Photo/Illutration A scene from “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” ((c) 2023 Nintendo and Universal Studios)

This year’s box office hit in Japan must be “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” which chalked up more than 10 billion yen ($71.6 million) in ticket sales in the 31 days following its April 28 release.

It is already the fastest foreign animated film to cross the 10 billion yen threshold in the country, according to its distributor, Toho-Towa Co.

The movie is also a huge hit worldwide, having earned about 180 billion yen at the global box office, the company said.

Based on Nintendo Co.’s internationally popular action game series, the movie was co-produced by the video game giant and U.S. studio Illumination Entertainment.

The film opens with Mario running and jumping his way through various obstacles, with the screen scrolling sideways just like the video game.

It takes inspiration from the franchise spanning more than 40 years, whose installments include “Super Mario Bros.” and “Mario Kart.”

The film also features familiar characters from the video game series to give it a more immersive atmosphere for audience members.

The story centers around twin brothers Mario and Luigi, who operate a plumbing business.

One day, Luigi goes missing when they go underground to fix a water main.

Mario is sucked into a mysterious pipe to find himself wandering off into the Mushroom Kingdom where Princess Peach lives.

Having learned that Luigi has apparently been captured in the Dark Lands, Mario confronts the evil Koopas to save his brother with the help of Princess Peach and other friends.

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