 'Super Mario Bros. Movie': Which One Will Claim 2023's Box Office Throne?

Warner Bros. Discovery Inc.'s WBD "Barbie" appears to be on track to beat Nintendo Company Ltd.'s NTDOY "Super Mario Bros. Movie" as the highest-grossing domestic film of 2023.

Despite receiving mixed reviews from critics upon its release on April 5, the Mario movie earned $1.3 billion globally and broke various box-office records.

Notably, it had the largest worldwide opening weekend for an animated film and became the highest-earning movie of 2023. The film ranks as the third-highest-grossing animated film and the 15th-highest-grossing film overall.

Meanwhile, the Barbie meta-comedy featuring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling exceeded expectations with a global box office revenue of more than $1.2 billion.

Directed by Greta Gerwig, the film was released on July 21 and showcased an innovative portrayal of the well-known Mattel Inc MAT brand. Gerwig, who became the first solo female director to reach a billion-dollar milestone, created a movie that consistently attracts diverse audiences of all ages.

According to Box Office Mojo, The "Super Mario Bros. Movie" garnered $574 million domestically, $780 million internationally, and a total of $1.36 billion worldwide.

Conversely, the "Barbie" movie earned $542 million domestically, $661 million internationally, and a total of $1.20 billion worldwide as of Aug. 20.

As the latter part of August arrives, challenges in the market may lead to more significant weekly declines for "Barbie."

As per Forbes, factors such as competing films like "Blue Beetle," "Gran Turismo" and "Strays" targeting family and teen audiences, as well as "Golda" and "The Equalizer 3" appealing to adult women and "The Hill" to adult men, may collectively contribute to a gradual decrease in key audience demographics.

Photo: Shutterstock

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