GMA’s Gio Benitez claps back as co-hosts Janai Norman & Whit Johnson call him on air – but he had a surprise in store
GMA’s Gio Benitez has poked fun at the Super Mario Bros. movie and slammed back at anyone who tries to steal his joy.
Benitez took his co-hosts Whit Johnson and Janai Norman back in time during a segment on The Super Mario Bros. Movie’s recent debut.
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At the end of the segment, Johnson stated, “We just heard about Gio Benitez and his trip down memory lane.”
“You were a die-hard Mario fan,” he laughed.
Norman chimed in with a chuckle aimed at Benitez’s obsession with the video game-inspired film.
Benitez responds with, “Listen, in the ’90s I wrecked those tunnels!”
The trio then hummed the iconic Super Mario theme song.
Benitez took to Twitter to reaffirm his love for the 1985 Nintendo classic and cast a subtle shade at his co-hosts.
In the photo, posted to his Twitter account, Benitez can be seen posing in front of a jumbo screen showing a Super Mario-inspired background.
“@WhitJohnson And @janai exclaimed my love #Super Mario At @GMA. What they didn’t know was that I had a whole photo shoot with our jumbo screen before the show. @supermariomovie”, the tweet reads.
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Benitez isn’t the only one excited about the release of the animated film.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie hit theaters on April 5 and broke record-breaking box office numbers during its five-day premiere.
The film grossed over $200 million in the US and Canada and an estimated $377 million worldwide, making it the biggest opening weekend ever for an animated film worldwide, reports CNN.
Mike Polydoros, managing director of PaperAirplane Media, explained that part of the film’s success was due to its cross-generational appeal.
It is common for animation film ticket sales to drop after 7pm.
However, 26 percent of ticket sales for this film took place after 7 p.m., Polydoros noted.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie cast includes Chris Pratt as Mario, Anya-Taylor Joy as Princess Peach, Charlie Day as Luigi, Keegan-Michael Key as Toad, Jack Black as Bowser and Seth Rogan as Donkey Kong.