BOX OFFICE: “Super Mario Bros.” won’t give up the Box Office crown until “Guardians/Vol. 3” opens, “Margaret” and “George Foreman” underwhelm

Universal’s Illumination release “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” continues to rake in the cash, taking the top spot this weekend with a $37 million-and-change run, “best fourth weekend ever” for an animated feature, Deadline.com says.

It has raced over the $1 billion mark worldwide, following in “Avatar’s” footsteps as the biggest hits with no plot worth talking about…ever.

Everything else is just leftovers, including the second place picture “Evil Dead Rise,” a horror reboot that’s hold on to audience on this second weekend, heading towards a $12 million+ take.

A middling Thursday night and passable Friday underscore the appeal issues a movie like “Are You There, God? It’s me, Margaret” was always going to have. It’s a nostalgic period piece for generations of women who grew up with the Judy Blume books, many of those generations have stopped going to the movies.

It’s a pretty good film, and if you’ve got a daughter or granddaughter of tween age, you should take them. It deserves to earn more than $5-6 million dollars, which is its current track.

That’s barely better than the umpteenth re-release of “Star Wars: Return of the Jedi,” which stands to earn another $5 million.

“Sisu,” a little-promoted Lionsgate English language thriller from Finland, will clear $4 million, about as much as you’d expect from a WWII thriller that has “cult film” written all over it.

“Big George Foreman: The Miraculous Story of the Once and Future Heavyweight Champion of the World” has bigger problems than its long, unwieldy title. Under-promoted, this Sony/Affirm faith-based drama has lovely feel-good vibes and some terrific performances, even if the only big name in it is Oscar winner Forest Whitaker and even if the film is a bit of a dawdle — losing its steam in the latter acts.

George used to sell more than $2.6 million in George Foreman Grills in a single weekend, which is the projected take for this bio-pic. That won’t even crack the top ten.

“Air,” “The Covenant” and “John Wick Chapter 4” might finish above ol’George.

I will update these figures as more data comes through this weekend.

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About Roger Moore

Movie Critic, formerly with McClatchy-Tribune News Service, Orlando Sentinel, published in Spin Magazine, The World and now published here, Orlando Magazine, Autoweek Magazine
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