The Super Mario Bros. Movie directing duo Michael Jelenic and Aaron Horvath have declared that casting Guardians of the Galaxy star Chris Pratt as Mario “made total sense” and he is the “perfect” actor to bring Mario to life on the big screen. Speaking with Total Film, Horvath responded to the ongoing criticism that has been leveled at the casting of Pratt, explaining why the Marvel star is perfect for this project.
"For us, it made total sense. He's really good at playing a blue-collar hero with a ton of heart. For the way that Mario is characterised in our film, he’s perfect for it."
Giving Chris Pratt the job of voicing Super Mario in The Super Mario Bros. Movie has been met with a lot of negativity from a lot of different angles. From fans to other actors, there are many who feel that Pratt is simply not the right choice for the role, with others wondering why Charles Martinet, who has voiced the Nintendo icon since as far back as 1992, was not brought back for the animated adventure. Despite all this, Horvath is convinced that Pratt will prove everyone wrong and live up the legacy.
Casting issues aside, Horvath revealed further details of their vision for The Super Mario Bros. Movie, assuring fans that they are striving to make something that feels “authentic.”
"We wanted to make this movie a very authentic Nintendo Super Mario experience. From story to visual development to the animation, Nintendo has been with us every step of the way."
The Super Mario Bros. Movie is the Origin Story of ‘Mario becoming Super Mario’
Based on the hugely popular video game franchise and featuring the beloved Nintendo characters, The Super Mario Bros. Movie will follow the iconic plumber as he travels to Toad town and embarks on an adventure through an underground labyrinth with his brother, Luigi, trying to save a captured princess.
Horvath continued, revealing that The Super Mario Bros. Movie will tell the origin story of the character. "It's a bit of an origin tale. It's the story of Mario becoming Super Mario," he explained. The movie will begin with Mario and Luigi as "blue-collar guys… from a family of Italian immigrants" who are trying to boost their plumbing business by making cheesy adverts. The origin tale will also aim to create the same feelings felt when playing the video games.
"When you play the game, if you don’t give up, Mario will succeed. So we transferred that player experience from the game to a characteristic that [movie] Mario would have."
The Super Mario Bros. Movie stars Chris Pratt as Mario, Charlie Day as Luigi, Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach, Jack Black as Bowser, Keegan-Michael Key as Toad, Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong, Fred Armisen as Cranky Kong, Kevin Michael Richardson as Kamek, and Sebastian Maniscalco as Foreman Spike. Additionally, Charles Martinet, who has provided the voice of Mario throughout the franchise for many years, has been confirmed to feature in an undisclosed cameo.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie is scheduled for release in the United States on April 7, 2023.