Super Mario Bros

It has, by the account of many pundits, been a remarkably strong year for "Oppenheimer" with 2023 easily offering the most packed lineup of commercial and critical hits since before the pandemic.

That strength makes the seemingly unstoppable awards success of Nolan's "Oppenheimer" all the more impressive.

As 2023 draws to a close, no one is sounding the death knell of the superhero movie. The Walt Disney Co.'s "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" made $845.6 million worldwide and Sony's "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" ($691 million) was one of the most acclaimed films of the year. Marvel is still mightier than any other brand in the business.

Disney's live-action version of "The Little Mermaid" netted the top spot at North American box offices on its opening weekend, over the United States' Memorial Day holiday, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations reported on May 28.

Marvel's "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" trounced the competition for the second straight weekend in North American theaters, earning $60.5 million for a global haul topping half a billion dollars, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations reported on May 14.

Despite talk of growing superhero fatigue among moviegoers, Marvel's "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" opened to a solid $114 million in ticket sales in North American theaters, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations reported on May 7.

It's only April, but Universal's "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" racked up such huge numbers in its North American opening weekend that analysts say it could top the list for all of 2023.

Having created the most successful animated franchise of all time with "Despicable Me" and its spin-off "Minions" films, producer Chris Meledandri knows a thing or two about blockbuster movies.