Super Mario Film

The Super Mario Bros Movie is a 2023 computer-animated film based on Nintendo’s Mario video game franchise. Produced by Universal Pictures, Illumination, and Nintendo, and distributed by Universal, it was directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic from a screenplay by Matthew Fogel, and it features a 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. The film features a story for the brothers Mario and Luigi. Italian-American plumbers who are transported to an alternate world and become entangled in a battle between the Mushroom kingdom led by Princess Peach and the Koopas led by Bowser

*The Super Mario Bros. Movie* was released in the United States on April 5, 2023 It grossed over $66.4 million becoming the highest-grossing film of 2023 and the eleventh-highest-grossing animated film. It set multiple box-office records, including records for the biggest worldwide opening weekend for an animated film and the highest-grossing film based on a video game.

Plot

Brothers Mario and Luigi have recently started a plumbing business in Brooklyn. The business struggles, and their father disapproves of Mario's decision to leave his steady job under the antagonistic Spike. After seeing a significant manhole leak on the news, Mario and Luigi go underground to fix it but are sucked into a Warp Pipe and separated.

Mario lands in the Mushroom Kingdom, ruled by Princess Peach, while Luigi lands in the Dark Lands, ruled by the Koopa king Bowser. Bowser seeks to marry Peach and will destroy the Mushroom Kingdom using the Super Star if she refuses. Bowser imprisons Luigi to blackmail Mario, whom he sees as competition for Peach's favor. Mario meets Toad, who takes him to Peach. Peach plans to ally with the Jungle Kingdom to help repel Bowser and agrees to take Mario and Toad along. In the Jungle Kingdom, King Cranky Kong agrees to help on the condition that Mario defeats his son, Donkey Kong, in a fight. Despite a shaky start, Mario defeats Donkey Kong using a Cat Suit.

Mario, Peach, Toad, and the Kongs use karts to drive to Bowser, but his army ambushes them on Rainbow Road. When a Koopa General destroys part of the road, Mario and Donkey Kong plummet to the ocean and are eaten by a Maw-Ray, while the other Kongs are captured. Peach and Toad return to the Mushroom Kingdom and urge the citizens to evacuate. Bowser arrives aboard his flying castle and proposes; Peach reluctantly accepts after he tortures Toad. After bonding over their problems with their fathers, Mario and Donkey Kong escape the Maw-Ray by riding a rocket from Donkey Kong's kart and hurry to Bowser and Peach's wedding.

At the wedding reception, Bowser intends to execute all of his prisoners in lava as a "gift" for Peach. Toad smuggles an Ice Flower in Peach's bouquet. Peach freezes Bowser and frees the prisoners alongside Donkey Kong and Mario, the latter using a Tanooki Suit to save Luigi. Bowser frees himself and calls a Banzai Bill to destroy Peach's castle, but Mario diverts it into the Warp Pipe. This causes Bowser's castle to be transported to Brooklyn. As they fight Bowser, Mario and Luigi grab the Super Star, become invincible, and defeat the Koopas. Bowser is shrunk with a Mini Mushroom and imprisoned in a bottle. The residents of Brooklyn celebrate Mario and Luigi, including Spike and their parents. Mario and Luigi move into a new house in the Mushroom Kingdom, with a pipe to return to Brooklyn whenever needed.

Voice cast

Chris Pratt as Mario - A struggling Italian-American plumber from Brooklyn, who is accidentally transported to the world of the Mushroom Kingdom and embarks on a quest to save his brother.

Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach - The ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom, and Mario's guide, mentor, and love interest, who entered the world of the Mushroom Kingdom as an infant and was raised by the Toads.

Charlie Day as Luigi - Mario's timid younger brother and fellow plumber, who is captured by Bowser and his army.

Jack Black as Bowser - The King of the Koopas, who rules the Dark Lands, steals the powerful Super Star, and plots to conquer the Mushroom Kingdom by marrying Peach.

Keegan-Michael Key as Toad - A Mushroom Kingdom resident whose species is also named Toad, who aspires to go on his first real adventure.

Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong - A powerful gorilla and heir to the throne of the Jungle Kingdom.

Fred Armisen as King Cranky Kong - The ruler of the Jungle Kingdom, commander of the Kong Army, and Donkey Kong's father.

Sebastian Maniscalco as Spike - Mario and Luigi's former boss from the Wrecking Crew.

Kevin Michael Richardson as Kamek - A Koopa sorcerer and Bowser's advisor and informant.

Additionally, Charles Martinet, who voices Mario and Luigi in the *Mario* games, voices the brothers' father and Giuseppe, a Brooklyn citizen who resembles Mario's original appearance in *Donkey Kong* and speaks in his in-game voice. Jessica DiCicco voices the brothers' mother, Mayor Pauline, a yellow Toad, Luigi's bully and baby Peach. Rino Romano and John DiMaggio voice the brothers' uncles, Khary Payton voices the Penguin King, the ruler of the Ice Kingdom descended upon by Bowser's army, while Eric Bauza voices the Toad General. Juliet Jelenic, daughter of co-director Michael Jelenic, voices Lumalee, a blue Luma held prisoner by Bowser, and Scott Menville voices the Koopa General, the winged, blue-shelled leader of Bowser's army, as well as a Red Toad. Diddy Kong makes a voiced cameo viewing Mario's fight with Donkey Kong.

Animation

The film is being animated by Illumination Studios Paris which has animated Illumination's previous films in Paris France Production was underway by September 2020. Donkey Kong's design was changed for the film, a first ever since the videogame *Donkey Kong Country* (1994). For his new design, artists incorporated elements of both his modern design and his original design from his debut appearance in *Donkey Kong* (1981).

Songs from Jack Black and Keegan-Michael Key were improvised for the film. Black Hydra composed the music for its official trailer, called "Super Mushroom". The instrumental was released on November 30, 2022 on YouTube.

Jack Black co-wrote the song "Peaches", where Bowser professes his love for Princess Peach. "Peaches" was released on April 7, 2023, with a music video directed by Cole Bennett. According to Black, it was filmed within a few hours. Upon its release, "Peaches" appeared on No. 61 on the iTunes streaming chart. Later, the song appeared on the *Billboard* Hot 100, reaching 83.

Release

The Super Mario Bros Movie was released in the United States on April 5 2023, and later in Japan on April 28 in both regular formats and in IMAX 2D and 3D. The film was previously scheduled to be released on December 21, 2022 and April 7, 2023 (the former of which was taken over by DreamWorks Animation's *Puss in Boots The Last Wish:* in response to the film's delay to the later date.) On February 28, 2023, it was announced that the film would be released two days earlier, on its current date. It released in many countries on dates ranging from April 5th to 7th. It was released on April 26 in South Korea and on May 26 in Poland.

*The Super Mario Bros. Movie* was released on digital download on May 16, 2023 and was released on 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray, Blu-ray, and DVD on June 13 in the US. The film will be released on those formats in the UK on July 24.

The film is scheduled to be released on NBCUniversal's Peacock streaming service on August 3, 2023. As part of their 18-month deal with Netflix, the film will stream on Peacock for the first four months, then will move to Netflix for the next ten, and then will return to Peacock for the remaining four.

Future

On April 21, 2023, following the film's box office success, Nintendo stated that there would be more films based on their properties, though they did not directly confirm a sequel to *The Super Mario Bros. Movie*.

In February 2022, Day expressed interest in reprising his role as Luigi in a *Luigi's Mansion* film. In April 2023, Rogen openly expressed interest in *Donkey Kong Country* forming the basis of future works, stating it created "a lot of opportunity" for a spin-off film. That same month, Anya Taylor-Joy was in talks about the possibility of a Princess Peach spin-off movie.