It’s been nearly 30 years since the world of Mario was adapted to the big screen. That is about to change later this year. A new animated Super Mario Bros. movie is set to hit theaters this December from Universal and Illumination, in partnership with Nintendo. Arriving almost three decades after 1993’s critically-maligned Super Mario Bros., the currently untitled film will offer a new take on the video game franchise beloved by audiences around the world for nearly forty years. Much of the story and plot details are still under wraps, so it is up to audiences to speculate what this new film may offer.

Keeping all that in mind, let’s take a look at everything we know so far about the upcoming Mario film. What can we expect from the plot? How will it further the adventures of everyone’s favorite plumber brothers? Who has been confirmed for the cast? When and where can audiences expect to see the film? Finally, what else should prospective viewers know as we await the highly anticipated release?

Plot: What We Know

Super Mario Bros. Movie
Buena Vista Pictures

As of this time, there is no concrete information about the plot of the film. Those who saw the 1993 film may recall that it involved Mario (Bob Hoskins) and Luigi (John Leguizamo) teaming up to rescue Princess Daisy (Samantha Mathis) from President Koopa (Dennis Hopper), who wanted to merge the human world with his parallel universe. The video games usually involved similar story structures, with the brothers often fighting creatures from the sewer or rescuing a princess in distress. As both of these potential storylines have been explored in great detail in the past, the new film may want to take the story in a different direction, one that is more relevant to modern times.

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Even if the story is changed, the new movie will likely try to remain faithful to the original game series, as so many of the fans have grown up with it. More plot information may be released in the coming months as we get closer to the release date, but for now, everyone will have to settle with their own fan theories. When you have a film based on a property as iconic as Mario, fans will be inevitably be divided on the story, no matter how close it attempts to stay to the source material.

Cast: What We Know

Chris Pratt in The Tomorrow War
Prime Video

While we do not yet know what kinds of adventures the Mario gang will face, we do know who will be bringing them to life. Chris Pratt leads the voice cast, taking on the role of Mario himself. Charlie Day will be by Pratt’s side, bringing the voice of Luigi to life. The rest of the star-studded cast includes Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach, Keegan-Michael Key as Toad, Jack Black as Bowser, Kevin Michael Richardson as Kamek, Fred Armisen as Cranky Kong, Sebastian Maniscalco as Foreman Spike, and Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong. Additionally, Charles Martinet, longtime video game voice actor of Mario, Luigi, Wario, and Waluigi, will appear in various cameo roles.

With this casting announced, fans can begin to form theories about each character’s role in the franchise. Notably missing from the list are iconic characters such as Wario, Yoshi, and the Goombas. It’s possible that they will appear but haven’t been cast yet. They may also not appear at all, but given how integral these characters are to the video game series, it would seem like a missed opportunity if they were excluded.

Release Date

The film is currently set to hit theaters on December 21, 2022. Universal clearly wants to set the movie up for box office success by capitalizing on the holiday release window. Following a 2021 NBCUniversal deal, the Mario movie and other Universal releases will become available to stream on Peacock as soon as 45 days after their theatrical releases.

Everything Else We Know

Universal Nintendo
Universal Nintendo

Though we are still months away from the release with little plot information available, Universal has already announced plans for adaptations of more Nintendo properties should the Mario release be successful. No specific titles have been revealed for adaptations, but this move marks a big shift for Nintendo. The video game giant has been notoriously apprehensive about adapting its games for the big screen ever since the infamous original 1993 live-action film. The new release may offer a sort of redemption for that original film, as the source material will likely translate to CG animation much smoother than live-action effects.

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We may have received a hint at what one of the future Nintendo movies could be. In November 2021, it was reported that Seth Rogen would be reprising his role of Donkey Kong in an upcoming standalone film based on the character. Again, while nothing is confirmed, a Donkey Kong film could be a real possibility if this Mario film is successful. Charlie Day, the voice of Luigi, has stated that he would be interested in reprising his role for an adaptation of the 2001 game Luigi's Mansion.

In any case, all that audiences can do is wait and see. If this film proves successful, it may mark the beginning of a Nintendo Renaissance or even Nintendo’s own “cinematic universe.”