The next Super Mario film has been postponed by many months..
It’s Mamma Mia! Fans of Nintendo’s famed mustache-sporting plumber will be disappointed to learn that the Super Mario movie has been officially postponed.
Although it was originally scheduled to be released on December 21, 2022, the Mario and pals-led adventure has been pushed back until April 7, 2023. Shigeru Miyamoto, the famed video game developer and mind behind Mario, confirmed the news in a blog post for Nintendo of America.
For those who were saddened by the announcement, Miyamoto apologised profusely and promised that the movie will be “absolutely worth the wait.”
According to a statement from CEO Chris Meledandri, the decision was taken by all stakeholders and that the whole team is “eager to share this wonderful picture.” Illumination, the animation company that is working on the movie.
No, we’re not talking about the 1993 live-action Mario movie. A new attempt has been on for some time. In 2018, Nintendo stated that it was partnering with Illumination and Universal to bring the Mushroom Kingdom to the big screen, giving the project a huge boost.
There has been no new footage since then, but last year Nintendo announced the voice cast for the movie. For the role of Mario, the cast includes Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Day, and Jack Black, who will all be lending their vocal talents to their respective characters.
Keegan-Michael Key, Seth Rogan, Fred Armisen, and Kevin Michael Richardson will all voice characters in the film. The film will also have a cameo appearance by Charles Martinet, the voice of Mario in several video games.
With a stellar voice cast, it’s hard to argue with the mixed reactions to the announcement that Pratt will be playing the world’s most renowned video game character. Internet streamers and gamers’ reactions to the cast list have been captured on camera in hilarious compilations that can be found by doing a simple YouTube search. Pratt has to nail the Italian accent if he wants to play the part.
Only the release date and a few key cast members have been confirmed for the next Super Mario movie. We don’t know much about the narrative yet, but it’s a safe guess that Bowser will abduct Peach and Mario will go on a mission to rescue her.
Hollywood and video games haven’t always been the best of friends, but there are hints that filmmakers are now grasping how to adapt games for a theatrical market. Despite their flaws, Uncharted and the two Sonic the Hedgehog films were recent box office successes. Hopefully, when the Super Mario animated film debuts in theatres in April, it will be just as favourably appreciated.