The directors of The Super Mario Bros. Movie have stepped forward to defend Chris Pratt’s role as the beloved plumber. In an interview with Total Film Magazine, co-director Aaron Horvath explained that Pratt’s casting “made total sense” for the film’s origin story, which focuses on Mario and Luigi as blue-collar brothers from a family of immigrants living in Brooklyn, New York City. Pratt’s portrayal of Mario was met with criticism from fans, particularly after it was revealed that he would be using an Italian accent for certain words, as seen in the “let’s-a-go” line in the second trailer.
Horvath defended the casting choice, stating that Pratt excels at playing a blue-collar hero with a lot of heart, making him a perfect fit for the character of Mario in their film. The Super Mario Bros. Movie follows the adventures of plumber brothers Mario (Pratt) and Luigi (Charlie Day) as they are transported to the Mushroom Kingdom. There, they encounter Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy), Toad (Keegan-Michael Key), and their nemesis Bowser (Jack Black), engaging in thrilling obstacle-filled races along the vibrant rainbow road. The trailer also revealed a scene where Bowser captures Luigi and attempts to extract information about his brother Mario.
Horvath further elaborated on the immigrant aspect of Mario’s character, drawing a parallel with the experience of playing the Mario video games. In the games, players have to persevere and not give up in order to lead Mario to success. This aspect was integrated into the film’s portrayal of Mario, highlighting the determination and resilience of immigrants.
Addressing fan concerns, Chris Meledandri, the CEO of Illumination (the animation studio behind the film), reassured fans that Pratt’s performance as Mario exceeded their expectations. With 15 recording sessions completed and the movie almost finished, Meledandri expressed his satisfaction with Pratt’s portrayal of the iconic character. Furthermore, the involvement of Pratt in the project is expected to generate additional buzz and attention for the highly anticipated Nintendo film.
However, it’s not just fans who have expressed discontent with Pratt’s casting. Last year, actor John Leguizamo, who played Luigi in the 1993 live-action Super Mario Bros. Movie, voiced his disappointment, suggesting that the film took a step backward by casting white actors for Italian characters.
Interestingly, Charles Martinet, the original video game voice actor for Mario, will be involved in the film by lending his voice to various supporting characters. Nintendo recently announced a Direct event to showcase the final trailer for The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which will be streamed live on its official YouTube channels on March 10.
The release date for The Super Mario Bros. Movie was recently moved up by two days, and it is now set to hit theaters worldwide on April 5.
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Eugen Boglaru is an AI aficionado covering the fascinating and rapidly advancing field of Artificial Intelligence. From machine learning breakthroughs to ethical considerations, Eugen provides readers with a deep dive into the world of AI, demystifying complex concepts and exploring the transformative impact of intelligent technologies.
