Kids ate the multiplex: How family movies are taking over moviegoing, one blockbuster at a time

NEW YORK (AP) — As “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” lands in theaters, coloring stations, collectible popcorn containers and mascot Marios are all in place to entice arguably the most prized moviegoers to Hollywood today. Kids. Despite a lot of talk about the imperiled future of moviegoing, future moviegoers are turning out in droves and fueling today’s biggest blockbusters. By Sunday, Universal Pictures expects the five-day opening of the “Super Mario” sequel to reach $186 million domestically, and around $350 million worldwide. That would make it easily the biggest hit of the year. Increasingly, the multiplex belongs to kids.

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