It has been years since the Super Mario movie was first teased by Nintendo. Back in 2020, the Big N revealed they were moving ahead on an animated theatrical product focused on the Mushroom Kingdom.
Not much has been said about the upcoming title, other than that the team behind Despicable Me at Illumination Studios would be taking the helm.
For years, it seemed the Mario movie sat in silence - that is until today!
Mario at the Movies
As a part of the Nintendo Direct event, the cast for the upcoming Super Mario Bros. movie from Nintendo and Illumination was revealed.
The cast is headlined by Chris Pratt as Mario, Anya Taylor-Joy as Peach, and Jack Black as Bowser. Other stars joining in on the fun are Charlie Day (Luigi), Keegan-Michael Key (Toad), Seth Rogan (Donkey Kong), Fred Armisen (Cranky Kong), Kevin Michael Richardson (Kamek), Sebastian Maniscalco (Spike), and Charles Martinet in a special cameo role.
The film was officially titled Mario and is set to be released on December 21, 2022.
It's-a Me, Mario!
This is one of the most bizarre announcements in recent memory.
While nobody is doubting if a Mario movie could work, an outing with a cast such as this does make one wonder. If someone did not hear it coming right from the mouth of Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto, they would not believe it.
Looking into this list, though, there are some gems. Anya Taylor-Joy might actually fit as a pretty great Peach, and Fred Armisen could provide an interesting take on Cranky Kong. The rest of these names are seemingly out of nowhere.
Chris Pratt, while charismatic on-screen and a fine actor, does not scream Italian cartoon plumber. And Jack Black as the King Koopa himself? That's an interesting choice, to put it bluntly.
Now, something for fans to think about is not necessarily the names that appear in this announcement, but the ones that are missing.
If characters like Kamek and Cranky Kong are seeing the spotlight, then surely mainstays like Mario purple and yellow bizarre twin will make an appearance. Who will play those characters? Well if this cast list is an indication, an announcement of Jeff Goldblum and Nicolas Cage as Wario and Waluigi would not be all that surprising.
