Mario number one, indeed. Audiences were almost just as enthusiastic about 'The Super Mario Bros. Movie' in its second weekend as they were in its first, with the animated title dropping only 7 per cent to earn $9.8 million.
Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment’s 'Jurassic World' was such a global phenomenon in 2015, amassing $US652 million in the US and more than $US1 billion internationally, the top brass never expected the sequel to reach those lofty heights.
Nostalgia has paid off at the box office once again, with 'Jurassic World Dominion' debuting at no. 1 last weekend, while 'Top Gun: Maverick' continues to draw strong crowds.
In the battle of the sequels Disney’s 'Maleficent: Mistress of Evil' beat Sony’s 'Zombieland: Double Tap' but neither was a match for the third weekend of Warner Bros’ juggernaut 'Joker'.
It’s rare to see three Hollywood films open wide and belly-flop on the same weekend at Australian cinemas but it was a near-disaster for 'Geostorm' and a total wipe-out for 'The Snowman' and 'Home Again'.
The head-to-head clash between Universal’s 'Palm Beach' and Transmission Films’ 'Danger Close: The Battle of Long Tan' last weekend was far from ideal, but both films are positioned to have leggy runs thanks to word of mouth.
With the Sydney market emerging from lockdown, the national box office got a 72 per cent boost last weekend, despite the absence of major new releases.
The 'Blade Runner' reboot posed two questions: Can Harrison Ford still open a movie at the at age of 75? And will Alcon Entertainment/Sony Pictures’ investment in the sci-fi– reportedly budgeted at $US155 million – pay off?