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‘Super Mario Bros.’ Had the Highest Animated Opening Thanks to Gen Z and Millennials

‘Super Mario Bros.’ Had the Highest Animated Opening Thanks to Gen Z and Millennials

Mamma mia! The Super Mario Bros. Movie had a wild opening weekend at the box office, thanks to Gen Z and millennials’ love for nostalgia.

The Italian brothers came out on top in theaters this past weekend, netting an estimated $368 million globally. The previous record-holder, Frozen 2, pulled in $358 million during its opening weekend back in 2019.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie also eclipsed 2023’s previous highest opening, held by Marvel’s Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania ($225.3 million).

What makes these numbers even wilder is that approximately 60 percent of all attendees were between the ages of 18-34. It turns out Gen Z and millennials were more than ready to cash in on some nostalgia, despite the skepticism leading up to the film of Chris Pratt (who’s very much not Italian) being cast to voice the iconic Italian plumber.

Nostalgia being a huge draw shouldn’t be too surprising though, considering how everything from Y2K fashion to live-action Disney remakes have been resurgent in pop culture in recent years. In fact, a study from GWI found that Gen Z and millennials are most nostalgic for the 90s and early aughts.

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