Guardians of the Galaxy star Chris Pratt is a Hollywood A-Lister and, on the surface, an ideal choice to bring Mario to life in Universal Pictures and Illumination's The Super Mario Bros. Movie.
Alas, it's become clear the vast majority of gamers don't agree and Pratt has been coming under fire from the start. For those to hear the classic Mario voice in this movie, the actor putting his own Brooklyn-inspired spin on the plumber has resulted in a lot of upset Mushroom Kingdom enthusiasts.
It's easy to understand why as, on the surface, it appears to be another example of Hollywood casting a big name without respecting the source material. However, if what we've heard in the trailers is any indication, Pratt has nailed the catchphrases and is adding at least some of that familiar flair to the iconic character.
During a recent appearance on the BBC One Show (via Toonado.com), Pratt shed some light on why he didn't try to emulate the classic Mario voice but proved he would have been able to do so if asked!
"We were trying to find a way to put that into the movie, but in a way that would be congruent with a storyline," he said before Luigi actor Charlie Day chimed in by adding, "Yeah you can't say 'Itsa me' for 90 minutes." Pratt, however, would go on to perform those lines in that classic video game style and has since received praise from fans for doing so.
Still, we appreciate where both he and Day are coming from as what works in a game won't necessarily translate well to a 90-minute movie.
From Nintendo and Illumination comes a new animated film based on the world of Super Mario Bros.
Directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic (Teen Titans Go!, Teen Titans Go! To the Movies) from a screenplay by Matthew Fogel (Minions: The Rise of Gru), the film stars Chris Pratt as Mario, Charlie Day as Luigi, Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach, Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong, Jack Black as Bowser, as Toad, Kevin Michael Richardson as Kamek, and Sebastian Maniscalco as Spike.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie is set to be released in theaters on April 5, 2023.