‘Kung Fu Panda 4’ Passes $100 Million Domestic Milestone During Its Second Weekend In Theaters
The last animated film to top the U.S. box office in back-to-back weekends was ‘Mario,’ also distributed by Universal.
The last animated film to top the U.S. box office in back-to-back weekends was ‘Mario,’ also distributed by Universal.
Very few details were included in the announcement, but the film is dated to hit U.S. theaters on April 3, 2026.
Universal will bring ‘Despicable Me’ back to theaters on July 3.
A strong run for ‘Migration’ is good news in an industry that was asking questions about the viability of original titles at the box office.
Critics have been generally receptive, and have found plenty to admire both visually and narratively, while acknowledging that the film hews close to well-worn American animation formulas.
The director joined us to discuss why animals make the best protagonists and the importance of a good score.
Meledandri says if established studios tried cutting budgets to Illumination levels, it would be disruptive to their artistic culture.
This year’s conference boasts an incredible speaker lineup and several panels of the impact of AI.
Illumination’s got their ducks in a row with their latest title, ‘Migration.’
Meanwhile, ‘The Super Mario Bros.’ is just days away from becoming the third-highest-grossing animated film of all time.
Makoto Shinkai’s ‘Suzume’ and Takehiko Inoue’s ‘The First Slam Dunk’ both passed major milestones over the weekend as well.
‘Mario’ is making box office history, but this summer’s frontloaded release schedule could be the real litmus test for theatrical animation distribution.
‘The First Slam Dunk’ finished another week in the global top ten and ‘Suzume’ nears $10 million in the U.S.
‘Mario’ posted a historic third weekend domestically while ‘The First Slam Dunk’ dominated in China.
‘Mario’ made history domestically and abroad over the weekend, as ‘Suzume’ and ‘Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman’ debuted in the U.S.
Illumination’s box office record is one thing, but Meledandri believes that “what is extraordinary is the artistry that is in these movies.”
Among a host of other achievements, it’s the third-biggest three-day opening ever for an animated feature in the U.S.
With ‘Mario’ hitting cinemas this week, 2023 will be just the second time in studio history that Illumination releases two films in a year.
Critics seem to agree that while the movie is fun, Mario is a pretty bland main character.
After earning 51 nominations and 20 wins last year, Netflix again leads the pack with 50 nominations.