Disney has dominated the animation industry, but the success of The Super Mario Bros Movie could threaten that, yet Disney still has a chance to catch up. The Super Mario Bros Movie already made over $400 million at the box office, despite some worries over creative choices in the movie, such as Mario’s lack of an Italian accent. The Super Mario Bros Movie explores the lore of the Nintendo game and answers questions about how Mario and Luigi, two Italian-American plumbers, end up in the Mushroom Kingdom. The Super Mario Bros Movie focuses on the classic game characters, including Mario and Luigi, Princess Peach, Bowser, the Kongs, and Toad.
The Super Mario Bros Movie has an all-star cast, including Chris Pratt as Mario and Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach, who is no longer a damsel-in-distress but a strong and skilled fighter. The success of The Super Mario Bros Movie comes in the wake of recent failings of Disney, such as the poor performance of Strange World and a confusing decision to remake Moana as a live-action. In addition, Disney’s lack of original, successful animated movies such as Frozen and Encanto has left viewers questioning Disney’s dominance, especially with new animated movies such as The Super Mario Bros Movie storming to the top position at the box office.
Frozen 3 & Toy Story 5 Can Beat Super Mario Bros, But They're Years Away
However, Disney may be lacking in animated box office success at the moment; they can beat The Super Mario Bros Movie, but it will take some time. Two of Disney’s biggest franchises, Frozen and Toy Story, have additional movies in the making, but timelines suggest they are a few years away from release. Toy Story 4 was announced in late 2014, and Frozen II not long afterward in 2015, but neither movie was released until 2019. Both movies took 4–5 years despite being two highly-anticipated movies, both for audiences and for Disney’s box office.
Frozen 3 and Toy Story 5 were both announced in February 2023 and are expected to be big hits for Disney based on the success of their predecessors. However, based on the release timeline of Frozen II and Toy Story 4, this could mean the new movies will not release until 2028. This means Disney has a long wait before ensuring they can beat The Super Mario Bros Movie. Plus, The Super Mario Bros Movie was released roughly five years after its 2018 release announcement, which included the pandemic, and with a sequel already in the works, Disney’s Frozen 3 and Toy Story 5 will likely be up against The Super Mario Bros Movie sequel.
Can Any Other Disney Animated Movies Beat Super Mario Bros?
Disney’s biggest animated movies may be a long way off, but they still may be able to catch up with The Super Mario Bros Movie, and potentially in 2023. Strange World bombed at the box office and was slated for lack of advertising, but Disney’s next animated movie Elemental has had the opposite treatment. Expected to be released in June 2023, Elemental has shown all the classic signs of a Pixar animated movie with its two leads, one fire and one water, forming a romance despite their differences. With The Good Dinosaur’s director, Peter Sohn, at the helm, Elemental has high expectations of being a box office hit.
Elemental could be Disney’s next big success, but Disney also has Wish releasing in November 2023, which will focus on Disney’s biggest theme, wishes coming true. Although not as advertised as Elementals, Wish is an original movie, and including Disney’s major theme will be a big selling point for the film. Plus, Inside Out 2 is releasing in 2024, and the first movie's success will ensure audiences flock to see the sequel. Audiences are desperate for original content among the remakes, but a sequel to a beloved movie could be Disney’s safest bet to beat The Super Mario Bros Movie as soon as possible.