The Easter long weekend in Italy (Monday April 10th was also a national holiday) yielded a rich trove of eggs, if not a bonanza, at the Italian box-office, thanks to the animated nuttiness of the Super Mario Bros adaptation into film. Attendance and grosses increased compared to those of last week and doubled compared to those of the same period a year ago: with over 167,000 ticket payers, the USA-Japan co-production Super Mario confirmed its blockbuster status around the world, ripping up its competitors, topping N.1 with €1,262,036 for the weekend and a total of €8,264,223. Still averaging lower than the same period in the three years before the COVID pandemic, Italian box-office results are increasingly gaining traction, showing a 134.6% increase compared to 2022, according to Anica/Cinetel data.

Good showing for Ben Affleck‘s Air – La storia del grande salto, about the irresistible rise of Nike’s Air Jordan, second at the Italian box-office with a partial of €232,724 (31,902 admissions) and a total of €1.30.805. John Wick 4 held well in third place, with €135,078 for the weekend and a total of €4,775,775, followed by another USA film, the fantasy Dungeons & Dragons – Honor Among Thieves (€125,417) and the French adventure The Three Musketeers – D’Artagnan (€ 92,043).

The sixth place finally features an Italian production, Mia, a drama by Ivan De Matteo, about the difficult and painful relationship between a teenage daughter and her father, played by newcomer Greta Gasbarri and Edoardo Leo, grossing €72,639 for the weekend. Rounding up the Top 10 are other Italian productions:  Il ritorno di Casanova by Gabriele Salvatores (Oscar winner for Mediterraneo), Stranizza d’amuri, Quando, and L’ultima notte di Amore, an action thriller by Andrea di Stefano with Italian and international star Pierfrancesco Favino.

Italy has fewer than 4,000 screens overall, and in terms of cinema infrastructure the peninsula has a mix of modern multiplexes and smaller, independent cinemas. The larger chains, such as UCI Cinemas, The Space Cinema, and Warner Village, have multiple locations across the country and offer a range of amenities, including IMAX screens and luxury seating options. In the last 30 years, after a tradition of   domination by Italian and European productions – of course coupled by American hits and classics – the Italian box-office has been effectively overrun by Hollywood blockbusters, making it difficult for art houses, independent filmmakers and smaller films to find a place in the market.

Following are the complete Top 10 results and figures at the Italian box-office for the week ending April 10, 2023, provided by Cinetel:

            1. SUPER MARIO BROS – IL FILM (THE SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE): € 1,262,036, tot. €8.264,223

            2. AIR – LA STORIA DEL GRANDE SALTO (AIR): € 232,724, tot. € 1,305,805

            3. JOHN WICK 4: € 135,078, tot. € 4,775,775

            4. DUNGEONS & DRAGONS – L’ONORE DEI LADRI (DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: HONOR AMONG THIEVES): € 125,417, tot. € 2,083,278

            5.  I TRE MOSCHETTIERI: D’ARTAGNAN (LES TROIS MOUSQUETAIRES: D’ARTAGNAN): € 92,043, tot. € 390,715

             6. MIA : € 72,639, tot. € 304,129

7.    IL RITORNO DI CASANOVA: € 41,114, tot. € 618,372

8.    STRANIZZA D’AMURI: € 38,342, tot. € 721,964

9.    QUANDO: € 37,202, tot. € 452,213

10. L’ULTIMA NOTTE DI AMORE: € 27,130, tot. € 3,048,733