Box Office: Jack Black Powers 'Minecraft' To Boffo $58M Friday
Jack Black is a movie star, the Internet isn't the real world and kids will show up if you make movies that aren't rehashes of their parents or grandparents' favorite franchises.
Here’s a crazy idea… maybe if Hollywood wants younger audiences to come back to theaters, Hollywood should make more films based on *newer* IP that are popular with and at least somewhat intended for *today’s* kids. Or maybe the industry should just cast Jack Black in a prime comedic role in every significant movie aimed at kids and families. Because, yes, the Minecraft video game is “only” 16 years old and has been incredibly popular both with kids who grew up in the 2010s (“Gosh, 2010s nostalgia is *so* hot right now*) and the current generation of pre-teens. Because, yes, the star of Nacho Libre, Goosebumps, and The Super Mario Bros. Movie has remained a top-tier assets-in-seats draw for films aimed at kids. Because, yes, Legendary Pictures and Warner Bros. Discovery’s A Minecraft Movie just topped the domestic box office on Friday with a spectacular $58 million for what should be an over/under $158 million weekend.
With the caveat that Universal and Illumination’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie opened on a Wednesday on Easter weekend 2023, this is the biggest single-day gross for any video game-based movie ever. Inflation notwithstanding, it is A) bigger than the $57 million Saturday for that Nintendo-based animated flick an B) essentially tied with the $55 million *opening weekend* of Detective Pikachu (also WB and Legendary) in 2019 and the $62 million domestic Fri-Sun debut of Sonic the Hedgehog 3 this past December. Assuming it isn’t unexpectedly frontloaded over the weekend, it should notch a Fri-Sun frame bigger than that Mario Bros. movie ($146 million Fri-Sun/$204 million Wed-Sun). But remember, folks, A) Warner Bros. Discovery is the sworn enemy of movie theaters, and B) A Minecraft Movie is sure to flop because folks online said mean things about the first trailer. Maybe Disney should learn from this and *stop listening to and capitulating to the Internet*.