During a recent earnings call, Disney CEO Bob Iger took a moment to congratulate Universal Studios on the success of their latest film, “The Super Mario Bros. Movie.” Iger noted that the film’s global box office success proves that audiences around the world still enjoy being entertained in theaters, and he expressed optimism about the future of the movie business. Universal has not yet responded to Iger’s remarks.
Family-Friendly Films Still Popular Post-Pandemic
“The Super Mario Bros. Movie” has generated over $1.1 billion globally since its release in April, demonstrating that family-friendly and animated films can still succeed at the box office despite the pandemic. In contrast, Disney’s own animated content has struggled at the box office in recent months. Some analysts attribute this to confusion in the marketplace over which Disney films are streaming-only and which have wider theatrical releases, while others say that Disney has not done a good job marketing its animated films to the public.
Disney’s recent releases, such as “Lightyear” and “Strange World,” have underperformed at the box office, with “Lightyear” bringing in just over $200 million globally and “Strange World” flopping with less than $100 million in global ticket sales. In contrast, Universal has had repeated box office hits, with “Minions: The Rise of Gru” earning nearly $940 million globally and “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish” bringing in almost $500 million worldwide.
As audiences flock to see “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” they will also see ads for other upcoming animated features, including Disney’s own slate of films such as Pixar’s “Elemental” and the Thanksgiving release “Wish.” The success of “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” may provide hope for Disney’s future releases and the movie industry as a whole.
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