The Super Mario Bros. Movie

(NOTE: For Players/Gamers)

Teaser poster.

***The Super Mario Bros. Movie*** is an upcoming computer-animated adventure comedy film produced by Illumination in association with Nintendo, and will be distributed by Universal Pictures. It is the third feature film adaptation of Nintendo's *Mario* video game franchise, following the anime film *Super Mario Bros.: The Great Mission to Rescue Princess Peach!* (1986) and the Hollywood live-action film *Super Mario Bros.* (1993). The film is being directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic from a screenplay by Matthew Fogel and features an ensemble voice cast including Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Day, Jack Black, Keegan-Michael Key, Seth Rogen, Fred Armisen, Sebastian Maniscalco, Charles Martinet, and Kevin Michael Richardson.

After the critical and commercial failure of the 1993 film, Nintendo was reluctant to license its intellectual properties for film adaptations. *Mario* creator Shigeru Miyamoto became interested in developing another film when Nintendo was bringing its older games to the Virtual Console service, and through Nintendo's work with Universal Parks & Resorts to create Super Nintendo World, he met Illumination founder Chris Meledandri. By 2016, the two were discussing a *Mario* film and in January 2018, Nintendo announced that it would collaborate with Illumination and Universal to produce it. Production was underway by 2020. On October 6, 2022, a teaser trailer for the film was shown via a Nintendo Direct.

*The Super Mario Bros. Movie* is scheduled to be released in the United States on April 7, 2023 by Universal Pictures.

## Voice cast

See also: Characters in the Mario franchise

* Chris Pratt as Mario
* Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach
* Charlie Day as Luigi
* Jack Black as Bowser
* Keegan-Michael Key as Toad
* Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong
* Fred Armisen as Cranky Kong
* Sebastian Maniscalco as Foreman Spike
* Kevin Michael Richardson as Kamek

Charles Martinet, who has voiced Mario and various other characters in the franchise, will also appear in undisclosed cameo roles. Khary Payton voices the Penguin King in the trailer.

## Production

### Development

Directors Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic
After the critical and commercial failure of the 1993 *Super Mario Bros.* film adaptation, Japanese video game company Nintendo became wary of licensing its properties for film adaptations. According to Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto, the idea for a new *Mario* film came from bringing their older games to the Virtual Console and other services; such transitions took time for the company, and Miyamoto recognized that "our content business would be able to develop even further if we were able to combine our long-beloved software with that of video assets, and utilize them together for extended periods." Miyamoto knew that the process of making a film was far different from that of making a video game, and wanted a film expert to lead the effort.

Following the November 2014 hack of Sony Pictures, emails between producer Avi Arad, studio chief Amy Pascal, TriStar Pictures head Tom Rothman, and Sony Pictures Animation president of production Michelle Raimo Kouyate were released revealing that Sony had been attempting to secure the film rights to the *Mario* franchise for several years. Arad visited Nintendo in Tokyo in February and July 2014 in an attempt to secure a deal. In October, Arad emailed Pascal and said he had closed the deal with Nintendo. Pascal suggested recruiting *Hotel Transylvania* director Genndy Tartakovsky to help develop the project, while Kouyate said she could "think of 3–4 movies right out of the gate" and expressed hope in "build[ing] a *Mario* empire." However, after the emails leaked, Arad denied that a deal had been made, stating that negotiations had only begun. *BuzzFeed News* noted that the emails did not take into account potential conflicts with Sony Pictures' corporate sibling Sony Interactive Entertainment, one of Nintendo's chief competitors.

Through Nintendo's work with Universal Parks & Resorts to create *Mario*-based attractions (see Super Nintendo World), Miyamoto met Chris Meledandri, founder of Universal Pictures' Illumination animation division. Miyamoto found Meledandri's creative process similar to his own, and felt he would be the proper lead for a *Mario* film. They had started more earnest discussions by 2016, knowing that if they felt it would not work that they could easily walk away. In November 2017, reports emerged that Nintendo was collaborating with Universal and Illumination to make an animated *Mario* film. Then-Nintendo president Tatsumi Kimishima clarified that a deal had not been finalized, but that an announcement would come soon. Kimishima hoped that if the deal was successful, a 2020 release date would be possible.

In January 2018, Nintendo announced that the film would progress with Miyamoto and Meledandri co-producing. Meledandri said the film was a "priority" for Illumination and that it will most likely come out in 2022. He added that Miyamoto would be "front and center" during production. In January 2020, Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa stated that the film was "moving along smoothly" with an expected 2022 release date. Furukawa also said Nintendo would own the rights to the film, and both Nintendo and Universal would fund the production.

In August 2021, it emerged that *Teen Titans Go!* creators Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic were directing the film after the discovery of an Illumination animator's LinkedIn profile that included the film in their list. Following the full casting announcement, Horvath and Jelenic were confirmed to be directing, with Matthew Fogel attached as the screenwriter.

In September 2022, it was announced by New York Comic Con that the film's teaser trailer will be released on October 6, 2022. Shortly thereafter, Ed Skudder, creator of *Dick Figures* and developer of *Unikitty!*, confirmed that he worked as head of story on the film.

### Casting

**(top)**: Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Charlie Day provide the voices for Mario, Princess Peach, and Luigi, respectively.

**(middle)**: Jack Black, Keegan-Michael Key, and Seth Rogen voice Bowser, Toad, and Donkey Kong, respectively.
**(bottom)**: Fred Armisen, Sebastian Maniscalco, and Kevin Michael Richardson voice Cranky Kong, Foreman Spike, and Kamek, respectively, while Charles Martinet will appear in cameos.
In February 2021, Mario voice actor Charles Martinet said the possibility of reprising his role in the film would be a "marvelous thing" and that if he were asked to voice Mario, "I'll go in and play with great joy and happiness." In August 2021, Sebastian Maniscalco revealed he was voicing Spike, Mario and Luigi's boss from the game *Wrecking Crew* (1985).

During a September 2021 Nintendo Direct presentation, Shigeru Miyamoto announced that Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Day, Jack Black, Keegan-Michael Key, Seth Rogen, Kevin Michael Richardson, Fred Armisen, and Maniscalco would headline the voice cast, and that Martinet would be featured in "surprise cameos". This announcement was met with a mixed reaction from longtime fans; while some welcomed the idea of celebrity actors voicing the characters, others questioned and criticized the choices, in particular Pratt as Mario instead of Martinet (who has voiced the character since 1992) or an Italian actor. Meledandri said Pratt would not be voicing Mario with a thick Italian accent as Martinet has traditionally done. Charles Martinet himself has also reportedly given his approval to the film, calling it "a lot of fun".

Plot details were kept secret to the actors during recording, according to Day, who noted he had to record his dialogue in many different ways, after which the directors selected the version they believed would be best suited for the scene.

### Animation

The film is being animated by Illumination Studios Paris, which has animated many of Illumination's previous films, in Paris, France. Production was underway by September 2020.

### Music

During the Nintendo Direct, Meledandri confirmed that Brian Tyler is set to compose the score for the film, collaborating with Koji Kondo.

## Release

*The Super Mario Bros. Movie* is scheduled to be released by Universal Pictures on April 7, 2023 in the United States, followed by a Japan release on April 28, having been previously scheduled to be released on December 21, 2022. It will be available to stream on Peacock 45 days afterwards.

### Marketing

The film's first visuals were unveiled in a teaser poster the same day of the cast's announcement in September 2021, showcasing a glowing question block. Another teaser poster was posted on the official film's Twitter account on October 4, 2022, featuring Mario's backside, an assortment of Toads, a Cheep Cheep, and Princess Peach's castle. Additionally, a Nintendo Direct presentation dedicated to the film featuring the first teaser trailer was announced to be livestreamed on October 6, 2022; the trailer will also be screened at New York Comic Con 2022 on the same day. Upon the release of the teaser poster, Chris Pratt promoted the film on Twitter, saying it's "very special." Public reception to the poster was largely positive; praise was directed towards the faithfulness of the environment and visuals to the usual aesthetic of the series, though many jokingly lamented the apparent reduction of the size of Mario's rear.

On October 5, Twitch streamer ConnorEatsPants shared on Twitter a screenshot of his Discord server, in which a user, claiming to be a McDonald's employee, posted an image featuring a new render of Mario's face and upper body, closely resembling his appearance in the poster revealed the previous day. While reactions were generally positive, online discourse centered around small alterations to Mario's face, with many describing the slightly realistic design as initially off-putting, evoking comparisons to Sonic's original film design in the 2019 *Sonic the Hedgehog* trailers. The leaks were later confirmed with the release of the trailer.

On October 6, the teaser trailer was released, showcasing the vocal performance and characters. It shows Bowser and Kamek attacking a kingdom of penguins, Mario arriving at the Mushroom Kingdom and meeting Toad for the first time and Luigi running from Dry Bones at the end. At New York Comic Con, Jack Black says Bowser has a musical side, teasing a theme for the character.

## Future

In May 2021, Furukawa said that Nintendo was interested in producing more animated films based on its IP if the *Mario* film is successful. The following November, reports emerged that Illumination was developing a *Donkey Kong* spin-off film, with Rogen set to reprise his role. In February 2022, Charlie Day expressed interest in doing a *Luigi's Mansion* film.