One of Nintendo’s most beloved video games is going to be adapted into a new movie, with the star-studded voice cast revealed on Thursday.
Nintendo of America announced via Twitter that “The Super Mario Bros. Animated Film” will be debuting in theatres during the 2022 holiday season.
In the tweet, the all-star voice cast was revealed, including Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Day, Jack Black, Keegan-Michael Key, Seth Rogen, Fred Armisen and more.
The Super Mario Bros. Animated Film movie is heading to theaters in North America on 12/21/22!
Check out the voice cast for the upcoming movie below ๐ pic.twitter.com/Xj31P6hk6y
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) September 23, 2021
A subsequent tweet detailed which actors would be playing which characters, with Pratt and Day as titular plumbers Mario and Luigi, and Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach. Meanwhile, Rogen will be playing Donkey Kong, Black will voice Bowser, and Key will be Toad. Charles Martinet, who voices all the various characters in the video games, will be appearing in “surprise cameos.”
Chris Pratt as Mario
Anya Taylor-Joy as Peach
Charlie Day as Luigi
Jack Black as Bowser
Keegan-Michael Key as Toad
Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong
Fred Armisen as Cranky Kong
Kevin Michael Richardson as Kamek
Sebastian Maniscalco as Spike
Surprise cameos from Charles Martinet— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) September 23, 2021
This isn’t the first time that the “Super Mario” video game franchise has been adapted for film and television. Pro wrestler Captain Lou Albano and actor Danny Wells portrayed Mario and Luigi in the 1989 Saturday-morning series “The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!”, while Bob Hoskins and John Leguizamo played the duo in a live-action 1993 feature film.
Judging by Twitter, fans aren’t exactly sold on the “Super Mario” casting choices.
Chris Pratt Mario pic.twitter.com/MZzvX58OVk
— Jamezietocool (@Jamezietocool) September 23, 2021
my copy of mario 3d world looks kinda weird #NintendoDirect pic.twitter.com/5ThNDBjeOZ
— bruh @ vortex gallery (@magiksonic) September 23, 2021
The only casting announcement for the Super Mario Bros. movie that makes absolute sense to me is Seth Rogan as Donkey Kong. pic.twitter.com/spiSkVBP0P
— Mike Mika (@MikeJMika) September 23, 2021
Mario movie looks great pic.twitter.com/KguW1ardVK
— Panda (@PandaGlobal) September 23, 2021
this is what super mario movie is gonna sound like pic.twitter.com/OAULeLEyfb
— Ghob-swag-a (@Ghobsmacka) September 23, 2021
So uhhh about that Mario movie voice cast pic.twitter.com/fmEIyi5E1k
— Fake AVGN Thumbnails (@FakeAVGN) September 23, 2021
*Mario approaches Bowser's castle*
Bowser: pic.twitter.com/dR9J7akFHL
— ๐beans made thighs๐ (@beanzaru) September 23, 2021
โIt is Me! You knowโฆ Mario? Guys?โ pic.twitter.com/rK0HY2tWW6
— Kofie (@Kofie) September 23, 2021
Wow that new Mario movie sure looks interesting- pic.twitter.com/rdiQKytpQV
— Your Local Vampire ๐ฆ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ท๓ ฌ๓ ณ๓ ฟ (@VampyrOfSwords) September 23, 2021
The new mario movie is going to make you all realize how good you had it with bob hoskins.
— ๐๏ธ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ท๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๏ธ (@slimyswampghost) September 23, 2021
Pratt then gushed about the role being โa dream come trueโ for him in a social media video.
โSo when I was a kid, I lived in Lake Stevens, Washington and there was this coin-operated laundromat near my house and it had Super Mario Bros, the original arcade game,โ the actor shared.
โOh I loved that game. I never had a quarter it felt like. I used to steal them from the wishing well. Thatโs wild. It just dawned on me right now. The quarter I stole out of the wishing well to play Super Mario Bros it’s come true that I get to be the voice of Mario.
โBut I clearly stole someone elseโs wish,โ Pratt went on. โSo just waiting for that row of karma dominoes to come crashing down on me, but hey, as it is right now, itโs a me… Mario.
โIโm really excited to announce Iโm going to be the voice of that video game I dreamed of playing when I was a kid. Dreams come true.โ
