Minecraft Movie Breaks Records in US Debut, Outshines Super Mario

The Minecraft Movie has made an explosive debut at the box office, surpassing The Super Mario Bros. Movie's record to become the highest-grossing domestic opening for any video game adaptation.

Featuring Jason Momoa and Jack Black (who also appeared in The Super Mario Bros. Movie), this Xbox game adaptation shattered projections with a staggering $157 million haul in North American theaters. For context, The Super Mario Bros. Movie - currently the highest-grossing game adaptation worldwide - earned $146 million during its opening weekend in April 2023.

With an additional $144 million from international markets, the Minecraft Movie achieved a global opening weekend total of $301 million. Produced on a $150 million budget before marketing costs, Warner Bros. may have already recouped its investment.

The film is based on Mojang's Minecraft, the best-selling video game in history. This Microsoft-owned sandbox game remains a global phenomenon and has released special movie-themed downloadable content to coincide with the film's launch.

IGN's review awarded the Minecraft Movie a 6/10, praising Napoleon Dynamite director Jared Hess for "delivering a surprisingly nuanced and humorous take on this family-friendly adventure, particularly during its more restrained first act."

For fans who've seen the film, IGN offers an in-depth analysis of the movie's ending and post-credits scene with insights from director Jared Hess and Minecraft's Torfi Frans Ólafsson.

In contrast, Disney's live-action Snow White appears headed for commercial disappointment following its underwhelming opening. With current global earnings of $168.4 million ($77.5 million domestic, $90.9 million international) against a reported $250 million production budget, the film may struggle to replicate Mufasa: The Lion King's successful late-stage box office recovery.