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Super Mario Movie breaks box office records

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The new Super Mario Bros Movie has broken box office records, scoring the most successful global opening of all time for an animated film.

The family film – Hollywood’s second version of the hit Nintendo game – took $377m (£303m) around the world in its first five days on release.

That overtook the previous record of £358m (£288m) held by Frozen 2.

“The numbers are sensational,” noted analyst David A Gross, who said it would “easily be the #1 flick of 2023”.

In The Super Mario Bros Movie, the moustachioed Italian plumber is voiced by Chris Pratt, while Jack Black plays fire-breathing villain Bowser.

It left many critics cold, with the New York Post’s Johnny Oleksinski saying it’s “just another soulless ploy to sell us merchandise” and The Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw calling it “tedious and flat in all senses”.

He added that it was “a disappointment to match the live-action version in 1993” – a reference to the infamous original adaptation starring Bob Hoskins.

But many fans seem to disagree, with the 56% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes eclipsed by the 96% audience score. Even Elon Musk tweeted that “the critics are so disconnected from reality!”

Crowds “didn’t seem to care about so-so reviews”, the Hollywood Reporter’s Pamela McClintock wrote.

The film broke other records, including the best-ever opening for a movie based on a video game and the top opening of 2023 so far, she said.

Comscore analyst Paul Dergarabedian told the outlet: “This is one of the biggest box office over-performances in recent memory and is absolutely shattering all pre-release projections.”

(BBC News)

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President instructs to reopen National Art Gallery before year’s end

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President Ranil Wickremesinghe, during an inspection tour yesterday (26), visited the John de Silva Memorial Theatre and the long-delayed National Art Gallery. Despite construction commencing in 2011, both projects remain incomplete. 

President Wickremesinghe instructed officials to expedite the opening of the National Art Gallery before the year’s end, emphasizing the need for consensus among artists and architects. He also pledged government support for financial allocations. Additionally, he highlighted the demand for high-standard, affordable theatres in Colombo, questioning if such facilities could be provided following the completion of the John de Silva Theatre.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe stressed the importance of consulting dramatists before making final decisions on construction and maintenance projects. He directed the Ministry Secretary to explore options for reviving the Lumbini Theatre and the Nawa Rangahala to support the theatre and also instructed the Ministry Secretary to take steps to construct a drama theatre in Colombo’s Sudarshi Premises.

Emphasizing the need to establish a national cultural zone encompassing the Nelum Pokuna, Kalabhavana, John de Silva Memorial Theatre, Museum, and related areas, the President instructed the Ministry of Cultural Affairs to prepare a comprehensive report on this initiative. Additionally, he urged officials to enhance Sri Lanka’s museum system to international standard and tasked them with identifying a suitable country for mentorship in this regard.

Secretary of the Ministry of  Buddha Sasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs Somaratne Vidanapathirana, Additional Secretary Thilak Hettiarachchi, Director General of the Department of Cultural Affairs Yasintha Gunawardena, the team of architects from the University of Moratuwa who designed these buildings and the Navy officers who are in charge of the National Art Gallery renovations joined this event.

Prof. Praneeth Abhayasundara, Prof. Chandragupta Thenuwara, Parakrama Niriella, Mohamed Safeer and Saman Athavudahetti also spoke on behalf of the artists.

(President’s Media Division)

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Windy Goonatillake wins award for ’Ayyo Sami’

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Windy Goonatillake has won the award for the Best Sensational Song of the Year – 2023 at the 16th Edison Awards held in Chennai, South India.

She received the award for the Sri Lankan Tamil song “Aiyo Sami.

She was joined by her husband – Sanuka Wickramasinghe who was the music producer of the song and Pothuvil Asmin who wrote the lyrics.

Following the ceremony, they arrived at the Katunayake International Airport last night.

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Veteran singer Chandra Kumara Kandanarachchi no more

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Veteran singer Chandra Kumara Kandanarachchi has passed away today (March 26).

He was aged 76 and had been receiving treatment at a private hospital in Colombo.

His popular songs include ‘Ege Sinahawa Thahanam’, ‘Pem Benda Sith Benda’, ‘Ganga Nadee Theeraye’, and ‘Hithe Sathuta Jiwithe’. 

Funeral details are to be informed by the family later

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